Introduction
We can recommend dozens of entry level scooters that are fast, reliable, and fun to ride for under $1000, but this price point can also be full of imposters and bad imitations.
Poor quality knock-offs are even more of an issue when it comes to scooters that sell for around $500 or less. Where can you find good value in super affordable electric scooters?
You’ll need to be extra-careful at the cheap end, especially since you aren’t likely to get much in the way of warranty or customer service with many under-$500 electric scooters.
You don’t want to end up buying a toy that falls apart in a few weeks, and you don’t want to compromise safety to save a few bucks.
Buyers beware, BUT cheap electric scooters can also be fast, reliable, safe and fun to ride!
We’ve tested over 120 scooters, and we can recommend the best cheap electric scooters you can buy.
A Good Electric Scooter Doesn’t Have To Be Expensive!
Electric scooters selling for $3,000 and above seemed unthinkable a few years ago when classics like the Xiaomi M365 were the height of e scooter technology.
One of the features that made the M365 so popular was its under $500 price tag, and you can still buy a great scooter for around $500.
The M365 went M.I.A. in most major markets, and some of its best successors from Hiboy and Gotrax have upped the stakes.
Since their introduction, the Hiboy S2, Gotrax G3, and Gotrax G4 have earned reputations as dependable entry level scooters that can stand up to a daily commute and offer a fun, safe, and comfortable ride without breaking the bank.
Below, we’ll look at these top contenders for best super affordable electric scooter. All three scooters use the basic design principles of early electric scooters like the M365 and Segway Ninebot Max, while improving on them in important ways.
The Lowdown: Gotrax Takes the Crown
Last year, we recommended the Hiboy S2 as the best budget scooter under $500. The S2 has excellent acceleration, speed, and portability, as well as great dual wheel braking. What it lacks, however, is the comfortable ride of pneumatic tires and some other features we like this year on Gotrax scooters like the G3 and G4. These are serious entry-level scooters from a company that has really upped their game in the last year, and we’re happy to recommend both of them as alternatives to the Hiboy.
Gotrax G3
The G3 is less powerful than the S2, with only 300W next to the Hiboy’s 350. It’s also slower. But if you want a reliable, comfortable ride (with 8.5-inch air-filled tires) for under $500 that travels at speeds comparable to most shared electric scooters, then the Gotrax G3 is the way to go.
Gotrax G4
Step up to the Gotrax G4, now on sale for $499, and you’ll get more power and range (500W, 14.6 miles) and even more speed than the S2 (20mph), as well as 10-inch pneumatic tires for excellent ride quality even without suspension.
Read on for our full comparison of these kings of the entry level electric scooters….
Hiboy S2
$449
Technical Specifications
| Tested top speed: 19.0 mph* | |
| Tested range: 12.7 mi* | |
| Weight: 32 lb* | |
| Max rider weight: 270 lb | |
| Water resistance: IP54 |
Highlights
| Fast top speed and acceleration! | |
| lightweight and ultraportable | |
| Regen + rear disc brake combo works very well | |
| Jittery ride quality thanks to solid tires | |
| Shorter range than many budget commuters |
Hiboy S2: The Fastest Cheap Scooter?
Things get pretty bare bones at the low end of things and it doesn’t get much more stripped-down than Hiboy’s S2.
Top Speed
The S2 is more than a Xiaomi clone: It’s the fastest cheap electric scooter you can buy for under $500, hitting speeds of up to 19 mph and accelerating from 0 to 15 mph in only 6.2 seconds. That’s pretty fast for a scooter that only weighs 30 pounds!
Range
What do you give up with the S2? Long range, for one thing. Maximum range is 12.7 miles in ESG tests, but that’s wholly dependent on rider weight, terrain, weather, state of the battery’s charge, and other factors. In other words, your mileage will vary.
12.7 tested miles isn’t bad, however, for a budget entry level scooter you can buy for under $400. More importantly, for a scooter like this one, which is not necessarily built for distance, you sacrifice ride quality for speed and portability.
Solid Tires = A Bumpy Ride
At almost any speed and over almost any type of ground, the S2 is a bumpy ride, thanks to its 8.5 inch solid tires and lack of any suspension.
There’s really no remedy for a rough ride on cheap electric scooters but to grin (or grit your teeth) and bear it.
Poor ride quality can dampen your enthusiasm for riding a scooter, so the Hiboy S2 may not be for you if a comfortable ride is high on your list of needed features. But aside from its jittery wheels, the S2’s swiftness, lightness, and agility make it great for city riding.
Brakes
A dual braking system – electric braking power up front and a rear mechanical disc brake in the rear – ensures you’ll have the stopping power to slow down and safely come to rest with one pull of the scooter’s single brake lever. Or you can activate regen brakes alone with an ergonomic thumb control on the left.
Controls
On the right, a thumb throttle provides smooth, ergonomic acceleration. The S2 lacks a tail lights and brake lights, so you’ll want to add aftermarket rear lighting (or a helmet with lights) to the cost of purchase for safety’s sake.
