So about a year ago I bought a cheap eScooter after selling my stupid car, and I’ve had a pretty good time! I live within 2 miles of my doctor, my dentist, a bunch of grocery stores, and even my mom AND my grandma!

The only problem is despite it advertising 12 mile range, it only goes about 4 before dying. I kind of expected it because it’s under $300.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07K9MB6X1/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I weigh 130 pounds so I don’t think that’s impacting it.

While I just uber whenever I need to go further 1-2 times a month, would be nice to have closer to 10 miles if I want to run multiple errands in a row. Any eScooters that actually have good range and are under $500?

  • _haha_oh_wow_@sh.itjust.worksMEnglish
    221·
    6 months ago

    Honestly, I’d recommend getting a decent used bicycle. 2 miles is nothing, especially once you get acclimated to riding. Last weekend I rode down to my local bike shop (about a mile and a half away) to buy new pedals for my MTB (Black Ops Squatch btw, they were $12 and I picked them up after someone here recommended them as good budget pedals), decided to go on a little test ride, and kind of ended up riding 20 miles on accident.

    Great exercise and you can haul stuff with them too!

    I know that isn’t necessarily what you were after but at that price range, I think you might struggle to get anything reliable. That said, if you really want a scooter, keep an eye on slickdeals.net under the sport section, escooter deals pop up regularly on there.

    Gotrax is definitely not reliable as a company and I regularly see people complaining about them fwiw. That said, you could probably just find a higher capacity battery for your existing scooter if it’s otherwise functional.

    • ericbomb@lemmy.worldOPEnglish
      12·
      6 months ago

      Alas, I am a 130 pound adult male because of health reasons.

      Some days I could use a bike, other days I can’t. I have been debating getting a cheap bike when I can afford it so on days I feel up to I can, but then I might get left in a lurch where I leave feeling up to biking, then get stuck because I can’t get back.

      Part of why I like scooter instead of ebike. I can fold up little scooters and throw them in the back of an uber super easily if I suddenly find myself unable to keep going.

  • beeng@discuss.tchncs.deEnglish
    18·
    6 months ago

    Save the ewaste and buy a new battery?

    Could it be the quality of the cells thay made it cheap and not the efficiency of the motor?

  • cestvrai@lemm.eeEnglish
    13·
    6 months ago

    Switching to a pedal assist bike could help with the range of you are open to expending some of your own energy.

    • ericbomb@lemmy.worldOPEnglish
      2·
      6 months ago

      For health reasons I’m iffy on getting a pedal bike, because if I suddenly realize I can’t keep going with my scooter, I can easily get an uber and throw it in the back. Just harder with a bike.

  • 🅰️🅾️posterEnglish
    7·
    6 months ago

    Slightly off-topic, but if your current scooter has inflatable tyres, I suggest you check their pressure. The drag gets considerably higher with underinflated tyres, making your battery discharge at a faster rate.

  • Cikos@lemmy.worldEnglish
    6·
    6 months ago

    i dont know where you live but these can go below $500 and have 50km range. these things are huge in south east asia so if you can reasonably import them then i highly suggest research them and consider them. these e bikes also have in bike configuration called cyrusher in western i think but its way more pricier. if you can, try getting them from asian vendors because its way way more cheaper

  • litchralee@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
    4·
    6 months ago

    This entire answer is mostly conjecture, but I think you’d have to be looking for the e-scooter that has the largest battery pack in that price range. Of course, such a pack would add weight and possibly bulk to the scooter. A quick search on Amazon showed this scooter, a Segway NineBot ES4 listed for $480.

    Your GoTrax has a 36V 5.2A battery pack, which works out to be 187 Wh. The ES4 has double the capacity, at 374 Wh. If the GoTrax could only muster 4 miles, then the ES4 should be double that.

    But I do think there may be something wrong with your GoTrax. 187 Wh per 4 miles means an efficiency of 30 Wh/km. But scooters tend to be closer to 12 Wh/km. For reference, a class 3 ebike cruising at 45 kph (28 mph) is 48-60 Wh/km. Scooters travel so much slower, and so should be many-fold more efficient.

    If we say 12 Wh/km is too optimistic for the ES4, then let’s conservatively assume it does 24 Wh/km. That would still mean it could do 10 miles, which is just within your parameters.

    • PlantObserver@lemmy.worldEnglish
      1·
      6 months ago

      Ya somethings wrong with your GoTrax. I’d reach out to them for warranty. Mine (same model) goes close to advertised range and I weigh 160lbs

  • stiephelando@discuss.tchncs.deEnglish
    2·
    6 months ago

    Have you considered getting a bicycle? For these distances you don’t really need any engine unless you have a physical disability.

    • ericbomb@lemmy.worldOPEnglish
      3·
      6 months ago

      Ahh alas, I am a 130 pound adult male for reasons that aren’t fantastic.

      I have debated getting a bike for the days I feel up to it, I just know that many days I wouldn’t be up to it so I need something for those days.

  • glitchdx@lemmy.worldEnglish
    2·
    6 months ago

    2 years ago when I searched, I was unable to find such a thing, because I needed to do 10 miles twice a day, every day (although I could charge between). I spent about $2k for 25 mile capacity.