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Best Electric Scooters NZ Review 2022 - Top 15 E-Scooters Guide
UPDATED: 10th November 2021
Upgraded, Updated, and Expanded for 2022
Top 15 Electric Scooter List and Review 2022:
|
2022 Rank (Top 15) |
Brand
|
Model
|
Price
|
Type
|
2021 Rank (Top 10) |
2020 Rank (Top 6) |
|
#1 |
Nami |
$6,895 |
Beast |
n/a |
n/a |
|
|
#2 |
Kaabo |
$5,495 |
Beast |
n/a (Wolf Warrior 11 was #5) |
n/a |
|
|
#3 |
Kaabo |
$2,295 |
All Rounder |
n/a |
n/a |
|
|
#4 |
Mercane |
$2,095 |
Commuter |
#3 |
#1 |
|
|
#5 |
Fiido |
$1,895 |
Boot / Last Mile |
n/a |
n/a |
|
|
#6 |
Kaabo |
$3,495 |
Speedster |
#1 |
n/a |
|
|
#7 |
Apollo |
$1,299 |
Boot / Last Mile |
n/a |
n/a |
|
|
#8 |
Kaabo |
$1,795 |
Commuter |
#2 |
n/a |
|
|
#9 |
STORM |
$2,995 |
Cruiser / Golf |
#4 |
#2 |
|
|
#10 |
Kaabo |
Skywalker 8S |
$1,595 |
Boot / Last Mile |
n/a |
n/a |
|
#11 |
Vsett |
$3,699 |
All Rounder |
n/a |
n/a |
|
|
#12 |
Vsett |
$1,699 |
Boot / Last Mile |
n/a |
n/a |
|
|
#13 |
Rion |
Thrust |
$11,950 |
Hyper Scooter |
n/a |
n/a |
|
#14 |
Dualtron |
Ultra 2 |
$5,999 |
Beast |
n/a (Ultra 1 was #10) |
n/a (Ultra 1 was #6) |
|
#15 |
Inokim |
OX Super |
$2,899 |
Commuter |
#9 |
#5 |
The past year has seen an explosion in the development of high quality, high performance electric scooters. Resulting in a 2022 Best Electric Scooter list more exciting than ever before!!
There has been a major shake up of the Top E Scooter list for the coming 2022 year. Market leading brands like Kaabo have further cemented their hold as the brand to beat with outstanding releases like the Wolf King GT.
Crowd favourites like Mercane have hung on with their ever popular WideWheel desite it not being updated for the current year - people just love it.
Old dogs have fallen out with Zero dropping away and being replaced by the 'new Zeros' Vsett.
High promise Challenger brands like Apollo are testing new ground with their Phantom range, and bringing some real design aesthetic with the gorgeous Apollo Air Pro
It has been an exciting year and once again we have done our best to create a list that is a mix of prices, power levels, from last mile boot scooters, through trusty commuters, to the new level of beasts - there is something for everyone.
As ever the STORM RIDES team have worked hard to make sure as many of the Top E Scooters available to the NZ market as possible. So if you find one that suits, there is a good chance we will have it available!
If you have any questions make sure you hit us up in the web chat (we are not constantly online - but it gets checked and answered several time a day)
On to the fun stuff...
So here we present the STORM RIDES 2022 E Scooter Guide
Best Electric Scooters NZ - Top 15 Electric Scooters Guide 2022
- Kaabo Nami Burn-e Viper Review
Ushering in a new level of attention to detail, passion, and quality
Top Speed – 90-100km p/h
Brakes - Full Hydraulic Twin Disk Brakes
Price Tag - RRP $6,895
2021 Ranking - New Entrant!
Available here: Nami Burn-e Viper
- Kaabo Wolf King GT Review
Holy Cr@p! What can you say, this monster has to be ridden to be believed, it just blows everything else away.
This is the dog nobody wants to see turn up to the fight, the looks, the power, the build quality, it is pure awesomess.
Check this bad boy out on YouTube and you will see it eat everything alive! (except maybe the Nami Burn-e Viper…)
Top Speed – 90-100km p/h
Brakes - Full Hydraulic Twin Disk Brakes (These are custom STORM RIDES specifications, many parallel imported models have more basic brakes)
Price Tag - RRP $5,495
2021 Ranking - New Entrant!
Available here: Kaabo Wolf King GT
- Kaabo Mantis 8+ Review
The spiritual successor to the WideWheel Pro, there is not better scooter at this price point, hands down the best circa $2k electric scooter in the market
Top Speed – 60km p/h
Brakes - Full Hydraulic Twin Disk Brakes
Price Tag - RRP $2,095
2021 Ranking - New Entrant!
Available here: Kaabo Mantis 8+
- Mercane WideWheel Pro Review - 1000w Dual Motor
What can we say about this epic creature? The WideWheel is simply everything you could want in an electric scooter and nothing you don't.
