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Times have changed and so have people’s perceptions. The turning heads and attention we received when we rode loud, high-displacement, sports bikes now come by when you are riding silent, electric scooters. Skyrocketing fuel prices and the incumbent urge (pressure?) to go green could be the reasons behind this paradigm shift. Nevertheless, it is clear that electric modes of transportation are gaining popularity.
One of the many upsides of this is that consumers now get more options to choose from since there are more companies in the industry. One relatively new entrant to the market is Segway Ninebot. There’s a little history to the formation of this company.
Segway was established in 1999 and became famous for its self-balancing personal transporter called the Segway PT. Ninebot was a company founded by Chinese robotics engineers in 2012. Segway felt that Ninebot’s designs for a self-balancing personal transporter was based on the Segway, so sued them for breaching Segway's intellectual property. Ninebot, with the support of Xiaomi, reacted to this by buying out Segway in 2015.
Anyway, Segway Ninebot is new in town and is being distributed by iHub Pv Ltd. They have an arsenal of exciting products, all-electric, and we had with us their E125 for the day. Here’s what we think of it.
STYLING AND DESIGN
Many electric scooters have more or less adopted a certain retro-modern, minimal styling, and the Segway Ninebot E125 is not far from it. The eScooter E series is the first scooter made by Segway-Ninebot and is the winner of the 2020 Red Dot Design Award.
It has the makings of a scooter that you could see quietly traversing the paved streets of Estonia; except, it’s battling the lawless roads of Nepal. Nevertheless, it remains a very well-designed scooter. The clean-cut styling is championed by the minimal front apron that does well to appear like one single unit. On the apron, right above the front fender, are the Matrix Led headlights with 6 lenses, with integrated indicators. These lights are also light-sensing and will turn on automatically if you want them to.
The profile is also kept very clean. Sticking to the non-interruptive design cues, the pillion footrest is seamlessly integrated into the recess in the body panel. You’ll have to press in the footrest to get access to it, at which point it will pop out of the panel housing. While this is a neat way to keep the scooter tidy, with time, this might end up creating scuff marks on the body.
Let’s face it, most of us are going to prod at the footrest with our shoes instead of bending over to release it with our hands. A thin LED taillight strip with integrated indicators is wrapped around the rear of the E125. You get a very handy pillion-grab handle as well. Although the grab handles do not conform to the minimal design language of the rest of the scooter, it is much more utilitarian and fills the purpose better than a tiny grab handle would.
The seat itself is spacious and comfortable. You will have no problems accommodating both rider and pillion, even if you are large individuals. You get decent legroom on the floorboard. Behind the front apron, you get a hoot to hang your bag or belongings. There’s a compartment to hold your water bottle or to keep your phone while you charge it in the provided USB Port.
Switches and buttons feel tactile on the E125, and everything is where you expect it to be. The user-friendly digital console is well-designed, but visibility could have been better. Thankfully, the build quality appears to be of high quality.
FUNCTIONS AND FEATURES
As far as smart scooters go, the Segway Ninebot E125 comes with intelligent features. For starters, you get the option of a keyless start. Keep the keys in your pocket without the hassle of having to pull it out and stick it in the ignition.
Keep the keys in your pocket as you walk away and the scooter automatically locks. Should a thief decide to act shifty with the scooter, the advanced anti-theft system which is integrated into the complete body of the scooter will come into play. You can also ask the good folks at the showroom to activate reverse mode for the scooter which allows you to reverse your scooter with the assistance of the motor.
Now, the scooter is pretty light and you would probably be able to live without the function, but it can come in handy if you are stuck in tight parking places (between other two-wheelers) and don’t have space to maneuver out of it. Then there is cruise control which can be useful when you are travelling long distances on open roads. If you ever get lucky enough to find such roads in the city, make sure you make the best use of this function.
It gets other nifty features as well. The scooter can be locked remotely, tracked and trigger an alarm when the scooter is lost.
RIDING AND HANDLING
The Segway Ninebot E125 comes with a lot of bells and whistles, that is easy to see. However, there is still the matter of how it rides and handles. Let’s get right to it.
As a safety feature, the scooter will refuse to start unless you’re seated. Once you’re seated you get to choose from 3 modes which dictate how much power is generated from the BOSCH Tailored Brushless Motor. The maximum power available is rated at 3600 watts with a maximum torque of 200NM, which can propel the scooter to a top speed of 75kmph. You can get anywhere from 120kms to 60kms of range from the E125 depending on which mode you choose to ride in. The 27Ah lithium battery takes 5 to 6 hours to fully charge.
On our test ride, which included a pillion rider, we started off with Mode 1 which is the most frugal with the power output. As you might have already guessed, we weren’t getting anywhere fast. Nevertheless, the slowest mode gives you the most range. It gets you from one place to another, which is the most important part. And, as we passed a fuel station with a long queue outside it, we figured this mode could come in handy.
The second mode brings a slightly elevated level of power output. This is definitely more usable, especially in city traffic. There is only a slight power increment between the second and third modes, so you might be better off sticking with the second mode and conserving energy for your commuting needs. However, keep at it and the Segway E125 will gather decent speed, all the way up to 75km/h. Stopping power comes from discs in both the front and rear wheels. The 12-inch tyres with patented anti-skid tubeless tyres inspire enough confidence to chase speed limits.
One gripe, common with almost all electric two-wheelers we have ridden, is the lag in throttle input and the resultant propulsion of the machine. Apply a belligerent twist to the throttle and the scooter tries to escape from beneath you. Approach the throttle gingerly and the scooter is hesitant to get going. You have to be precise with the throttle based on poor feedback. Getting used to this did not come easy, but we eventually got the hang of it, and you will too.
VERDICT
Electric scooters are making more and more sense with each passing day, even for the most adamant advocates of conventional IC engines. The sheer discrepancy in cost per kilometer is difficult to overlook.
Let’s face it, riding excitement and fun comes second to the utility when it comes to scooters. You’re not there to win races, you’re there to get to the office without breaking the bank. In that respect, electric scooters make a lot of sense. The Segway Ninebot E125 comes in at a price of Rs. 3,91,000. It is a scooter that is filled with modern features, and the cherry on top is that it performs well too, especially within the city.