King of the Cheap Scooters? Maybe….
The S2 is a proven reliable electric scooter that’s light, fast, charges in only 3 hours, and has a water resistance rating of IP54 for getting caught in light rain.
AND, the S2 is usually available for under $400. But is it the reigning king, or queen, of electric scooters? Well, not so fast….
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GOTRAX G4
$499
Technical Specifications
| Tested top speed: 20.0 mph* | |
| Tested range: 14.6 mi* | |
| Weight: 37 lb* | |
| Max rider weight: 220 lb | |
| Water resistance: IP54 |
Highlights
| 10-inch pneumatic tires | |
| Fast acceleration | |
| Excellent braking power | |
| Braking could be improved |
Gotrax G3: A Comfortable Ride for $400
Gotrax has reliably stepped in with several models to fill the void left by the disappearing Xiaomi M365.
Our favorite competitors to the Hiboy S2 are two all-around great budget electric scooters that both excel in one category where the S2 suffers: ride quality.
Poised to take the crown from the S2 for best super affordable electric scooter, we’d have to say the G3 or G4 are prime contenders.
The Gotrax G3 is a little more directly comparable to the S2. It’s got the same size deck, around 17.5 x 6 inches, the same size 8.5-inch tires, and a similar price tag of around $400.
Pneumatic Tires
Where the S2 uses solid tires with hollow air pockets, the G3 uses air filled tires, and the difference is significant on any kind of ground.
You’ll feel bumps in the road with the G3’s small tires, and you definitely don’t want to go curb-hopping and risk getting flats. But on the whole, the G3 is a nice smooth ride.
Pneumatic tires always do a better job of soaking up vibration than solid tires, and you won’t feel every jolt and shake of the scooter’s operation in your joints with the G3.
You can even do a little light off-roading occasionally, but watch out for rocks. Like the S2, the G3 has pretty low ground clearance.
G3 Speed and Power
As always, there are compromises at the lower end of the price spectrum, and with the Gotrax G3, that comes in the form of a considerably slower top speed than the Hiboy S2.
The G3 maxes out at 15.5 mph, and it feels much slower than the Hiboy. It has a 300W motor instead of 350W, and so has less power for taking on hills.
However, you get a much nicer ride for only a few dollars more. And if you’re itching for the S2’s quickness and speed, you can always step up to the more powerful Gotrax G4.
Gotrax G4: Top Contender for the Budget Crown?
For about $100 more than the G3, the G4 offers major upgrades in the form of 10-inch pneumatic tires and a larger battery for more range and speed. The G4 has a tested top speed of 20 mph and a tested range of almost 15 miles (14.6).
The G4 majorly improves on the two biggest drawbacks of the S2: unpleasant ride quality and short range. And it does so without a huge cost increase. (The G4 is currently on sale for $499.)
Build Quality
Both the G3 and the G4, like all of Gotrax’s scooters, are well built and nicely finished, with impressive cable routing through the stem, rubberized hand grips and deck, and a look that’s all their own.
Ride Quality
We love the G4’s 10-inch air-filled tires at this price. They make the ride feel comfortable and give you more confident handling around turns and over obstacles (even the occasional curb hop).
Top Speed
The G4 hits 15 mph in 6.3 seconds, keeping pace with the zippy S2, but it hits a higher top speed than the Hiboy (and much higher than the G3).
At the time we tested the G4, it set a new record for budget commuters. And its 500W motor is mounted in the rear wheel instead of the front like the S2’s, which helps with traction on hills.
Range
In ESG testing in the scooter’s fastest mode, the G4 traveled almost 15 miles (14.6) on a single charge, another record at the time of testing for entry-level scooters. That’s about half the manufacturer’s claimed range for the scooter. You’ll travel farther if you’re riding in a lower speed mode.
Portability
Both the G3 and G4 weigh over 30 pounds (36.3 and 37, respectively), so they are not as light as the S2, but they’re also easy to fold and carry compared to most other scooters in this range.
Braking
While the G4 advertises dual brakes, both forms of braking – a mechanical disc brake and electronic brake – are located in the rear wheel.
A scooter this fast should really have brakes located on both wheels for better stopping power. The G4 has a braking distance (from 15 mph) of 21.5 feet, which is not great compared to the S2’s 14.6 feet at the same speed.
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Verdict: Hiboy S2 vs Gotrax G3 or G4
As we’ve said, making decisions about buying an electric scooter at the lower end of the price spectrum requires using good judgment so you don’t get ripped off. There are too many fakes and poor quality imitations on the market to spot them all, and it can be frustrating to wade through the huge number of budget electric scooters for sale online.
If you’re looking for a quality electric scooter – as a budget commuter or just a fun way to get around – it’s hard to go wrong with the Hiboy S2 for its top speed and portability. But we’d definitely recommend the Gotrax G3 or G4 for a much smoother, more comfortable ride and better build quality.
