As students prepare to embark on the new academic year, electric scooters are gaining popularity as a top mode of transportation around campus. The following are the most effective ones I’ve reviewed and would recommend for students:
As a passionate advocate for e-bikes, I’ve been thrilled to witness a surge in interest from students seeking e-scooter recommendations for navigating their campus grounds.
Compact, affordable, and eco-friendly, electric scooters offer a convenient solution for navigating congested college campuses and nearby urban environments. By seamlessly commuting between classes, residences, and local merchants, students can conserve time and bypass the hassle of finding parking, an often significant issue (and cost) on campuses and in surrounding cities. As a result, electric scooters offer a cost-efficient option, requiring minimal maintenance and featuring lower purchase prices compared to many e-bikes, making them an attractive choice for cash-strapped college students seeking affordable transportation solutions.
With their eco-friendly designs and minimalist environmental impact, electrical scooters perfectly align with the increasing focus on sustainability among younger generations. As colleges strive to reduce their carbon footprint, environmentally conscious students opt for eco-friendly transportation options like electric scooters, which produce zero emissions and help mitigate the environmental impact of daily commutes.
The portability of these scooters adds another dimension of comfort to their overall appeal. Students can easily store many lightweight and foldable fashion items in their compact dorm spaces, and even carry them discreetly into classrooms. Regardless of my fondness for electric bicycles, I must concede that electric scooters possess an unparalleled level of mobility when compared to their counterparts. As a reliable back-to-school option, electric scooters offer a perfect balance of practicality, affordability, and eco-friendliness, making them an excellent choice for busy college students seeking to streamline their daily commutes while minimizing their environmental impact.
I’m focused exclusively on listings for electric scooters that retail for under $1,500 USD.
While there are many excellent high-end and high-performance scooters available, our focus is on affordable options for school and college students, which means setting a practical budget limit.
Yadea Artist
On visiting Yadea’s manufacturing facility, I was instantaneously captivated by this sleek electrical scooter. Despite its lightweight design at just 41 pounds, this bike still offers a full-suspension ride that can handle both gentle trails and rough city streets. While other listings may offer lighter fashions, the unique combination of full suspension and premium features in this package is rare at this size.
The scooter boasts a sleek design, features LED lighting, and is equipped with a powerful 600W peak-rated motor capable of tackling inclines up to a 20% grade.
One drawback for me is that the top speed of 15.5 mph can feel restrictive when navigating larger, faster-moving roads. Zipping around campus is a thrill, but the lengthy straightaways can leave you craving more speed.
Available on Amazon for US$599, a 12% discount is available, bringing the price down to $527 with the application of the coupon.
Apollo Go
I had the opportunity to test drive this scooter earlier this summer, and I must say that I was thoroughly impressed by Apollo’s innovative approach to designing electric scooters from scratch. The corporation places significant importance on distinctive design, thereby offering options that are not always readily available elsewhere.
The scooter’s 49-pound weight is largely attributed to its innovative twin motor design, yet it still manages to provide riders with a full suspension system that weighs in at under 50 pounds. Can be achieved at an impressive rate of up to 28 miles per hour, perhaps even more crucially for many. While suitable for shorter rides along designated bike lanes, cyclists should exercise heightened awareness while sharing space with multiple users, including pedestrians, to ensure a safe and harmonious experience.
As an additional advantage, the Apollo Go boasts UL certification, a crucial accreditation increasingly mandated by certain educational institutions.
A device with a robust folding design and subtle LED illumination – certainly an intriguing option to consider?
JackRabbit OG and OG2
As a passionate advocate for e-bikes, I’m utterly enamored with the JackRabbit – it’s truly my go-to ride. As a consequence, it appears to occupy a middle ground between electric bicycles and electric scooters.
Designated as a miniature electric bicycle, it’s actually a seated e-scooter by definition, boasting footrests in lieu of traditional pedals. Though the rest of the JackRabbit resembles a motorcycle more closely due to its handlebars, 20-inch bicycle wheels, and bicycle saddle, The larger wheels also enable the vehicle to traverse obstacles with greater ease.
All of JackRabbit’s fashion models are capable of reaching speeds up to 20 mph, while their swappable batteries, similar in size to those used in energy drills, provide an impressive range of approximately 10 miles per charge. Compact and portable, these batteries fit neatly in a pocket, allowing cyclists to easily swap in a spare or additional power source as needed. The corporation has introduced a substantial battery upgrade, capable of powering vehicles for an impressive 24 miles on a single charge.
The JackRabbit OG is a one-of-a-kind mannequin, available for purchase at an exclusive price of US$999. The corporation recently unveiled the OG2, an updated version of its original offering, boasting several enhancements including a more robust design, a refined display, reinforced pegs, improved tires, and more. The OG2 is hardly more expensive at $1,249, yet it undeniably seems worth the investment to me.
Segway Ninebot E2 Professional
The unit boasts a visually appealing display screen featuring prominently readable large-format displays of speed and other vital driving metrics.
While the E2 Professional’s top speed is modest at 15 mph, its 750W motor still provides ample power and enables climbing grades of up to 18% efficiently.
The ten-inch tyres deliver an unexpected advantage on rough terrain, instilling riders with a greater sense of security as they navigate uneven road surfaces.
I’m excited to take that new model out for a spin and see how she handles. Given Ninebot’s impressive track record of producing high-quality rideables, my expectations are sky-high for its latest model.
VMAX VX5 Professional
Another model on my radar is the VMAX VX5 Professional mannequin. When choosing between the two options, I’m torn between the compact and lightweight VX5 Professional and the heavier yet significantly more potent VX2 Extreme. While the latest models boast impressive gains in efficiency, with acceleration reaching speeds of up to 25 miles per hour, I personally prefer the idea of compact, more portable scooters that offer greater versatility. While the VX5 Professional may match an invoice’s pace, it still strikes a harmonious balance between speed and velocity, boasting a top speed of approximately 18 miles per hour.
Starting at an incredibly affordable US$449, the VMAX VX5 Professional offers a range of features that ensure you’re covered from unexpected surprises, including flip alerts, tubeless tires, UL compliance, and IPX6 waterproofing – so you can ride without worrying about your device getting wet.
The budget-friendly e-scooter boasts impressive power, driven by a robust 400W motor capable of delivering a surge output of up to 840W. That’s some get-up-and-go!
As I eagerly await my turn to ride this scooter, I’ve been thoroughly impressed by its debut and have received positive feedback thus far. Given my personal experience working closely with the Swiss company, I can confidently attest to VMAX’s robustness and the exceptional team supporting it.
LOCK IT UP!
While e-bikes and e-scooters offer a convenient way to navigate the campus, they also present an attractive target for thieves.
One advantage of e-scooters is their compact size, making them easily portable and less appealing to thieves if stored indoors.
When venturing outside, don’t forget to secure your vehicle with a reliable lock, preferably employing at least two for added peace of mind.
While there are numerous high-quality locks available, I’ve found two exceptional options specifically designed for securing scooters: the Foldylock Compact and the Mason Five-Side U-Lock, which have proven particularly useful in my experience. Here is the rewritten text:
The compact folder offers a straightforward, easy-to-hold locking mechanism ideal for navigating complex bike lock configurations. Meanwhile, the U-lock proves useful for securing scooters by wrapping around the downtube, situated between the headset and deck, to attach to a pole or bike rack securely.
Regardless of the approach taken, ensure all issues are thoroughly locked away.
