Simply the most fun scooter I’ve ever ridden, with three batteries on-board and boost mode on, you’ll be beating practically anyone off the line – the Segway E300SE boasts a 2.9 second 0-30 mph time, and is fitted with top spec across the board. For a 125cc-equivalent scooter, in any case. But is it the commuter’s dream, and is it worth the switch?

For many scooter riders, the choice between the plentiful scooter options often heads down the affordability route, which goes hand in hand with their intended use - often prioritising reliability and ease of running (both running costs and the ownership process) as a key point to consider before parting with hard-earned cash.

Segway proposes the prospect of owning a top-spec scooter with chart-topping acceleration, along with the potential ease of keeping an electric scooter ticking over – with the caveat of range limitations and the whole recharging faffery (for some). With around 2 weeks of using the Segway E300SE as a daily tool, I thoroughly enjoyed the outrageous acceleration on offer. Though, that does come at a price…

Pricing for the Segway E300SE depends on the number of batteries you opt for. The standard model comes with two batteries (housed under the floorboard) and is priced at £3,999 and comes in black only.

Opting for a bonus battery takes that price to £4,849, and with the phone holder an additional £39.98 – bringing the total to £4,888.98 for the scooter as tested. The optional extra charger bumps the total to £5,227.40.

These prices all include the OLEV grant, plus 2-year warranty on the bike itself with a 3-year warranty on the batteries.

Plastic everywhere, style-wise it’s not my cup of tea and looks very similar to other electric scooters on the market. It's interesting that there isn’t a great deal distinguishing this from other scooters – though you could argue the same can be said for many motorcycles nowadays. Would you prefer to see a wacky and wild design, like the BMW CE04? Or modest and not drawing attention to itself?

You wouldn’t expect it, but as tested with 3 batteries and boost mode enabled, the acceleration on the E300SE is simply top-class, and probably on par with 400cc bikes (and beyond). Given the electric torque being on tap instantly, this rockets up to 40-50 mph in a short space with boost mode active for 15 seconds – it’s stupidly addicting and certainly gives credence to the ‘Performance’ badge on the side.

Other than putting a smile on your face every time, the rear hub-mounted motor (rated for max 10 kW and 200 Nm of torque output) enables stints on faster-paced roads and gives the confidence to dart onto busy roundabouts when a space opens – something that other 125cc scooters and electric equivalents can sometimes fall short on. It punches way above its 125cc class, despite still being seriously easy to ride and listed at 130kg dry (probably the two-battery variant).

Top speed for me was an indicated 72 mph, full tuck and full send, reached in around 15 seconds from standing. Whilst at top speed the E300SE sits happily maintaining that 72 mph with no boost and sails along smoothly, despite 12-inch wheels with Maxxis semi-slick tyres and overall tiny dimensions that would make you think otherwise. Don’t be fooled and give it a wobble when cruising along just to see what happens; it’s still 12-inch wheels beneath you.

The self-developed Segway MoleDrive X600 Controller, by Segway-owned Ling Ji Innovations (owned by Segway) with OPD controls acceleration and energy recovery braking – in theory, that should add a little bit more range, but also helps the brakes out to shorten braking distance (just like engine braking would in an ICE scoot).

This device also provides cruise control via one button (alongside -/+ to change speed slightly), plus enables slope parking, walking mode, reverse mode with throttle operation, traction control & ABS, all a nice touch adding to the premium feel.

Rider modes consist of 1-2-3, 1 being a slower eco mode, 2 being for coasting (the energy recovery system is off) and ‘ferocious’ mode 3 with full power and full energy recovery active. At low speeds, it shows off good agility, is easy to ride, but that serious acceleration is a huge positive – just don’t boost around hoping to get the most out of the batteries...

As reviewed with three large 74V 24Ah battery packs housed within, one under the seat and two under the floorboards, the range is quoted as around 80 miles – that third battery increases the total given range by 50%. If you’re boosting everywhere expect closer to 44 miles, but your range will vary depending on your own use, total on-board weight, and even the temperature.

A commuter riding in a city at 20 mph everywhere is likely to enjoy the top quoted range, particularly if you’re not lured in by the boost mode - this is certainly where electric is at its collective best. Top-speed runs and consistently sitting at 70 mph will drastically reduce that range.

When recharging, you’re given a charger that will fit under-seat in the provided box, on top of the third battery, reducing the inner storage space to 17 L. Getting to the ones under the floorboard panel is a bit of a faff, and carting 3 large batteries plus a charger inside to plug them all in is an absolute chore. As a note, you can’t fit a helmet in that 17 L space, though you may be able to squeeze a medium lid inside with no third battery – depending on your helmet shape and size.

If you can, it’s better off being plugged in and charged at the wall – though that isn’t always possible. In my case, the bike parking at work is nowhere near a plug socket, and at home I don’t have a plug nearby – I don’t particularly fancy running a wire out the window and down to the scooter.

