Perfect for a Short Commute
Being a big fan of Urban Machina (in Vancouver, BC, Canada), I've been watching their website for some time- particularly to watch the progression of the EVOLV eScooter line that they've been carrying for some time. Most of what I had been seeing in that line looked to be no-frills but very well-made machines. Solid framework, trustworthy components. These are the kind of eScooters you look at and say to yourself, "These look like reliable machines and they would be great to get from A to B". Coincidence or not, I started receiving some emails a few months back from the readers of this site asking if I would explore these machines a little further for ESN. Perfect timing.
A few weeks later, my new EVOLV City arrived and it was as solid as I thought it would be. With a sleek design and quality materials, this is a no-frills eScooter which I personally believe can withstand the test of time. Let's look through the specs below so you can see more of what I'm talking about.
First, the details
There are three different versions of the EVOLV City:
The EVOLV City eScooter
I know- you're looking at this saying, "These prices are in Canadian Dollars? But What if I'm in Germany?" Don't worry- Urban Machina ships all over the world and they've got a service center and a network of techs who know how to work on the EVOLV line of eScooters- but we'll talk more about that a little later.
Basic Specs
The EVOLV City is effectively at on the lower end of the line, although it's still quite a performer. Looking at the specs listed here on the left, this is realistically a midrange eScooter. It's got quite a decent range, it's capable of high speeds, and it's got a high max load. Looking at what it's capable and how it rides, this is still a huge step up from something like Xiaomi's M365 or the Segway ES2/4 or similar.
When considering the price point ($899-$1199 CAD which is currently $68-900 USD as of August 2020) you're getting an incredible amount of eScooter for the money. I would also venture to say that the EVOLV line are likely built better than most other eScooters in this price range too. Purely looking at the specs, the only downside is the weight of the EVOLV City at 39lbs. Some of the competition in this bracket are up to 10lbs less, but I often consider the build of the competitors and still prefer the City. This thing really feels like it could take a hit!
An eScooter built for those that want quality and low maintenance
Our friend Christian is testing the EVOLV City.
One of the biggest driving forces for me wanting to test this actually came from all of you that are reading through this website: "What would be a good escooter in ______ budget that I don't have to maintain so often?". The City is a perfect candidate here, and one of the best ones on the market in my opinion.
The rear end of the City features a solid 8.5" rear tire coupled with a drum brake. Let's break this down:
- With a solid rear tire, you cannot get a puncture. There's not even a tube to replace. The only time you need to touch this tire is when it has no tread left and has been worn down to nothing- which will take a LONG time.
- Drum brakes are fantastic because they require basically no adjustment like a disc brake does. Even when you have to adjust it, it will take you less than a minute to dial it in how you want it.
Riding with a solid tire, I think you feel a little bit of a difference. For me, I could obviously feel more of what the road was throwing at me. This is a bit of a trade-off when you're coming from a pneumatic tire. Also, it feels like the solid tire gripped the surfaces a little bit differently- although I felt safe the entire time.
The chassis (with battery inside) felt extremely solid. In fact, I don't think I ever felt it move. Some eScooters are made with lightweight components where you can feel a bit of a flex in the chassis, but you'll never feel a flex in the City. The entire build of this things stood up well to all the types of riding it went through.
The suspension: There's not much of it, but it's adequate. You can feel it working here and there when you're going over obstacles or uneven road, but I think the solid tire kind of counteracts all the good that the suspension is doing. With that tire, you just end up feeling so much more of the road. Suspension looks adjustable, but I didn't think to adjust it as it felt comfortable on my body as it came right out of the box.
The EVOLV City is a beautiful machine.
In the handlebar area, you can unscrew each side to fold them down in order to be more compact. The grips on this were some that I've seen on many other eScooters, but were extremely comfortable in my hands. I felt no excess vibration even when going across uneven pavement.
The QS-S4 module featuring a trigger for the accelerator is just about the same as it appears on a lot of other eScooters with one interesting addition: A red warning light comes on when you're on the brakes. I actually emailed my contact at Urban Machina about this because when I saw this on other models it meant that there was a voltage issue. On the EVOLV City, it's a different story. This red light is designed to come on every single time you're on the breaks just as a safety feature. Don't let this throw you off- there's nothing wrong with your City!