Arriving in NZ just in July 2019, it is the latest arrival on the scene. What we love about the WideWheel is its perfect balance of the best features. It has 2 motor choices the 1000w dual motor and the 500w single motor (rear wheel).
The 1000w dual motor version is powerful enough that you can really feel the pull, it is an awesome sensation of acceleration all the way up to around 40km p/h (when max speed mode is unlocked). It comes standard with a 25kph limiter setting which is a great speed to learn on, and it will preserve battery.
While the 1000w is extremely powerful it never feels like it is trying to kill you, it is giving you the power you need, not like some of the 'over-powered' scooters like the Dualtron - which are actually just kind of ridiculous. The WW has exactly the power you need when you need it. The 500w is absolutely no slouch either and for a lot of people, it would be the perfect option.
Hill climbing is an absolute breeze, there is plenty of acceleration and speed to keep you safe - as we all know, next to being over-powered, being under-powered and slow is actually how you get into trouble - especially if you are negotiating with cars, which is very common in NZ.
How can we have gotten this far without talking about the wide wheels - the WideWheel is named as such because of its stunning, stable, sexy, wide wheels... Coupled with the dual suspension, the airless wide tyres offer a smooth ride and allow you to tackle almost any terrain. I threw everything I could at the thing, and I couldn’t find a hill or off-road terrain it wouldn’t simply destroy. Oh and did we mention NO MORE PUNCTURES!
One of the main issues with scooters, especially with New Zealand's cracked pavements and potholed roads, is the crazy narrow wheels they all have - all of them - why on earth does every single scooter have these stupid narrow wheels.
It's like everyone who designs scooters starts with a pair of stupid tiny thin wheels and then designs around them - it is bloody ridiculous.
Narrow tyres are basically the number 1 reason that most scooters suck to ride. Mercane has fixed this by strapping some epic wide airless tyres onto their creation and it only benefits from it.
The wide tyres not only make it safer they enable you to recreate an almost snowboarding like carving sensation when you ride - you really have to ride it to believe it.
In addition to all of this the WideWheel is stunning to look at, a cast aluminium alloy frame with a beautiful stingray like foot deck, again it is like nothing else out there.
It has the Power, it has the Looks, it is Safe, it is Unique - is there anything not to love about the WideWheel?
Well if we had to be picky, and we had to in order to find anything, there was one point to note. UPDATE - there USED to be a point to note... in 2019... but with the Wide Wheel Pro 2020 Model this has been rectified "the one button console on it requires a little getting used to... But we can sure live with that!" and we did live with it... quite happily... and now even that minor imperfection is goneburgers... This truly is the Ultimate Electric Scooter on the market today!
Top Speed - 40km p/h (25 km p/h when limiter is on)
Brakes - High quality twin disk cable brakes
Price Tag - RRP $2,295
2021 Ranking - #1 (of 6)
Available here: WideWheel Pro
- Fiido Q1 Seated Electric Scooter Review
An outstanding new entrant, the scooter market is not all about the biggest and most powerful. Micro-mobility is about convenience, what better way to pop up to the shops on a warm evening or the weekend than the super cool Fiido!
Top Speed - 25 km p/h
Brakes – Front and Rear
Price Tag - RRP $1,695
2021 Ranking – new entrant
Available here: Fiido Q1 Seated E-Scooter
- Kaabo Mantis 10 ProReview
- Comes as Mantis Base & Mantis Pro (Top Spec) models
The Mantis scooter is as awesome as its name suggests whether you go for the Mantis Pro model or the 'standard/base' model... not that there is anything standard about this beast!
Hitting the scene in 2019 the Mantis immediately garnered the respect of the e scooter community. The Pro is the scooter that all other e scooter makers aspire to make - but missed, Kaabo didn't miss - they smashed a bullseye!
The Mantis Pro manages to balance the ability to power up huge hills with the agility to corner and manoeuvre in a manner required when avoiding the various obstacles moving and otherwise that a scooter rider has to deal with
Power + Agility = Safety although this is one heck of a powerful beast, it has the balance that is really hard to achieve. So often you get too much power, and it cannot be handled properly. That is not an issue with the Mantis.
Note: there were originally 3 models Base, Pro, and Pro+, due to customer feedback and testing we have changed to stocking 2 models Base and Pro but the 'Pro' is the highest specced Mantis you can get - the best battery, the best brakes, the best everything - because this is STORM RIDES and that's how we do things.
