Xiaomi's Electric Scooter Is An Awesome Affordable Ride
The Xiaomi Mi 3 electric scooter is better than its predecessor. Find out why!
Written by Andrew Kidd
Reviewed by Kathleen Flear
Scooters
aren't what they used to be—and that's a good thing.From the manual kick-powered Razor scooters of yesteryear to the corporate-owned electric scooter-share programs of just a few years ago, scooters have seen a renaissance of sorts as more electronics companies bring more affordable
electric scooters
to market.Xiaomi—the Chinese electronics giant known mostly for its smartphones and a number of
controversies
too numerous
to list
here—has released a new model in its line of electric scooters.Xiaomi Mi 3
With an advertised range of 18.6 miles from its 275Wh battery, a top speed of 15.5 mph from its 600W front hub motor, and a max load of 220 lbs, the
Xiaomi Mi 3
electric scooter is swift—and relatively compact. The manufacturer advertises that users can fold the scooter into a more portable configuration in under three seconds.
The scooter itself weighs just under 29 lbs, which is on the lower-middle end of the average electric scooter weight spectrum of 25 to 35 lbs.
For safety in low-light conditions, the Mi scooter features an LED headlight with an effective illumination range of about 20 feet.
It also includes red taillights that flash when the rider applies the brakes, which is helpful when indicating to other scooter riders (or bike traffic, if you're in a bike lane when you're not supposed to be) that you're slowing down.
What's cool about its front brakes is that they incorporate a regenerative anti-lock braking system—meaning you'll squeak out just a tiny bit more charge from stopping.
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Xiaomi Mi 3 is connected, affordable
This electric scooter is capable of connecting to an app via Bluetooth so riders can see stats like battery power, ride distance, and average speed as well, with firmware upgrades available.
It's also relatively affordable, being priced at under $500 depending on the retailer. A cheap child's toy this isn't.
MORE: Interested in an Electric Scooter? Here Are 4 You Should Take a Look At
What do reviewers think?
As
Electrek
reports, the Mi 3's range and power are an advancement over the manufacturer's previous M365 scooter, though it feels a little slow at its top speed of 15.5 mph (which was the reviewer's biggest gripe with this model). But the reviewer notes that it seems like it's just right for getting from point A to point B in a dense urban area.
The publication also noted that the Mi 3's braking feels better and more controllable, with an improved rear disc brake caliper and its front regenerative braking. The review also noted the improved display, which appears to have a cleaner appearance than its predecessor.
To sum it up, Electrek's reviewer states that Xiaomi has made some great updates to this scooter while maintaining what made the previous models great in the past.
Is an electric scooter right for me?
It depends on where you live.
Electric scooters
are a great way to get around a tightly packed urban area if you're going a distance that makes driving a passenger vehicle impractical. If you live in the middle of nowhere and the nearest destination is several miles away or there are no usable sidewalks, you should probably consider other options (like moving to someplace without as much suburban sprawl).
4.7
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