What do you get after a few years of iterations, advancements in batteries and a near perfect track record of building personal electric riding devices? I’m not exactly sure but the Segway Ninebot E3 Pro electric scooter is a great step in the right direction.
Featuring an 800W Motor with a 40km range and 25km/h top speed (32 km/h in Sport Mode), the Ninebot E3 series is the perfect sized scooter for daily commutes and weekend cruises around town. It folds up for easier storage and includes enough bells and whistles to satisfy most RGB LED enthusiasts.
Canadians, you can get the Segway E3 Pro directly from Segway.
I’ve averaged over 10km each the half dozen times I’ve taken it out so far and every time I’ve realized that it’s likely the best mid size electric commuter scooter I’ve used so far.
Stay with me while I reminisce to the simpler push powered days of scooters and why electrics are so much more fun before I get into the review proper. Feel free to skip the next section for the review proper.
My Love of Scooters Backstory
Long before electric scooters were a thing and Lime, Bird and their rental fleet ilk were still a far off dream, our family were using push scooters to get around locally. When our oldest was not much older than a toddler, we bought him a scooter and I can vividly remember asking Micki if I should get one too.
Back then there weren’t many options but I eventually found an adult sized push one (that I still enjoy to this day) and we would often head out together. Car trips across the country would often include us throwing the scooters in the back and the amount of laps we’ve done in the nearby parks over the years would make a Nascar racer jealous.
A few years later Micki decided she wanted in on the action so we got another one. As our daughter got bigger, we bought her a small one and when both kids got older, we swapped theirs out for adult sized ones as well.
If you’re in Canada, get the Segway E3 Pro at BestBuy Canada and is also available directly from Segway.
Fast forward a few more years and electric scooters are everywhere. Now found in most North American and European cities, love them or hate them, the truth is they’re out there, they’re a great way to get around and much easier on the environment (and cheaper) than jumping in a Taxi or even taking an Uber.
While they’ve changed over the years, the Segway Ninebot series have always been considered a solid electric scooter. So, where does the current iteration stand? Let’s take the Segway Ninebot E3 Pro out and see how it fares.
Segway E3 Pro Electric Scooter Review
Receiving the large box the Segway E3 Pro scooter came in was surprising. A bit larger and heavier than I expected, I wasn’t sure how much assembly I would need to do. Luckily, as I opened the box, I quickly realized that Segway had put assembly instructions on everything from the box itself telling how to lift it out to nicely labelling every part it came with.
To be honest, there really wasn’t a lot to assemble. Basically just a few screws using the included 3 way hex key. Opening the box itself, the scooter was folded over and included a large velcro band securing everything together. Unfortunately, I was so excited to get it set up that I forgot to take a few pictures of the unpacking process…
That said, it literally comprised of pulling the scooter out, undoing the velcro strap, adjusting the steering then putting a few screws in. That’s it!
Segway E3 Pro Features
Standing back, I admired the flashing lights as I hit the power button.
Instantly you realize the Segway E3 Pro includes handlebar mounted turning lights, a bright brake light, a headlight, colored undermount deck LEDs plus a nice central speedometer with battery and mode indicator. There are even a few thoughtfully placed stickers telling you how to run the scooter if you just want to jump on and take it for a ride.
The Segway E3 Pro features 4 riding modes that you can switch between by double pressing the Power button. You can either do it while traveling or while the scooter is stationary. The nice and bright 3 inch display will switch between W, E, D or S so you’ll always know which mode you’re in.
Like most e-scooters, each mode has it’s own max speed and ride lengths. Essentially, the faster you go, the quicker your battery drains and the lower your max distance will be so if you’re hoping for a longer distance or, if your battery is draining quickly and you still have a ways to go, drop the mode down.
Walking mode: A slow max 6km/h (4mph) top speed designed to match a fast walking pace. (Perfect for riding next to a walking friend or spouse.)
Eco Mode: Max speed is 15km/h (10mph)and estimated ride lengths of up to 55 km (35 miles). This is the one if you’re driving through the park with a lot of people around or need to really extend your driving distance as it has by far the longest run times.
Default Mode: Max speed is 25km/h (16mph) and ride lengths of up to 40km (25 miles). This is the default mode and suits the E3 Pro just fine for most users who are comfortable on a scooter. Great for side streets and just fooling around.
Sport Mode: Max speed is 32km/h (20mph) and ride lengths of up to 25km (16 miles). This is the fastest mode and great for those riders who have a bit more experience or crave a bit more speed. Note that this could be higher than legal speed in some jurisdictions.
Most of my 10km+ rides have been in Sport mode and I’m usually left with around 60% battery when I return home however do note that I ride in a hilly city. My 25km/h 10km drive had over 75% remaining as I was taking it easy and keeping to somewhat flat areas so those numbers above don’t seem far off. Of course, these speeds and max distances will vary with rider weight (max 120kg or 260lbs), driving style and terrain so your own mileage may differ.
The bonus is that the E3 Pro rolls decently even when power is off so pushing it home if you exceeded your range is doable. (I went up and down my street testing it out and was surprised how well it pushed like this.)
