How fast do electric scooters go?
Though your average electric scooter usually tops out at 20 mph, the truth is that it’s not a universal number. Like most things in life, the answer to the question, “How fast do electric scooters go?” is a little more complicated than narrowing down to a single numerical digit.
The speed of an electric scooter depends on a lot of different factors including whether or not your electric scooter has a seat, the size of the battery, the wattage of the motor, the type of material that makes up the frame of your electric scooter, the size of the tires, the size of the rider, and the terrain you’re riding on. Let’s break each of these down to see if we can’t give you a little clarity on them.
Does your electric scooter have a seat?
A seat adds considerable weight to an electric scooter and therefore can really impact the speed that you may or may not be attempting to achieve. With a standup electric scooter like a moped, goped, electric bike hybrid (which we’re looping into the electric scooter genre here), or even single wheel boards (which look really cool) the lack of seat impacts the speed you’re attempting to achieve. That being said, because there is less weight to compensate for the lack of seat, it’s possible that the motor itself is smaller and thus less capable of putting out enough power to generate high speeds, so think about that before you make your purchase.
Most seatless electric scooter manufacturers are listing top speeds at 20 mph, but thanks to YouTube, we can see that an unaltered seatless scooter can go as high as 30 mph, so keep that in mind.
What is the size of the battery on your electric scooter?
The batteries in most electric scooters come in packs, and these packs are made up of battery cells. These cells are generally made of lithium-ion, which puts them at a very specific size (18 mm x 65 mm). On their own, these battery cells generate very little power (about 3v) but packed together in an efficient structure, these guys can generate a lot of power.
What is the wattage of the motor on your electric scooter?
Again, this depends on the type of electric scooter you’re looking into. On a seatless electric scooter, such as a moped, your average motor busts out roughly 250 watts. Larger scooters with seats (also known as “intermediate” scooters) are known to have motors that can power 500 watts. Extreme performance scooters are known to have up to 1200 watt motors. So, again, it depends on the size and type of scooter you get. Generally speaking, the higher the wattage, the more power the engine and thus the faster the speed of the thing it’s powering. So a higher wattage engine should get you greater speed, in theory.
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What is the frame of your electric scooter made of?
Custom made electric scooters can be made of almost anything, but the frames on most standard electric scooters are made of steel or aluminum making them tougher to break apart if an accident should occur. Extreme performance electric scooters have more moving parts and are thus heavier, having a makeup composed of a fiberglass and metal hybrid. Because of this, they are heavier, which may make you think they are slower, but keep in mind that these versions also come with much higher-powered engines, allowing them to power the scooter at higher speeds, so they’re usually much faster than their counterparts.
How big are the tires on your electric scooter?
Mopeds and gopeds have fairly small tires, making them easier to travel on asphalt. It also means that their carrying capacity is lighter, which impacts potential speed. But, keep in mind again that extreme sport electric scooters have very large, very heavy tires, which allow them to travel at much faster speeds because their engine can support the excess power. So, the bigger the tire doesn’t necessarily mean a slower electric scooter.
Is your electric scooter for an adult or child?
The size of your rider will also impact your speed (obviously). For safety reasons, electric scooters built for children are programmed to cap out at a much slower speed than ones built for an adult. The average speed of a decent, child electric scooter is around 12-15 mph. For adults, the range is obviously much higher as the electric scooter is built to accommodate a much larger human frame. For an adult, the average speed of a seated electric scooter is around 20 mph and can go up to 40 mph depending on the performance and build of said scooter.
What does the terrain look like while you’re riding your electric scooter?
Last but not least, terrain obviously plays a huge part in how fast you’re going. On a smooth terrain, like concrete or asphalt, you’re likely to get way more speed going because there is less physical interference like rocks or gravel. On a rockier terrain such as a hiking trail, the terrain is going to be much rockier and therefore impact the potential speed of your electric scooter, regardless of the size and/or build of said scooter.
All things for you to keep in mind when choosing a potential type of electric scooter.