I've got to make a quick comment for the tall riders because I recently saw a comment on one of my videos that was similar to, "I'm so thankful a tall rider is telling us how this will ride for tall people!"- so here it goes: This is a decently comfortable ride for tall people (I'm 6'3"), but I'm at the end of my envelope of comfort here. I wish the stem was just a little bit taller so I could have gotten even a half inch more out of it, but I'm not complaining. The City suited me perfectly fine, but I doubt it would be a fun ride for people taller than I am.
Looking to pick up your own EVOLV City eScooter? These scooters have to be purchased directly from Urban Machina. Prices range from $899-$1199 CAD depending on the options you choose.
How does it ride?
Other than the drawbacks I found about the solid tire above, this scooter rides so solidly, and it really stands out in its class. Let's be real: I'm picky about the solid rear tire because I spend all of my time riding on two pneumatic tires which are always going to be more comfortable. In reality, it rides fantastically for the options that come on the City. This is a real no-nonsense solution for those that just want less maintnence, and it's perfect for that.
I rode this eScooter for over 100 miles during testing.
I rode over any number of different surfaces, inclines, and all kinds of things so I'll try to talk about some specifics here so that you can gauge what this eScooter is capable of.
Speeds/Modes
Mode 1
In the city, I just don't find this mode useful. It can't keep up with other riders on the bike paths, so I dodged this mode for most of my rides. Mode 1 will be great for those who are just learning how to ride in a controlled space.
Mode 2
This is the mode that I rode in for most of my rides. It had the acceleration to keep up with the traffic, I could keep up with riders on the paths and even pass them if I needed to, and just overall was the mode which was the most comfortable for me. If you're riding in the city, I highly recommend you ride in this mode.
Mode 3
This was basically Mode 2 with a higher top speed. The reason why I say that is because the acceleration was basically the same unless you are on 100% battery.
Want to know...
What the best accessories are for your brand new eScooter? Check out our list of our favorite accessories on the market that will help make your ride easier, more fun, and even more safe!
Battery
Make sure to look at our "Advertised vs. Actual" Specs below, but my battery tests showed that advertised vs. actual specs for the battery were relatively close. One comment that I have though is that I noticed more battery drain than I thought I would see when on inclines. I tested some inclines between 3.5%-7% and the battery drain was a little concerning.
I think I should talk about the EVOLV City this way: It rides like it's above the class that it's in. It's fast, it accelerates well, and it's got great range. You just can't forget that this is all in context of a 350W Brushless Motor. The City rides as well as scooters that I own with 600W motors, so the battery drain makes more sense when I have that in mind. I can't compare the power draw of a 350W motor to a 600W motor and feel like I should see the same things. With that being said, I think that this eScooter actually overperforms for its class.
Advertised vs. Actual
This eScooter was advertised as having a range of 16-22 miles. Across all of my miles, I got the following results:
- Mode 1: 16.9 miles. Excellent, considering I got +.9 miles more than the bottom end of the advertised range.
- Mode 2: 18 miles
- Mode 3: 20.7 miles. I was a little bit dissapointed seeing this not hit the 22 mile advertised range- especially after it did better than expected in Mode 1.
Now let's go through speeds. They advertised a top speed of 22 miles per hour. I saw:
- Mode 1: 12 mph
- Mode 2: 17 mph
- Mode 3: 21 mph
Battery charge times are often not very accurate on scooter manufacturer's sites. However, I found that the advertised vs. actual stats were fairly close. Urban Machina advertised a 6 hour charge time for the City, and I averaged 5 hours and 50 minutes across all of my charges.
Final Thoughts
After having ridden for a few weeks, I came up what I thought were a great list of pros and cons that looks heavily at all aspects of this eScooter. If you'd like to hear about these in depth, have a look at the video I put together for the Meelz Commuter.
Pros and Cons
Pros
Cons
Conclusion:
Consider the price, and consider the performance you're getting. Tie that in with the virtually maintenance-free rear section of this eScooter. You've got an absolute winner here. You're not going to get any super cool game-changing features, but you WILL get something that should last you for a long time with very little upkeep. This is an excellent buy for a commuter in the city!
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