What’s your mission?
What location do you plan on riding in most often? Some places have better roads than others. If you live in a place where the roads are well-take-care-of, you may be able to make great use out of a less expensive, lightweight scooter with solid tires. If you deal with uneven pavement and other surfaces, you may want to something with suspension and pneumatic tires. A general rule of thumb is that better suspension plus pneumatic tires (in comparison to solid tires) will give you the most comfort.
the Mii2 YOO2
If you’re using the eScooter for the same commute each day, what does your commute look like and how much time does it take? If you have a short commute, a less expensive scooter with a shorter range and lower speed may be fine. Most scooters at the bottom end have a range of at least 10 miles. Commuting further? Upgrade to a scooter that has a higher capacity battery and you can get a lot more mileage out of your commute, but you'll pay a price for it. Many companies offer eScooters with a few different speed settings. This is great if you want to ride faster or slow- or really something more in your own comfort zone- but be advised, many cities are regulating how fast something like an eScooter or eBike is legally allowed to travel, and that limit is often 15.5mph/25kph.
How much do you weigh? Consider better suspension for comfort, and for larger riders. Always make sure to look at the maximum loading weight of a particular eScooter. It may not be built for your size, and you may want to consider upgrading to something larger that will fit your needs better.
Know where your battery is coming from, and that it has a life span.
Most people don’t know that every rechargeable battery has its own lifespan. If you look hard enough on the web, some companies will actually state in their eScooter specifications that the batteries that they offer with their product are only good for 1000 recharge cycles (an average) and sometimes they will list a value of time, probably “3 years” (again, an average). Knowing these figures gives you an idea of the amount of time it may take before battery replacement comes into play. For some companies like Segway, this is an easy replacement. You can literally just buy another battery, and change it out in a matter of seconds. For others, it involves some pretty serious maintenance. Opening up panels on a scooter you may not have ever seen, disconnecting a battery, re-installing a new one. A process that only a professional should attempt.
The Meelz Commuter has an option for a Panasonic battery.
As well, the news has reported many times lately about batteries catching fire. Although the battery technology has been expanding quickly and safety is becoming less of a concern, it is still happening. Companies like LG, Samsung, and the biggest electric vehicle manufacturer Panasonic are spending large budgets on increasing safety and reliability within their batteries. It should also be noted that if you’re buying a scooter with an off-brand battery (or really, a no-name battery), it’s likely harder to get product support if you ever run into an issue.
Difference between solid and pneumatic tires
Solid tire on a Widewheel
Plain and simple, solid tires are great in places with perfect pavement (no pot holes). You will feel a lot more of the road, but you won’t have to worry about things like flat tires. Not all companies offer them for their eScooters, unfortunately.
Pneumatic tires are better for a smoother ride, but you do have the ability to get a flat. These tires handle bumps and uneven surfaces far better than a typical solid tire. If possible, buy your tires from the dealer where you got your eScooter. They typically sell their eScooters with tires that were designed specifically for that model.
Brakes and maintenance
The standard in the industry are disc brakes, currently. It’s a fairly easy system to work on yourself, but they seem to need more maintenance, considering things like the alignment of the disc, and the possibility that you may need to change out a brake pad. These things aren’t always so easy, and they need attention more often. Hydraulic disc brakes are also available from some manufacturers, and can provide you with increased stopping power. Companies like RevRides.com make this easy to purchase for the models that they sell.
The Falcon PEV has a rear drum brake.
Some companies offer a drum brake system. These systems require less maintenance and are easier to work on at home, but they don’t seem to be as readily available as disc brake systems on eScooters.
What about product support if something goes wrong?
Let’s face it: There are a lot of companies you’ve never heard of that are offering scooters at a low price, and they’re very untested in the market. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with that! BUT, you should be aware that you may be buying into a product that has unproven product support. Many companies in the industry have fantastic product support and are easy to get a hold of. Need parts? Most major distributors or manufacturers can provide them quickly. Some companies like Xiaomi actually has physical stores in many countries of the world. I've even been to one in Minsk, Belarus.
Know who you’re dealing with, and find out if the seller has the ability to help you with parts and service if you run into issues. It may not be wise to spend $500+ on a scooter that you’ll end up throwing away if it develops an issue.