UScooters Booster V Review: Ultra-portable Tank

UScooters Booster V Review

Performance Summary

Acceleration (0 to 15 mph)	5.7 seconds
Acceleration (0 to 20 mph)	10.6 seconds
Top speed	23.9 mph
Braking distance (15 to 0 mph)	18.3 feet
Range	12.6 miles
Hill climb	20.0 seconds

Acceleration

The UScooter Booster V has a single 500 watt (800-watt max) electric motor that gives it modest acceleration. During our acceleration tests, we were able to reach 15 mph in 5.7 seconds and 20 mph in 10.6 seconds.

For comparison, this is similar acceleration (to 15 mph) as a shared type scooter and slightly faster than the ubiquitous Xiaomi Mi M365 (6.3 seconds to 15 mph).

See our performance testing page for real-world acceleration data on other scooters.

Hill Climb

The UScooter Booster V has somewhat lackluster hill climbing ability. It was able to complete our hill climb test (10% grade, 200 ft elevation, 165 lb rider) in 20.0 seconds with an average speed of 6.8 miles per hour.

For comparison, this is very comparable to the climbing ability of a shared scooter / Xiaomi Mi M365 (20.8 seconds @ 6.6 mph). Hills much steeper than 10% (which represents a quite steep hill) will significantly slow the scooter, and you may even have to assist by kicking.

Top Speed

We tested the top speed of the Booster to be 23.9 mph on the flat with a 165 lb rider. Lighter riders may get closer to the 25 mph claimed top speed.

Range

The Booster V delivered a very respectable 12.6 miles during our range test, thanks to the 378 watt hour lithium-ion battery pack. Note: the Booster Sport variant has a smaller 314 watt hour battery that delivered a bit less range during our tests.

Our range test is performed with the scooter in its fastest mode and ridden by a 165 lb rider on an urban test loop with frequent stops/starts, hills, and rough terrain. The scooter is ridden at its top speed where safe and possible.

At just 25 pounds, this scooter has among the best-tested range for its weight.

See our performance testing page for results from other scooters and detailed description of how we test.

Braking

We performed braking tests to determine how quickly the Booster V would stop from 15 mph. It stopped in >40 ft when we used only the front regenerative brake. When we used both the regenerative and rear foot brake, the scooter stopped in 18.3 feet.

Ride Quality

Because of the small solid tires, short handlebars (just 5 inches when unfolded), and a small deck (16.8 inches of standing space), ride quality suffers.

The scooter does have a front a rear suspension spring suspension, which makes up for lack of large pneumatic tires. The suspension is good, despite its compact size and reduces vibrations from the road.

Because the tires are small (8.0 inches in diameter) and narrow, you have to be extra aware of obstacles in the road that could catch your tire. In wet conditions, the tires will also become more slippery; your stopping distances will increase, and you won’t be able to make sharp turns as quickly.

The small deck and narrow handlebars, which make the scooter one of the smallest and most portable, are less comfortable for longer rides. The narrow handlebars take some getting used to and feel less stable a wider grip.

UScooters Booster V Features

Portability

The UScooters Booster V is one of the most portable scooters available, hands down. It is one of the best scooters for bringing onto crowded public transportation. It can be folded/unfolded quickly, is light enough to carry upstairs, and will fit nearly anywhere.

The scooter is very lightweight and tips the scales at just 25 lbs.

The Booster V has a collapsing stem, folding handlebars, and folding stem. It also comes with a nylon carrying handle with easy one-handed carrying. When folded, it measures a very compact 37-inches by 5-inches by 12-inches.

The handlebars collapse easily, via a spring-loaded mechanism. The telescoping stem allows the height of the handlebars to be adjusted from 36.0-inches to 39.1-inches (deck to handlebar height). The whole scooter is folded quickly by stepping on a single foot lever.

Cockpit

The cockpit/handlebar area has a large central display that is unique to the UScooters / E-TWOW lineup. The display shows odometer, trip, speed, and battery. The display is a color LCD and is bright enough to see in full sunlight.

On the side of the display housing are four buttons that control: horn, lights, settings, and power. The built-in electronic horn is loud enough to alert, but not scare, pedestrians and bicyclists; it is not loud enough to alert motor vehicles.

To either side of the display are the thumb-controlled regen brake (left) and thumb throttle (right). Both of these controls feel well-made and have crisp mechanical action. The accelerator, in particular, is very linear and smooth.

Lights

The scooter features a high-mounted front LED light and small red LED taillight.

The front light is bright and consists of an array of individual LEDs. There are no lenses in front of the LEDs and light spreads quickly, reducing road visibility at a distance.

For improved visibility at night, you can use an ultra-bright external LED. Note: some external LED lights may be difficult to attach due to the small size of the handelbars — you can always mount it to your helmet.
See our guide to riding at night for our recommended gear.

For extra safety, we always recommend using additional lights. Check out our guide for staying visible while riding at night.

Tires

The Booster has front and rear 8.0-inch solid tires. The main benefit to this type of tire is that they are low maintenance — you’ll never have to worry about flats. Owners of other E-TWOW / UScooters have reported putting thousands of miles on their scooters before having to replace worn-down tires.

The drawback to these tires is that they are quite small, which makes them less stable — you’ll have to be careful if riding on particularly bad terrain. They also tend to lose their traction much more quickly than pneumatic (air-filled) tires in adverse conditions like rain, mud, etc. Finally, these solid tires are especially hard and don’t provide any extra cushion to the ride.

For these reasons, we tend to favor pneumatic tires strongly. However, solid tires have their place for riders wanting to minimize maintenance.

Deck

The Booster’s deck has 16.8-inches by 5.9-inches of standing room. There is also 3.0-inches of ground clearance.

Build Quality

The Booster V has excellent build quality. It is a 5th generation of scooters, and that is evident in its thoughtful design. The scooter is very well constructed: cables are nicely buttoned up, and mechanical parts of the scooter are strong and durable.

During our review research, we came across numerous reports from owners who had put thousands of miles their UScooters/E-TWOW scooters with few or no problems. The only issues we uncovered were owners who had scooters with dud controllers. In these cases the scooters tended to fail early in their lives — well within their warranty period — and their owners received replacements.

Parts for the Booster V are widely available. Most repairs are fairly easy. This is a big benefit for long-term ownership.

The Booster V has an IP rating (water resistance) of none. Though most scooters can tolerate some water exposure, its lack of IP rating indicates it shouldn’t get wet or be used in the rain. Doing so could damage the scooter and will likely void the warranty.

The Booster V has a max rider weight of 280 pounds which is significant for such a small, light scooter.

UScooters Booster V Specifications

Make	UScooters
Model	Booster V
Weight	25 lb
Folded dimensions	37 by 5 by 12 in
Motor power, continuous	500 W
Top speed	25 mph
Range	24 mi
Battery capacity	378 Wh
Battery recharge time	3 hrs
Max rider weight	280 lb
Brake type	Regenerative + Foot
Tire type	8.0 in Solid + Solid
Built-in lights	Front + Rear
Water resistance	None