Overview of the electric scooter EcoReco M3 E-Scooter

When I told my colleagues that I received the M3 for review, they rushed enviously down into the garage to look at this miracle of technology. But I was not talking about the legendary BMW M3 weekend sports car, but about EcoReco M3, an electric scooter. Unlike the Boomer, the M3 scooter is powered by electricity, it folds up for easy storage and accelerates to just 32 km / h.

Design and specifications

Like a regular scooter, the M3 electric scooter contains a deck with wheels and a steering column with handles. But instead of a foot drive, the deck contains lithium-ferrophosphate batteries that feed a 250-watt electric motor in the rear wheel.

Scooter components are made of thick aluminum, which gives the scooter a sense of reliability. Hard rubber wheels mean more rolling but less cushioning when driving. The front shock absorber with a small spring helps quite a bit. There is a very convenient stand that allows you to leave the scooter in an upright position anywhere.



On the steering wheel are controls containing a hand brake, an accelerator knob, a power button and a round LCD display that displays speed, battery power or odometer reading. Cables and wires go from the steering wheel to the steering column, and then to the deck. Feels like cable insulation could be better.

The scooter and charger are included in the package of delivery, this is a black box that connects to a 110-volt network and charges the scooter through a charging socket. The charge level is displayed on the LCD-display, also the charger has an LED that glows green at the end of charging. According to EcoReco, a full charge takes 4.5 hours, while charging to 80% takes only 2.5 hours. The company also indicates that the lithium-ferrophosphate batteries used retain their capacity up to 2000 charge-discharge cycles.


The black aluminum frame of the M3 scooter makes it look more like an adult vehicle than a children's toy.

Acquaintance

When I received the M3 electric scooter, it was charged, and I eagerly began to test. I put my foot on the deck, pressed the accelerator and ... nothing. I turned it off and on, but still nothing came of it.

Finally, scrolling through the instructions printed on ecologically inferior paper, I found that to start you need to push off with your foot and only after giving a certain moment the accelerator can be activated. This is apparently a useful feature that prevents the risk of unwanted or accidental activation.

When I figured it out, I started rushing back and forth through the halls of the CNET office. There was enough room on the deck for my legs and I was able to slow down for a careful ride around office cells. The engine did not allow to coast, so I could slow down, I use only the accelerator knob - to slow down the engine.

The brake that only stops the rear wheel on the scooter is very adequate. For safety, pressing the brake turns off the engine, so if the panic is pressed on both handles, the scooter will still stop.

In search of adventure, I took the M3 scooter to Treasure Island, a man-made island in the center of San Francisco beach. Having decided to drive a circle or two around the island, I jumped on a scooter and drove off. And at once several things became obvious. Firstly, the ride on uneven asphalt was far from comfortable. The vibration of the scooter hardened hard to my ankles, and the longer I rode, the worse it got. When driving through the cobblestones from vibration, I barely focused on the road.

The location of the LCD on the right handle made it difficult to keep track of speed. A central location would be more convenient. The display has a backlight that is comfortable in the dark, but the M3 scooter does not have front and rear lights. A white lamp in front and a red one in the back would make the scooter much safer to ride in the dark.

The LCD display has several modes: speedometer, odometer and charge indicator.

Not immediately, but I squeezed the accelerator to the maximum. But judging by the display, I reached only 24 km / h, unlike the declared 32 km / h. I weigh about 82 kg, and, I think, this is not a very big load for a scooter.

Finishing a circle on the island, I overcame 5.3 kilometers, judging by the odometer, and I was not able to continue this punitive trip. To be honest, it was quite acceptable to ride on smooth concrete, but I met many sections where the ride was very uncomfortable. Over 5.3 kilometers, the charge indicator has lost 2 of 5 divisions, which is too much. EcoReco claims 32 kilometers, but at that pace it would be nice to drive at least 16 if I could ride it for so long.

Later, I took the M3 scooter to ride through the hilly streets of San Francisco. Having dispersed on a level road, I continued up the hill. After the stored inertia ended, the scooter slowed down to a stop. The built-in engine was not enough to continue the ascent. I tried on a less steep hill and got the same result. This electric scooter does not have enough power to overcome the urban environment in San Francisco.


The charging port is right behind the footboard.

EcoReco created the M3 e-scooter as a means of overcoming the “last kilometer”, as something that you can take with you on a commuter train or bus, and then get to your final destination. Thus, this scooter is designed for folding. I noticed that folding the steering column with the deck is simple, but the mechanism for folding the steering knobs is sometimes quite capricious. Since the folding mechanism must support the weight of the rider, this loop must be very strong, and as a result, it is not always easy to move.

After I folded the M3 scooter, I was able to lift it by the steering column. However, 15 kilograms is slightly more than the weight that can be worn along the flights of stairs every day. A strap or pen could make this easier.

Conclusion

EcoReco set the price at $ 999 for the M3 e-scooter, which makes it a little pricey for the casual buyer. Other electric scooters usually cost about half that price. But the M3 weighs less than most of the others, and the claimed number of charge-discharge cycles implies a longer life than other scooters.

For this price, I expected more features, such as the headlights mentioned above. But what really leaves a bad impression is the ride quality. If you do not live in an area with very smooth asphalt, you will not want to ride it for any length of time.

PS From the translator: I have a simple scooter without shock absorbers, but even with it, a walk along the paved paths of the park turns into an entertainment event. On coarse asphalt, of course, there is vibration and bounce, but it’s nice to ride anyway. I don’t know why the author scolds the vibration so much.