scooters and power ratings

[sjpt]

I'm copying the end of a thread from Cycling UK forum: https://forum.cyclinguk.org/posting.php?mode=quote&f=55&p=1512010
I think there are more people here who can comment on power ratings and why/if there is justification for scooters to have higher power ratings than e-bikes.

The main reason for allowing higher power on an e-scooter than an e-bike is pressure from US interests; with the government so keen to suck up to any US pressure.

If you'd ridden one for any length of time and ridden a comparable e-bike you'd quickly realise that the main reason to allow a higher power is that e-scooters are considerably poorer performers than a similarly powered e-bike.

A 350w scooter struggles on all but the gentlest of slopes and that's with my 13st bulk. Someone a bit chubbier might find it won't go up hills at all.
Ditto acceleration, my e-bike is way quicker off the mark. The scooter otoh is a lot tamer.

If you weigh 7 stone they're probably quite good fun, otherwise IMO they're merely a good last mile bit of transport.

Interesting, I must admit I've never ridden an e-scooter.

Some of the difference must be that on an e-bike you are usually putting in some effort on hills and acceleration, but I would have guessed that to be not much more than 100w for the average not very energetic rider; even a low end 250w motor (such as our XF07) will probably be outputting 400w in those conditions.

Various thoughts on why the scooter might be so bad at hill climbing:
* inappropriately geared, to allow a faster top speed
* significantly less efficient (I would expect some loss due to wheels etc, but not a very large efficiency difference)
* different measurements of motor power (quite common for the same ebike motor to be 250w rated in UK and 350w in US; might be bigger differences with scooter motors where there is no UK regulation to encourage low specified ratings)

Any comments from engineers out there?

From my bias an e-scooter would only be good for the last mile of transport even with appropriate power; my bias might change if I actually tried riding one.

 

[oyster]

I'm copying the end of a thread from Cycling UK forum: https://forum.cyclinguk.org/posting.php?mode=quote&f=55&p=1512010
I think there are more people here who can comment on power ratings and why/if there is justification for scooters to have higher power ratings than e-bikes.


Interesting, I must admit I've never ridden an e-scooter.

Some of the difference must be that on an e-bike you are usually putting in some effort on hills and acceleration, but I would have guessed that to be not much more than 100w for the average not very energetic rider; even a low end 250w motor (such as our XF07) will probably be outputting 400w in those conditions.

Various thoughts on why the scooter might be so bad at hill climbing:
* inappropriately geared, to allow a faster top speed
* significantly less efficient (I would expect some loss due to wheels etc, but not a very large efficiency difference)
* different measurements of motor power (quite common for the same ebike motor to be 250w rated in UK and 350w in US; might be bigger differences with scooter motors where there is no UK regulation to encourage low specified ratings)

Any comments from engineers out there?

From my bias an e-scooter would only be good for the last mile of transport even with appropriate power; my bias might change if I actually tried riding one.

A related issue, the claimed speed limit of 15.5 is misleading. Unless it has an automatic braking device, that will be the powered (assisted) limit. Downhill, who knows how fast you could make them go?

 

[Nealh]

I have been reading that thread and it only concerns the trial scooters which are being regulated during the trial. It is true much is down to the US influence on the using them and the companies involved.
For the ones being used legally, illegal ones (non trial ones) will be more then ten fold, I expect most of us have seen illegal use around the country as they whizz along on the road or pavement, non will have insurance or a driving licence and these beasts will have no speed restriction.