Lexola GS2000si

hi guys...my 1st post, so thanks for reading and for any advice...

I'm trying to buy my 1st Electric Scooter. It has to be a 'cheap' new one, or a 'decent' used one, due to financial limits imposed on me by the WIFE!
I will need to go 10 miles to work, then 10 miles home.
A Lexola GS2000si on ebay is just in my range, but a phone conversation with the seller has given me doubts. It is 13mths old, so out of warranty, and has done 1100 miles, but had new Silicon batteries installed just before the warrenty expired. This was after a court battle to force the supplier to accept the batteries were defective from new.
I've been reading these forums, and it seems the jury is still out on the pro's and con's of Silicon. It has 8 x 6V batts, and would cost a small fortune to replace again. So...a few q's
Is this a common theme with Silicons?
Can they be directly replaced by 'normal' SLA's if they fail as quick as the originals, and will the same charger be ok?
Are Lexola a make to avoid?
The maker claims a 30 mile range. Is this realistic, as I don't want to recharge every 10 miles, because (I have read) the charge cycle count would be doubled, so the battery life would be halved.

I've got loads more q's, but i've babbled on long enough for my 1st post!

Thanks again...doorframe.