Electric boat scooters, 14 models compared

They are the phenomenon of the moment, also aided by the mobility bonus that will save you 60 percent off the list price. We have selected and analyzed for you the right scooters to take on board

They have been populating our cities for months now, silent, folding, owned or rented through sharing companies: we are talking about electric scooters. Yes, because the mode of transportation of the moment, after becoming part of the normal city routine, is also a candidate for a prominent place in the locker of our boats. It weighs as much as a bicycle, takes up much less space, and makes it easy for you to go grocery shopping, speeding along the marina dock past all the bicycles.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Anyone over the age of 14 can ride it, but beware, until the age of 18 there is a requirement to wear a helmet, and in all cases it is absolutely forbidden to ride with “passengers.” The speed limit set by law is 25 km/h on bicycle lanes and on urban and suburban roads where bicycles can also travel, while it drops 6 km/h when traveling in pedestrian areas. As with bicycles, although we sometimes forget it, there is a requirement to have mounted an audible warning device (a bell) and lights for when it is dark, white in front red in back. It recharges through a regular electrical outlet and gives you enough range to get back to the boat, but if you plan a longer “outing,” just take the charger with you (as you do for your smartphone) and ask a bar for a chance to recharge while you sip a good drink.

THE “DOCKSIDE” MODELS

Following the government’s decision to push the accelerator on sustainable mobility incentives we have seen dozens of different models come on the market in recent months, we have selected for you the ones best suited for predominantly “dockside” use. Thus, the characteristics examined most closely were weight, charging speed, and size, but there are really many variables to consider. Solid or inflatable wheels? Wide platform for greater stability or narrow platform to take up less space on board? Little range in a vehicle with very little weight or great range but a few extra pounds? All the data you need to evaluate the purchase of your electric boat scooter can be found in the table we have prepared, listed for each selected model.

BAGS AND BAGS.

The first point to be made relates to the possibility of bringing bags, baskets and shopping bags. Some of the models considered come with hooks and brackets(Bimar Handy Mile Pro, Littleboard just to name a couple), but installing a hooked bracket is no problem and will cost you a few euros. Solution 2: Buy a scooter bag that can mount on the handlebars. In this case the price varies depending on the capacity and waterproofness of the bag, but you can find excellent solutions from 20 euros.

RANGE AND WEIGHT

Figuring out what to choose based on your needs is critical to purchasing, because contrary to what you might think, electric scooters are really quite different from each other. Any examples? The Nilox Doc Eco 3 Black is extremely light, among the few that do not exceed the 8-kilogram threshold, but it has a range of “only” 10 kilometers: ideal for those looking for a light-weight scooter for going to the supermarket then, but not for a slightly longer trip out of town (or out of port). If you plan to spend more time ashore, perhaps looking for high ground from which to enjoy the sunset, better to opt for the Ducati Pro II or the Mi Electric Scooter by Xiaomi, which will not leave you stranded for at least 30 kilometers but become more challenging from a weight standpoint: in fact, both exceed 12 kilograms. Also pay attention to charging time: if your port stops are short, better choose a model that can get to 100 percent charge in a short time, such as the Vivobike e-scooter S1.

TUBELESS OR INFLATABLE WHEELS?

What if I puncture the wheels? Well here, too, we need to pause for a moment, because the wheels deserve a separate discussion. There are in fact at least two types of wheels for scooters, those with inner tubes (inflatable, like those on bicycles) and solid or tubeless wheels, each with its own advantages and disadvantages. Tubed wheels provide undoubtedly superior comfort and road holding to solid wheels, increasing the shock-absorbing effect and absorbing the roughness of the ground (such as the unevenness between the rafters of the docks) but what a pain when you get a puncture… Changing the inner tube of a scooter wheel is no big deal, but it’s not for everyone, and especially forget that it’s as simple as changing the one on a bicycle. Plus it is much harder to find spare parts of the right size if we are around the World, or even just around the Mediterranean.

Better full tires then? “Ni,” because while you’ll avoid the problem of punctures and won’t have to worry about checking if your wheels are inflated, you’ll have to resign yourself to the vibrations and jolts that even the smallest pebbles will cause. Solid tires are made of special foams or silicones that are very durable, with excellent durability but virtually zero cushioning: if you suffer from back pain better then aninflatable wheel, you will pay the price in convenience, but it will make your riding much more comfortable.

TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE MOBILITY BONUS

It should not be forgotten that the price at this time is a very attractive variable, because from the list price that we have shown in the table must be subtracted the net 60 percent that you will be reimbursed (up to a maximum of 500 euros) thanks to the Mobility Bonus that started on November 4. If you are looking for a means to move around at speed once docked in the marina, the electric scooter is definitely the best solution for you-we are sure we will see more and more of them in ports all over Italy.

Here are all the models featured in our comparison

Handy Mile Pro – BIMAR

PRO II – DUCATS

Littleboard Booster – GREEN UTILITY VEHICLES

Pin The One – ICONEWAY

Skull – ITEKK

Lex R8 Lite – LEXGO

Kronos 2.0 – MECHANE

Hummingbird – MICRO

Munich 85 – MOMODESIGN

Segway ES2 – NINEBOT

Doc Eco 3 Black – NILOX

N1e – NITOBIKES

e-scooter S1 – VIVOBIKE

Mi Electric Scooter – XIAOMI

Edited by Federico Rossi

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