Hills are absolutely no problem for the Mantis
Top Speed - 65km p/h
Brakes - Full Hydraulic Twin Disk Brakes (These are custom STORM RIDES specifications, many parallel imported models have more basic cable brakes)
Price Tag - RRP $3,295
2021 Ranking - #1
Available here: Kaabo Mantis Pro
- Apollo Air Pro Review
What an exciting new entrant. The Apollo brand is really one to watch. From the Ghost to the Phantom, but the standout to us is the Apollo Air Pro, it is entry level pricing with high end design.
Top Speed -
Brakes -
Price Tag - RRP $1,195
2021 Ranking - New Entrant!
Available here: Apollo Air Pro
- Kaabo Skywalker 10H Review
Behold the Skywalker, what an incredibly impressive scooter. To be honest we were not sure about how good this one would be. But it is now one of our best sellers and customers absolutely LOVE it.
The Skywalker is an absolute goldilocks of a scooter.
Not too fast, but not too slow; Not too big, but not too small; Not too heavy, but not too light; Not too powerful, but not too gutless; Not too expensive, but not too cheap... and on and on
This scooter hits the sweet spot across the board, it is perfect for everything from popping to the local shops to commuting, and has enough power for solid speeds and hill climbing whilst being geared to be a very easy rider suitable for inexperienced riders.
For a lot of people this would be the #1 Electric Scooter, the Mantis beats it for us based on its sheer power and speed capability, but for many that isn't important, in which case the Skywalker would be top of the pops!
Top Speed - 45km p/h
Brakes - Full Hydraulic Twin Disk Brakes (These are custom STORM RIDES specifications, many parallel imported models have more basic cable brakes)
Price Tag - RRP $1,795
Last Years Ranking - New Entrant!
Available here: Kaabo Skywalker
- Cruiser SG Fat Tyre Review
Fat Tyre scooters landed with a smash into the scooter market in 2016. They are the big brother of everything else here and the little brother of iconic rides like the Harley Davidson. This is literally like nothing you have ever ridden.
The combination of an incredibly low centre of gravity and the super wide round shoulder tyres make the Cruiser S something out of this world to ride.
Until you have ridden a Fat Tyre Cruiser you really won't get it. Now the Cruiser range is not just any old fat tyre. The build quality is fantastic, the batteries are high quality, the suspension - both front and rear - are well designed and highly effective, there is a whole range of accessories some of which were designed and manufactured in NZ.
The same factory that makes the STORM Cruiser S also makes the Phat Scooter which is dominating the fat tyre market in the USA. They are almost exactly the same except the STORM version has been up-specced significantly in that it is a lot faster, has an alarm and immobiliser, and rear indicators and tail/brake light.
The Cruiser S gives you back whatever the heck you ask of it. A grandma can make a slow and stable ride up to the shops and back. Then her 20-something grandson can tear around like a madman throwing it into corners, and leaning it down so low that the stand might scrape the ground. Before heading off on a trail through the bush. Then upon return, his dad can take it down the hard packed sand on the beach to go fishing.
The Cruiser is somehow not just ' capable of', or 'usable for' these widely varying use cases - it is somehow absolutely perfect for all of them.
Top Speed - 40 kp/h
Brakes - Full Hydraulic Twin Disk Brakes (These are custom STORM RIDES specifications, many parallel imported models have more basic cable brakes, amongst a multitude of other downgrades)
Price Tag - $2,995
Last Years Ranking - #2 (of 6)
Available here: Cruiser SG Fat Tyre Scooter
- Kaabo Skywalker 8S Review
Kaabo Skywalker 8S
Top Speed -
Brakes -
Price Tag -
Last Years Ranking -
Available here:
- Vsett 10+ Review
Vsett 10+
Top Speed -
Brakes -
Price Tag -
Last Years Ranking -
Available here:
- Vsett 8 Review
Vsett 8
Top Speed -
Brakes -
Price Tag -
Last Years Ranking -
Available here:
- Rion Thrust Review
Rion Thrust
Top Speed -
Brakes -
Price Tag -
Last Years Ranking -
Available here:
- Inokim OX Super Review
The Inokim OX Super is one heck of a ride. An fast machine, you definitely do not want to just jump onto one of these bad boys and go flat out without some prior experience riding scooters.
Inokim is one of the most recognisable brands in the electric scooter world, well recognised for their attention to detail, build quality and power. The styling is not to everyone's liking as they go for bright garish colours and the end package is rather on the boxy side. Definitely has a 'functional' rather than 'cool' look to it.
