Why Are Electric Scooters So Great?
I’ve already covered a lot of the best electric kick scooter models, but for the uninitiated here are some reasons to think about getting hold of one like the eMicro One in this review.
For starters there is a bunch of reasons that traditional ground transportation can let you down: Cars are known to get stuck in traffic jams and are notoriously expensive to purchase and run. Trains and buses on the other hand are even less economical than cars but never get you all the way to your destination. Bikes or bicycles consume a lot of space unless you buy an expensive and difficult-to-fold (never mind ridiculous looking) folding bicycle.
Walking is is great for health but often too slow, especially when you consider a distance of more than a mile. So what is the mode of transportation that has all the answers? Which vehicle ticks all the boxes? As far as I can tell, it's a folding electric scooter. A folding e-scooter like the eMicro One in this review is pretty much the only type of modern vehicle that will get you moving from point to point in a hurry.
If you still need to be persuaded as a product evangelist I have produced an entire article on this very subject. Check out 15 Reasons To Buy An Electric Scooter.
eMicro One Electric Scooter Review
In fact, the eMicro One is an electric scooter with a difference. It's a visually appealing unit with more than capable functionality. It has a set of features that Micro have carefully thought about. There are no frills, but what do you need from a top-end electric scooter? Reliability, quality manufacturing and a trusted Brand like Micro Mobility Systems make the eMicro One a winner.
eMicro One Speed Modes
First off, it has 3 modes of travel to cater for different environment types as well as preferred battery saving and usage patterns:
Eco mode (250 Watt)
Standard mode (250 Watt)
Sport mode (500 Watt)
As well as being designed to limit the top speeds while switched to the different. modes, this eMicro One smartly combines traditional scooting with electric motor-powered scooting. In fact, the electric motor is used like a booster.
Speed Boosting
This feature is quite cool and it demonstrates that the eMicro one is first and foremost a kick scooter, except i is enhanced with electric power. Let me explain further. You can use it as a regular kick scooter because the freewheeling wheels are not coupled to the motor by a drive chain or belt permanently.
The battery-powered hub motor is designed to complement and boost the kick speed rather than replace it. This method is the only one I have found so far after looking at or using many electric scooters. It's a smart feature and one that should be heavily promoted as the unique identifying feature of the eMicro One.
Micro Kickboard have so smartly combined traditional kick scooting with modern electric motor capabilities that the result is a truly impressive product. It is rated as being among the most compact and lightest electric scooters in the world and that is why it made our comparison table. Micro Kickboard call it a Hybrid, and they believe that hybrid is the future of urban mobility.
Switch The Motor Off
If you give the rear brake 3 taps then you can switch off the motor completely. This saves the battery but also gives you more control in crowded areas. You actually don’t want the motor to be engaged all the time and this scooter gives you that option in an innovative way.
TSA Compliant
Micro Kickboard say that the eMicro One and batteries are fully TSA certified for air-travel in the USA. Now that is useful! Get to your destination and use it to get from the airport terminal to the train station. I love this feature and Micro Kickboard should make more of it in their advertising literature.
eMicro One Special Features
The Emicro One electric scooter has several interesting features that stand up well when compared with other electric scooters in it's class. Scooter fans already understand the high quality manufacture and build of Micro Scooters, so what else does the company's first electric offering have to entice you to buy?
eMicro One Interview With Wim Ouboter Founder [Video]
Motion Control
The intelligent electronics located in the rear of the deck affect how much boost support the motor gives the rider when kicking. Firstly, the system detects how fast the scooter is traveling and only provides motor support after a certain speed is reached. Then by shifting your bodyweight at the rear of the deck, the system will provide various amounts of assisted support to the rider. This makes for a true hybrid system that the rider controls using bodyweight. Motion Control is a very innovative an interesting feature.
Intelligent Brake
The rear fender foot brake is much more than it seems at first glance. As well as acting as a splashguard it applies both mechanical and electrical braking at the same time providing a shorter stopping distance. The brake also facilitates ‘Energy Reclaim’ system which uses the kinetic energy of the brake to re-charge the battery. Again, another smart innovation from Micro Mobility Systems.
Soft Core Wheels
The front and rear wheels contain a specially engineered soft core material which absorbs bumps in the road. This is a smart system which is used instead of a heavy suspension coil or other type of suspension. Super lightweight and discrete, these shock absorbing wheels are another unique feature of the eMicro One. The tires are also air-core which means they are solid but have a core of air. This again is a hybrid feature that absorbs road vibration.
Speed-Setting Tool
Because most people will set a riding mode and generally stick to it, you can set the Speed-mode of the eMicro one with a special tool that you use to adjust the mode from a socket at the rear of the Kickboard. This system allows for a less cluttered handlebar and fewer cables routed through the frame to eliminate wiring failures which are common in other electric scooters.
Slope Support
This special mode is independent of the power-mode selected by the Speed-setting tool. The Scooter intelligently detects an incline and then adds motor boost support only when you are traveling up hills.
The eMicro One In Use
Built specifically with the commuter in mind, this electric scooter is ideal for general commuting purposes and is suitable for paved surfaces or roads. Some people have mentioned that it’s not so easy to carry, but then in practice, it’s not going to be folded and carried for very long. It’s more the shape when folded other than the weight that makes it tricky as it’s not as compact as others. I put this down to the strength of the frame and folding mechanism, which does not compromise on quality.
There is also the fact that the Handlebars do not fold down so they stick out while you are carrying the scooter. Again this is an advantage for me as I find all the scooter handles that un-clip and fold onto the stem create a joint that rates when in use. Micro Kickboard have wisely eliminated this feature on the emicro and again gone for strength over perceived useful features that aren’t really that great in use.
