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Best electric scooters 2020
With a wide range of top speeds - and price points - zip around with our picks of the best scooters out there
Let’s get the formalities out of the way first. Electric scooters are not technically legal in public spaces - they’re classified as Personal Light Electric Vehicles in the UK, and only legal on private land - despite this you’ll still see plenty of business people and hyperactive kids using them to cruise along the pavements.
Electric scooters themselves come in a wide variety of price points and top speeds. Prices range from the low hundreds to well over a grand for premium scooters, while top speeds can range from around 10mph to more than 30mph.
The best electric scooters to buy
Xiaomi M365
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This electric scooter from Chinese brand Xiaomi is, quite possibly, the smartest scooter out there. Connect it to an app on your phone, and you can log your journey times, top speeds and remaining battery life. It’s also incredibly easy on the eye, with a sleek frame made from an aluminium alloy typically used in aircraft. Its one weakness is a slower-than-usual charging time, but it remains versatile, practical and great value for money.
You’ll find the Inokim Ox at the top end of the price spectrum - but with that four-figure price tag comes an impressive top speed of 29mph, 800 watts of motor power and a total driving distance of 59 miles before it needs recharging. It also allows you to manually adjust the suspension for better stability. Put simply, this scooter is the closest thing to a legitimate mode of transport on this list.
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Aimed at little scooterists aged eight and up, this bike from Razor is a highly affordable way of introducing your kids to the joys of electric scooters. It’s simple to operate, by means of a kickstarter and a hand-operated calliper brake. Its chainless design means there’s very little maintenance involved. That its top speed is a leisurely 11mph will give parents peace of mind, too.
Now here’s a scooter with a leftfield feature: it has a seat. It also comes with a fair bit of horsepower too, with 2,000W and a solid top speed of 31mph. It’s a handsome beast too, with chunky alloy wheels and LED lights on the front and rear. Dual shock absorbers will take the edge off any accidental collisions. And that seat? It’s removable, if you’d rather scoot on your feet.
This is the scooter we’d recommend if you’re working to a tight budget. Other scooters will certainly deliver more in terms of speed and lifespan, but for £200 you’ll get a top speed of 14mph, plus taillights, anti-skid tyres, three adjustable height options and a concealed shock absorber. Charging time is a mere three hours. It’s a remarkably high-quality piece of kit considering the keen price.
