I know this is my second post today but I just need to express something that might be helpful to alot of the folks on here that know less than I do about electric scooters...and might be making their first purchase.
Of course there are a few folks here who know a whole lot more than I do....very technical stuff, etc. But I've owned three electric scooters now and here's my experience.
First, everyone is always knocking the "cheap Chinese" scooters. Well, most every electric scooter you see comes from China....so in my view it's more about lower end and higher end "Chinese" scooters. BTW, I read that the Chinese are leading the world in battery technology and that something like 75% of all the vehicles on the road in China are electric. So, don't think "knocking" the Chinese quality factor is entirely legitimate.
Before I continue, I'm an adult just so you all will know. My interest in electric scooters is simply that I think they are far more environmentally smart and I just like stuff that runs on electricity!....like my kayak I fitted with an electric trolling motor system many years ago....and still going strong today.
My first electric scooter was a "StreetJammer." Cost me about $370 plus shipping from CA. At the time not a single electric scooter was to be seen in my area....of any kind. I did see one of those stand up gas models (weed eater motors) and decided I wanted to find one in electric if they made it. I found one and I must say I was impressed with it. Only 12 volts but enough to take me around the neighborhood and even climb hills (the kind we have in FL). I was most impressed at the ingenuity in the thing. And I couldn't believe such a small motor could provide that kind of work!
I bought my next scooter at a used car lot. The owner had a few scooters sitting out front and he said it was mainly to get people's attention who might end up buying a car instead. This scooter was a Freedom 24volt sit down type....you know like the boreem, dolphin, all of those. It cost me $300...tax included. Boy, I was equally impressed! What a step up! And wow how much faster it would go than my stand up.
Loved the 24volt Freedom. But then you know how you start wanting more speed.....! So, I began looking for something similar...but with more power. I found another Freedom/BMX/Dolphin...that listed anywhere from 750watt motor to 900 watt....listed as 959, 987...or whatever model. I bought the one (online retailer) that seemed to be possibly the 900 watt that it was advertised as. Course if I understand correctly you can't get but about 430 watts from the 36 volts so I guess the bigger motor just ensures it runs cooler??? Anyway, I still ride it today. And I've been super impressed again with this "cheap Chinese" scooter. No major problems to date and lots of miles of great riding. Even put a bike computer on it to have odometer, mph (rather than kph)etc. Paid $305 for this one and that included shipping. It takes me up reasonable inclines at 14mph....tools around neighborhood streets at a steady 17-20 mph....and I've been downhill up to about 26mph. As I've told friends....that's about as fast as you want to go on one of these reasonably small scooters! And the range with full charge is about 14 miles. Pretty good for a measily $305!
Now, as you all might have seen from my other posts here....I want to keep basically that same speed and hill climbing ability...and maybe a couple of mphs faster. But I want something that looks a bit more like a "real" adult scooter. Hence my posts asking about the xtreme xb500/508 and the Expresso S. Sorry I got a bit off track...
Having explained my experience owning scooters here are my opinions. First, you get a whole lot of ingenuity and good technology for the cost of ANY of these "cheap" Chinese scooters. I often think folks expect way to much for the money. Next, and no offense to any kids on here....but a good plain ole bicycle doesn't last a kid very long these days. It's just a matter mostly of neglect...little or no maintenance and not taking good care of the thing. So, why would anyone expect these scooters owned by kids, or anyone who doesn't take care (always charging after rides, keeping out of weather, routine bolt checking, etc.) to last very long!
Point is....if you want an electric vehicle of any type that will be like primary transportation with road speed capabilities...and something you can depend on for several years of daily use...then you're going to have to spend several thousand dollars minimum in my opinion. Want a hobby electric scooter...to run errands, ride around the neighborhood for fun...around the campground, boat marina, campus, etc. ...and there's all kinds of cheap scooters that will give you your money's worth....and more! Just find the one you like....and find the online retailer that's selling it the cheapest.
My .02 cents worth....
Gushar
Here, it's preaching to the choir, but...
Another aspect of the maintenance question is that EV maintenance is different than IC maintenance. First, if moving from a car to a scooter, it's smaller and far less sophisticated. That means the owner needs to look out for things (such as brake adjustment, or, as you noted, bolt checking) that have been made non-issues in automobiles for 40 years.
In addition, the basic technology requires new sorts of awareness. Even the "gas gauge" reads differently than a car! For an EV, pack balance is as important as oil level for an IC, but few people, even dealers, realize this.
MarkF