The ergonomic curve of the handlebars make the scooter easy to steer. The handlebars are not too wide to the point that you will be bumping into pedestrians on the streets. One drawback is that if you are super-tall, like over 6 feet there may not be enough height in the handlebar stem to give you a comfortable ride.
The simple folding mechanism that is capable of folding the scooter down quite fast. All you have to do is to pick up the scooter and press the buttons located on either side for it to fold. You then disengage the quick-release lever for the handlebar stem to fold into the down-tube. Personally I wouldn’t push the stem in at all as it would be a pain to set up every time. Just fold the scooter and go instead.
The handy kickstand on this scooter works well and It is designed to be strong enough to sustain a few hits if you forget forgets to retract it.
As this e-Scooter’s motor only activates when kicked, it does not need throttle levers or power buttons. This does clean up the handlebar area a lot because of the lack of handlebar controls but to get to top speed you will need a to of foot power.
You do need to ride on fairly smooth streets and sidewalks with the eMicro One. Because It lacks a sprung suspension system that can absorb big shocks from bumps, you shouldn’t be using it off-road. Again it is designed as a commuter scooter together from the train station to the office. Although there are some cool vibration absorbing features like the soft-core wheels and air-core tires it will not handle big bumps like a motorbike.
The battery indicator is neatly located on the kickboard, so you just need to dance down to your feet to see it. However some people have reported that it’s not that accurate.i I think this is due to the fact that the charge-level will fluctuate a lot when you ride and then use the brake which will trickle-charge the battery up again. So people are not really seeing an inaccurate battery indicator, rather the battery is in a constant state of charge and dis-charge are you use it. Naturally, the indicator will fluctuate to reflect this.
On important safety note: You definitely should not be using the eMicro One in the wet as it’s easy to slip and slide. It has a smooth rear tire that can easily slide out especially you attempt to turn too tightly.
What Is The Battery Life Like?
The rechargeable battery pack is neatly packed below the deck. It is super fast to charge and needs only one hour to get it back up to full capacity. The supplied charger is pretty lightweight and portable. You just need to stash it away in your backpack. The battery itself is good for a thousand cycles which is around 2 years if you recharge it from empty every day.
The key to extending the life of this type of battery is to make sure that the charge is always topped up rather than letting it completely drain. If you do cycle the battery from flat regularly then it will begin to fade in terms of capacity and performance. The battery is sold with a one-year warranty, a good indication of how confident Micro are of the quality of the product.
How Much Does The eMicro One Weigh?
The scooter comes in at a very respectable light weight of 16.5 lbs (7.5 kg). It's not quite the lightest sleep scooter out their but I think it will be a lot more robust than most of the all carbon fiber type scooters out there. OK, It may not be as lightweight as a regular kids Razor scooter but it’s not far off. At only 7.5 kg 16.5lbs this is a very portable scooter when folded or upright.
It looks like Micro have come to the perfect compromise between strength, sturdiness and weight. the light weight obviously makes this a truly portable ride as it can easily be carried around and lifted up onto a trim or into a car. The weight also facilitates the speed when riding. This means that the speed is much more dependent on the incline of the street and the weight of the rider.
eMicro One Cnet Mini Review [Video]
What Is The Range of the eMicro One?
As with the speed, the range depends a lot on the terrain being ridden and also the weight of the rider. More hills, less range unless you use the boost mode less frequently.
That said, Micro estimate the average range of the eMicro One on a full charge to be approximately 6-10 miles which shut be enough for a short commute. To my mind, this is a respectable range for a scooter like this in the Lithium battery powered Hybrid class. I would also trust Micro with these numbers as some Brands are prone to exaggerate
How Long Does It Take To Charge?
The eMicro One Electric Scooter only takes 1 hour to become fully charged, which hands down beats most other electric scooters out there. t even beats my mobile phone, so that can’t be bad…
eMicro One Pro's
This premium product has a number of good points:
- Light Weight
- Free Spinning Wheels
- Low deck height
- Curved handlebars
- Powerful 500W motor
- Simple folding mechanism
- Fast charging
- Kickstand
- TSA compliant
eMicro One Con's
A couple of disadvantages, because I have to mention something to show a balanced review:
- Not good for wet weather
- Short-ish range
Commuting to work on an electric scooter
This electric scooter is designed to fold into half and consequently locks there for ease in portability. However, its handle bars do not fold making it a package that is quite cumbersome. It is fine for lifts at the office but is not conducive in crowded trains when commuting to work. Commuting to work with the scooter is possible but is a matter of preference and depending on the prevailing conditions at the location where the user is.
Should You Buy The eMicro One?
I hope this review provides insight for those interested in a purchase and my recommendation is a resounding Yes. It’s a great looking and well-build electric scooter with hybrid functionality that makes it fairly unique.
This is the first eScooter from the trusted brand that gave you Micro Scooters. If we trust Micro Scooters with our kids then it makes sense that we would trust them for safety when it comes to their electric models.
The scooter has a great look, In fact it just looks like a regular kick scooter. You will turn heads when you get up to speed and the electric motor kicks in as the uninitiated observer would not expect it to be motorized. It is discrete with none of the frankly unnecessary cable controls like a twist throttle. That type of throttle is a carry over from motorbikes which I don't think is particularly appropriate on most electric scooters, especially these hybrid modes which are designed to be kick powered first. This also means that as there are no cables or disc brakes to jam and replace, the eMicro One is extremely low maintenance
If you are looking for reliable transportation then look no further than the eMicro One Electric Scooter. Is it the future of scooters as Micro Kickboard claim? I guess we’ll have to wait and see. But as far as top rated electric scooters go, this one is a winner.