The Segway Ninebot eKickscooter Max G2 has long been on our list of the best electric scooters for its long range and smooth handling. However, this two-year-old model is being replaced with the eKickscooter Max G3, which has a longer range and faster top speed.
In addition, the Max G3 also has traction control, Apple FindMy, and other lighting effects that make this a nice upgrade over the previous model.
Segway recently sent me the Max G3 to review, and the weather finally warmed up enough for me to take the electric scooter on its first ride. I rode it for a little less than 4 miles around my neighborhood, up and down hills, to see how it handled.
I'll have a full review once I've really put the scooter through its paces, but here are my initial impressions of the Segway eKickscooter Max G3.
Nice new design
While the eKickscooter Max G2 was functional, it wasn't overly stylish. The Max G3 has much more of a wow factor; for starters, instead of gray, the scooter is black with red accents.
You're also getting a beefier suspension system both in the front and the rear, which I found made riding over potholes feel a bit smoother.
I also liked that the Max G3's handlebars are now raked slightly back, which helps to improve ergonomics when riding.
Similarly, the controls on the handlebar are a lot easier to use, especially on the left. Now, the buttons for the turn signals, headlights, and modes are arranged in a little circle. And, now there's even a button which you can customize for a specific function.
Last, the Max G3 has a large color display, a huge improvement over the smaller screen on the G2.
It goes fast(er)
The Max G2 was no slouch when it came to zipping around, but the Max G3's top speed is 5 miles per hour faster. The scooter gets up to 28 MPH pretty quickly, and was fast enough so that I was able to keep pace with most local traffic in my neighborhood.
It's great on hills
While I don't live in San Francisco, my town is fairly hilly, which can prove to be an issue on lesser electric scooters.
Not so with the Max G3; I was able to roar up my test hill (a 6% grade) at around 22 MPH; it also managed to get up even steeper 10%-grade hills, only slowing down to about 17 MPH.
Its throttle is a little twitchy
Whether it's the sensitivity of the throttle, the power of the motors, or a combination of both, I found that the G3 could be a little jerky. When riding in Sport mode, if I pushed slightly on the throttle as the scooter was in motion, it had a tendency to lurch forward a little, rather than smoothly accelerate.
It's something I'm going to have to experiment with more in the coming weeks.
I wish there were turn signals in the deck
As with its predecessor, the Max G3 has turn signals at the end of the handlebars, which is a nice warning to oncoming traffic that you're about to turn.
However, I wish Segway had also added turn signals to the rear of the deck, as with the Apollo City. As bright as the Max G3's turn signals are, they're blocked by my body, which means cars behind me can't see them.
What I'm still testing
The biggest remaining question I have about the Max G3 is its range. In Eco mode, Segway says you should see up to 50 miles, while in Sport mode, it should get up to 25 miles before needing a charge.
Starting at 100%, I took off in Sport mode, and rode 3.7 miles; at the end, the Segway app said that I had 75% battery remaining. If those calculations hold up, then I'd get just 14.8 miles, which is 10 less than Segway's estimates.
To be fair, there are a lot of variables that go into a scooter's battery performance, and I've often found that most manufacturer's claims are a bit optimistic.
Stay tuned for my full review.
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