With 2 batteries you should get about 50 miles of range maximum, charge times are 3.5 hours for one battery or 5.5 hours for 2. Third battery adds 1.9 kwh, totalling around 6 kwh for the scooter. I will also note that the charger pack has its own cooling fan, so when it gets to a certain temperature the fans will begin whirring away, perhaps a distraction for whoever may be nearby.

Last note, which is covered a bit more later, is the on-board LCD screen doesn’t display much information when charging (if at all), and you’ll want to download the Segway-Ninebot app to pair with the scooter and find out full details on the recharging process. If the scooter is off during charging, the screen is off.

Brakes from J. Juan feature, with discs front and rear and given dual-channel ABS, but aren’t quite as impressive as the acceleration… and if you’re successively hoping to stop as quick as you accelerate, the braking distance increases quite a bit as the brakes begin to fade with heat. I found out by rapidly going from 0-60-10-60 etc etc, but the caveat is the brakes are on par with any scooter when you ride it at 125cc speeds.

Braking does feel stable, and not liable to lock with a very firm pull at speed to activate the single disc up front with opposed four-piston calipers and rear disc when single-pot.

Suspension feels plush and soft, but on particularly bad roads you do get rocked about quite a bit – I’ll give it a slight pass as I’m 6’3”. The conventional way up fork up front, twin rear shocks with piggyback reservoirs do an adequate job on the road, and are certainly aiding the nimble ride feel.

Comfort in the 780mm seat isn’t outrageous for me, it’s soft and fairly comfortable, but it kind of feels too soft for me, almost to the extent that I was sat on the bottom of the seat through the foam.

Overall handling is solid here, you can turn in no space at all, and the weight is all housed nice and low down for superb manoeuvrability. It’s a big selling point for scooters in general, and having this as your tool of choice for running about the town you’ll be in good hands.

As you’d expect with an electric scoot, tech is top, here. With a Class-C matrix LED headlight, wide LED rear light, smartphone app, it’s just the LED display that lets it down a tad here.

The key has a fob that can lock the motor, and you’ve got the Segway-Ninebot app that you can use in lieu of the keys once you pair the smartphone app (called AirLock), USB and type C charging ports, and 34/17 litres of storage depending on if you have a battery under the seat – a bonus compartment is up front, with the hook for any bag there too.

The smartphone app lets you dive into the E300SE, make adjustments to the indicator and alarm noises, and allows you to get more in depth information about range and battery life. You also get notifications sent through if the bike abnormally turns on, or it detects something – Segway say it has a separate battery and connection to the internet for GPS, so it can be found if even with no batteries within. This app also enables over the air updates, which is always handy.

Despite the LED display being clear and very colourful – with the outside portion of the display colours illuminating to show you what’s going on. IE, green is ‘go’, purple when accelerating is boost mode, red is alarm, orange is a kind of ‘standby’ state when the kickstand is down. When you’re riding along and roll off the power, it goes green to (I assume) inform you that it’s regenerating some battery.

The LED screen displays your vital info, speed, range, battery remaining, time etc – but you’ll need the app to display more info, which may be why a phone holder is noted as one of the listed accessories.

It’s really vocal if you don’t turn off the sounds in-app, and if you don’t follow the correct starting procedure (like being silly and leaving the kick-stand down when you try to press the ‘ignition’ button), the alarm will blare out and signal to everyone in the surrounding area that you’re an idiot.

But despite a few of the minor flaws, you’re in good hands on the Segway E300SE – it does the commuting job superbly well, starts with no fuss, and is simply one of the most fun and easy to ride scooters that I’ve ridden.

Pros

• Genuinely the fastest 125cc equivalent scooter going.
• Loaded with tech, to a high overall spec.
• Lightweight and easy to ride.

Cons

• Charge times and charging process.
• Screen doesn’t display much information – app shows more.
• Not quite the current affordable commuting option.

If you’re after an electric scooter and are happy with the recharging requirements, you’re in good hands with the Segway E300SE – the superb acceleration alone is worth a look. In terms of price, with two batteries it’s palatable, but at £4,888 with three batteries you’re nearing some pricey figures for a commuting tool – and in comparison to some of the cheaper offerings out there like the Yamaha RayZR, you’d have to figure out if being economically friendly pays off more than the ease of refuelling at the pump. If you want my thoughts on this, check the BikeMatters video down below – where I’ve done a brief price comparison on cost of ownership between these two models.

Perhaps the LCD screen can be improved with more functionality, perhaps a TFT screen with further information would be a worthy update – though admittedly it would notch the price up a tad. In general I thoroughly enjoyed having the E300SE as my runabout for a couple of weeks, so it’s worth a look if you’re in the electric market.

Thanks to Segway for the loan, find out more on the UK website - check out the Go Kart too, I bet that would be unreal fun.