With a 1000w motor, it has plenty of grunt and the 21ah battery will give you all the range you would need. Should be looking at a good 60km plus range, now we have seen them claim 100km plus range... always be careful of these factory range claims - it pays to cut them in half for real-world use. However, it is still very impressive.
Another downside other than the looks is the relatively low max rider weight - it is just 120kg - many people are over that so just be careful.
So if you want a top brand scooter, that has power to spare, is well built, great range, and you are not really interested in having something that looks cool, and you don't weight too much - then the Inokim Super OX is a great option for you.
The Big Problem for the Inokim OX Super is the Kaabo Mantis - the Mantis is faster, better looking, newer tech, cheaper price (model dependant), and you can choose from a range of specs Base/Pro/Pro+ depending on what you prefer. So the OX was a mean machine but has been surpassed by the Mantis.
Top Speed - 45km p/h
Price Tag - $2,899
Last Years Ranking -
- Dualtron Ultra Review
The Dualtron Ultra is what we would call a specialist scooter. It is so ridiculously powerful that you had better make sure you have worked up to this. Now yes I know we made this warning for the Inokim Super OX also - but this time we really really mean it. This is the kind of scooter that will eat you if you do not know what you are doing.
With a huge set of 2x 1200w motors, you are talking serious kick. Not for the faint of heart. If you have the skills (or the death wish) then this is a hell of a thrill.
The big drawback of this scooter that keeps it out of the top 3 (aside from the price) is that it is pretty damn ugly. This is not the kind of scooter that you can cruise up for a coffee without looking entirely out of place. This beast really is made for the enthusiast doing trails.
So yes we think this is a great scooter, a hell of a thrill, but the appeal of it is going to be very narrow as will the use cases as it is just so big and powerful it is pretty impractical most of the time
The Big Problem for the Dualtron Ultra is the Kaabo Wolf Warrior - we just think of any reason why you would pay so much more for the old-style Ultra when you can have the world-beating Wolf!! It was an awesome scooter for its time but it has been relegated to a has been.
Top Speed - 75 km p/h
Price Tag - RRP $5,000
Last Years Ranking -
So, What is the Best Electric Scooter in NZ
The Best Electric Scooter is the one that fits your own specific requirements. That’s why our list includes a mix of high powered beasts, long range commuters, handy boot scooters, and the unique seated Fiido perfect for a quick pop up to the local shops.
Make sure you speak to us in store or on our web chat
Electric Scooter Buyers Guide / Last Words of Advice:
- Custom Consult - come in to a dealer or jump on our web chat to speak to someone who lives and breathes e scooters to make sure you get great advice
- Value Matters - too cheap and you will regret it, buying a cheap sub $1k scooter that you have to replace in 6 months absolutely sucks when for another few hundred bucks you could have had an awesome scooter from a legit brand
- Check the Specs - check the specs, we have an At A Glance table of the main specs that affect a typical rider such as Range, Top Speed, Best Use Case etc.
- Finance Options – Check out our wide range of Finance options including multiple different Buy Now Pay Later and other options like GEM and Q Card
- Warranty - make sure there is an NZ backed Warranty, and that electric scooter parts are stocked in New Zealandwe get endless calls for parts for unsupported scooters sold by unscrupulous sellers who have often since disappeared
- Have a Test Ride or Watch Videos– There are great reviews on YouTube especially the amazing work by the team at Electric Scooter Guide
More Useful Articles
How To Choose an Electric Scooter https://stormrides.nz/blogs/electric-scooter/how-to-choose-an-electric-scooter-buyers-guide-nz
Must Have E Scooter Accessories https://stormrides.nz/blogs/electric-scooter/must-have-electric-scooter-accessories
Electric Scooters for Adults NZ
8 Electric Scooter Myths Debunked https://stormrides.nz/blogs/electric-scooter/e-scooter-myths-debunked
Best Electric Scooters 2021 https://stormrides.nz/blogs/electric-scooter/best-electric-scooters-nz-top-10-e-scooters-2021
Best E Scooters for Climbing Hills https://stormrides.nz/blogs/electric-scooter/best-electric-scooter-for-climbing-hills-nz
As always, it is important to mention that we are not making any legal advice here. The laws in NZ regarding electric scooter riding is a bit of a mess as far as we can tell. NZTA says one thing, cops say another, and news outlets say something different again. Even when they are quoting NZTA spokespeople we saw totally different answers than when we approached the NZTA directly - so who is to know. Wear safety gear and have fun!
Thanks!
Team STORM RIDES