Segway E3 Pro On Road Tests
The 800W max power motor can easily handle slopes up to 18% and on my third trip I hit a local hill that had a very steep mid 20’s incline. It dropped me down to 22km/h on the steepest parts but never slowed beyond that so I was overall impressed with the power of the E3 Pro on the hills.
Heading back down the hill, the front drum brake and rear electric regenerative braking handled braking just fine and the 10 inch tubeless tires coupled with the front and rear suspension handled the small road bumps like a champ. It did make me wish I had the F3 or even the G3 so I could really let loose on those back hills but this E3 Pro model was never intended for that style of driving.
On my way back that day I hit a few gravel paths and the Ninebot E3 Pro actually handled it better than I expected. I dropped the speed down and I wouldn’t recommend it for rough gravel however if there’s patches of smooth gravel you need to cross on your daily commute, the E3 isn’t bad. The suspension kept me in control however on the rough gravel with larger bumps again I wished for the more expensive F3 Pro or even G3 Pro Ninebot model with their higher end suspension.
Power wise, the Segway is quick to accelerate but you can tell the designers opted for a smooth acceleration rather than the raw power some cheaper brands provide. What this means is that inexperienced or younger drivers won’t be overwhelmed the first time they get on the E3 Pro. The only time I really craved faster acceleration was after stopping at a long red light and having a car impatiently waiting to turn as i jumped back on. I didn’t feel that it was bad at any other intersections so all in all I’m not really complaining.
In fact, the inclusion of the turning lights on the handlebars actually gave me more confidence in traffic than other electric scooters I’ve used in the past. Signaling my intentions let drivers know what I was doing and you could see the relief in their eyes when I behaved more like a car and not a drunk madman barreling down the sidewalk not caring who I cut off in the process.
The Segway E3 Pro handled both on street and rough sidewalk driving well and has a good weight balance to power ratio for a scooter in this class. It did remind me of a rental scooter in how solid it felt (not a bad thing) and the people I let test it out confirmed it drove similar to a few rentals they’ve used except the E3 Pro seemed a bit peppier.
Comfort wise, the grips have a nice feel and the deck feels solid without a lot of bounce. When I pushed it a little harder and jumped off a few curbs I never felt I was in danger or that the Segway couldn’t handle it. Everything feels nice and tight like a new scooter should.
The folding mechanism is straightforward if not a bit stiff. You really need to give it a solid kick with your foot to fold it. While it can be a bit tough, it also means it’s not going to accidently fold on you.
I will say the locking method in folded mode could be a bit better as, while it makes carrying it in folded mode possible, it never truly locks and I felt it could unlock on me if I wasn’t paying attention. That said, most people won’t be walking with it folded for great distances and there are tweaks you can find online to make it a little better if that’s a mode you carry it in often.
Segway E3 Pro App
Like all the newer Ninebot series, the Segway E3 Pro can be connected via Bluetooth to your phone. While there are several things you can do to control certain settings directly via the brake and power button (and various combinations of presses thereof), there is no touch screen or control stick on the scooter itself.
Changing everything from start up speed (how fast you need to push off for the motor to start being engaged) to brake regeneration amounts can all be tweaked in the Segway app. You can also change the undercarriage LED light patterns for each driving mode as well as set the brake light to solid or blinking. It also lets you easily switch from Imperial to Metric.
The app also provides a battery and speedometer on a nice dashboard if you want to mount your phone to the handlebars plus it can tell you information about everything from motor temperature to distance remaining to current firmware. The latter also lets you update the firmware in case there have been tweaks or updates since you purchased it.
I really appreciate having the distance traveled (last trip) plus total mileage being monitored as well. This would be great information to know for second hand purchasers to see how much real wear and tear the scooter has seen. It can also be a great way to see how the battery is fairing.
The app can also let you lock the Segway scooter and set alerts including a Find Me option. This is great if you’re planning to do some shopping and need to leave you scooter outside for a bit. While there is no dedicated chain lock loop on the scooter itself, the app can tell you if the scooter is moving away or has suddenly gone out of range.
Final Thoughts on the Segway E3 Pro Scooter
The Segway E3 Pro is a great daily commuter scooter for in city action. It also makes a great scooter for driving around the neighborhood, heading to the park or tackling the pavement trails. The 800w motor and 25km/h max speed (16mph) are a great combo on a scooter at this weight and price point and you get a lot of features from a major brand.
My only real gripe with the scooter is the folding mechanism lock (or lack thereof) and the fact it can’t do 40 km/h but that’s just wishful thinking at this pricepoint. The max 32km/h (20mph) in Sport Mode is a nice bonus for this model and is even higher than many jurisdictions in Canada and the USA allow. That said, I had no problem passing some light green colored rental e-scooters and definitely beat others off the start so the E3 Pro is no slouch.
While this Segway E3 Pro scooter was provided for me, I have zero problems recommending it to people. It sits at the sweet spot for price to power to feature list and Segway scooters are the most popular brand of scooters in North America for a reason. The quality is top notch and I suspect I’ll be putting on hundreds more kilometers on this thing over the next few years.
If you’re in Canada, get the Segway E3 Pro at BestBuy Canada and is also available directly from Segway.