The news that NSW is looking to legalise e-scooters will be a shot in the arm for the industry, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves yet. All in good time. Meanwhile, if you have large open spaces, or live in a state where it is legal, the latest Ninebot Kickscooter F40A from Segway is utterly perfect.
My kids are the luckiest in the world, and have a range of electric scooters to choose from, but watching over the last few months, the Ninebot F40a has become the go-to choice.
With a 40km range, max speed of 25km/h and a fold-up design, this one can go anywhere we need in the boot of the car, plus paired with your phone and the app, you can lock it to keep it safe.
Most importantly, it’s a comfortable ride. These are not fixed plastic, they are a 10 inch pneumatic and offer a bit of bounce where you need it to keep things comfy.
Used an hour a day the motor will last 8 years, so longevity won’t be an issue.
The braking on it is smooth, thanks to dual braking once in the motor once on the disc brake at the back – unlike others under deceleration it’s not brutal, and you have a solid amount of braking control under hand.
While I find eco mode completely fine, the kids always wanted to have it on Sports mode, with a bit of extra oomph, personally I’d take the range of Eco mode every day.
It’s not light, at 15.9kg, but it is compared to the bigger brother scooter from Segway but will take up to 120kg in weight for those of us in need of a trip to Weight Watchers.
I love the look of it, the touch of orange all over is a break from the bland dark colours, and while not the fastest acceleration I’ve experienced on a scooter, it’s all you’ll need.
It’s listed at $1159RRP, but you’ll find it for a couple of hundred less than that for sure.
The Segway Ninebot Kickscooter F40A is probably the sweet spot for electric scooters. Not too slow that it’s a kiddy scooter, big enough for a 10 year old or a 40 year old no problem, and fast enough to be your ride to the station.
I do wonder what a lightweight lower-range Segway Ninebot might look like, particularly up against the Unagi – that carryability is the only thing I’d trade for on the F40a
Web: JB HiFi
