Stop Renting E-Scooters Every Day and Just Buy One Already!
Whether you’re a multimodal commuter or a hard-charging urbanite, there are now tantalizing alternatives to shared rides….
Unagi Model One E450
Best for: Multimodal commuters
The slim frame of Unagi’s e-scooter combines aluminum, magnesium, and carbon fiber, which makes it, at 24 pounds, light enough to throw in a grocery cart. Like the Rev, it has two motors, but this one lets me toggle between single-drive mode to save battery and dual-drive mode to tackle hills. On rough pavement, my molars clattered from the stiff ride on its noninflatable tires. The Model One tops out at a modest 15 mph, with a 15.5-mile range, and I shattered nearby eardrums with the piercingly shrill horn. The trade-offs aren’t bad, though, thanks to antilock brakes and built-in lights.
Boosted Rev
Best for: Hard chargers
Thundering down the street on the sleek, matte Rev at 24 mph makes me feel like a Hittite king in a chariot pulled by six stallions. You control the 46-pound aluminum beast with a simple, intuitive thumbwheel on the right handgrip; just rotate it and go, powered by dual motors, for up to 22 miles per charge. The fat, inflatable, 9-inch tires and wide, padded deck eat up the pavement, but having mechanical regenerative brakes, a hand disc brake, and a stomp brake as stopping options makes me feel a bit better about scooting at car-like speeds. The thick tubing around the deck is meant to secure a U-lock, which is handy. Still, locking up outside isn’t ideal, so I hope your apartment building has an elevator.
Styling by Jesse Silver
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