Ninebot Segway Zing E8 Scooter Review

The Segway Ninebot Zing E8 Electric Scooter is durable, lightweight, highly portable, safe, and sufficiently comfortable. Additionally, it packs incredible features rarely seen in kids’ electric scooters, let alone high-end adult models.

Segway recently unveiled their prototype kid eKick scooter from the Ninebot series; the Ninebot Zing E8 Electric Scooter. The scooter is designed for children between the ages of 6 to 12 years, with a height of 3’9”-4’9”.  Explicitly constructed for kids, Segway (the manufacturer) paid extra attention to safety features, notably a triple braking system consisting of the front brake with regenerative function, controlled by a mechanical handbrake system, and an added rear foot-operated fender brake. It also features a non-slip sandpaper feel material embedded on the deck. The scooter is available in vibrant colors (cobalt blue and pastel pink), making it attractive for kids, both boys and girls.

Fundamentally, the scooter pays extreme attention to its safety by incorporating features such as multiple braking options, 3M reflective strips for visibility, and different riding modes to suit your kid’s speed preferences. The scooter facilitates a comfortable ride, with its front-based shock absorbers, maintenance-free solid rubber tires, and cruise control option.

Ninebot Segway Zing E8 – The Lowdown

The Segway Ninebot ZING E8 is an electric scooter designed specifically for children. It is suitable for 6-12-year-olds weighing less than 50 kgs and is available in two gorgeous colors: pastel pink and cobalt blue. The scooter has a top speed of 14 km/h (8.7 mph), a battery range of up to 10 km (6.2 miles), and a charge time of up to 4 hours. Constructed with aerospace-grade aluminum alloy, the scooter is amazingly light (7.9 kg) and can be folded quickly without much effort. As such, it’s highly portable and occupies minimal storage spaces (it can fit in a car’s trunk).

Bird One Specifications

Ninebot Segway Zing E8 Cons

Low battery life

Limited range

No lights (with the exception of ambient lighting)

Quite expensive compared to other e scooters with almost similar specs

  Slow charge time – 4 hours for 30-40 mins battery time

Ninebot Segway Zing E8 Summary

The E8 kid’s electric scooter is safe and comfortable to ride. It’s equipped with a high-performance brake system encompassing three components: a front brake with regenerative function, controlled by a mechanical handbrake system, and an added rear foot-operated fender brake for maximum safety. It comes equipped with excellent shock absorption, solid rubber tires (see our tire size guide), incredible low-pedal design, comfortable handlebars, and cruise control features, all geared towards providing unmatched ride quality.

The integrated battery design coupled with a powerful 130 –watt motor provides sufficient power to enable the scooter to tackle inclines of up to 7 degrees. The scooter offers three riding modes: safe mode, cruise mode, and turbo mode, allowing kids to ride at an ideal speed based on their age and riding experience.

To further complement the design and increase the allure of the E8 scooter, Segway fitted the scooter with ambient lighting that’s strategically placed under the footboard.

Scooter Design

The E8 adopts an exterior design that is specifically tailored for children. Its sleek aerospace-grade aluminum alloy body weighs just 7.9 kilos and nicely folds away, making it convenient to carry around or store. The scooter is lightweight, compact, and most importantly, durable. 

The scooter also adapts a low-profile design that enhances stability by lowering the center of gravity, ensuring kids enjoy an even smoother ride without the risk of falling over. Besides, the E8’s handlebar grips are constructed of TPR (ThermoPlastic Rubber) material, which is comfortable to hold and offers superior anti-slip traction for enhanced ride quality. Better yet, the handle grips are easy to clean and maintain.   

Top Speed & Acceleration

Segway Ninebot Zing E8 Electric scooter has a top speed of 8.7 mph/h with an average acceleration. It features three-speed modes: Safety, Cruise, and Turbo mode. With the standard Safe Mode, kids can thumb throttle up to 6.2 mph- an ideal speed for novice riders. Once they are better experienced at riding and are comfortable with slightly higher speeds, they can activate Turbo Mode via the thumb throttle, which accelerates the scooter to a top speed of 8.7 mph.

The Cruise Mode also reaches 8.7 mph and is activated by simply kicking off the ground to start the e-scooter and gliding continuously without applying pressure to the throttle. The harder the kick, the faster the scooter accelerates. Riders can toggle between the E8’s riding modes by using the power button located near the rear fender. In essence, the Ninebot ZING E8 is fast enough to give your kid a safe, pleasant thrill with a full burst of speed in Turbo Mode.

Battery Life & Range

The Ninebot ZING E8 kids electric scooter is powered by a 21.6V 2550 mAh (55.08Wh) li-ion battery with Smart Battery Management System. The innovative battery pack adopts a new design and process, making it more compact and effective. It integrates a battery, controller, and intelligent battery control system into a single module. The battery has a max charge time of just 4 hours and comes with a low battery indicator. 

E8’s BMS intelligent battery control system allows for more robust and reliable performance. It provides twice the discharge capacity dispensed by typical batteries. Additionally, the control system comes with safety features to protect the scooter against electrical problems such as short circuits, over-current, over-charge and overheating.  

When it comes to range, Segway quotes the E8 as having a range of 6.2 miles (10 km) on a single battery charge. This function is also attributed to its brilliant lightweight construction, translating to approximately 40 minutes of active ride time on a full charge. However, the range is affected by other factors, notably the weight of the rider and inclines. 

While the range seems shorter than other scooters, it’s just enough for kids developing an interest in e-scooters. A 6.2 range means that your kid can ride to school or nearby stores comfortably on a single charge. Remarkably, if the battery juice drains prematurely, riders can just as easily kick it around and arrive at their destination. This is the reason the scooter is sometimes referred to as eKick Scooter. 

Power & Performance

The Segway Ninebot ZING E8 carries a powerful 130-watt motor. This is sufficient power for riders between 6-12 years of age and weighing less than 50kg. E8’s power is more than enough to get your kid up to a respectable top speed of 8.7 mph/h (14 km/h) and tackle inclines of up to 7 degrees. 

Construction & Build Quality

The E8’s build quality is exceptionally high. Segway definitely went out of their way in creating this fantastic kids e-scooter. We marvel at the ingenuity of utilizing aerospace-grade aluminum alloy for the body that resulted in a remarkably solid yet lightweight scooter. The innovation scoots further down to the use of maintenance-free rubber tires with shock absorbers that guarantee not just comfortable but safe rides. The scooter is of undeniably premium quality. 

Ride Quality

Compared to most kid electric scooters, the Segway Ninebot ZING E8 is considered much safer and more comfortable to ride. The scooter integrates several features to facilitate its superior functional reliability. First, it comes with a front spring damper shock absorber that cushions some of the impacts from bumps and bumpy surfaces such as sand, grass & dirt. Secondly, the scooter implements a low profile design (3.9” from the ground), lowering the center of gravity and providing maximum stability for superior ride quality.

Thirdly, Segway’s patented tubeless tires are constructed from high-elastic solid rubber that dedicatedly absorbs shock, ensuring seamless ride comfort. To wrap it up, the handle grips are made of TPR material, offering a convenient grip with superior anti-skid traction. The firm grip also features in the scooter’s overall safety enhancement.

Braking

As a parent, you’ll want maximum safety for your kid, especially when it comes to recreational activities. This is why the Zing E8 comes with not one, not two, but three braking systems for optimal riding safety. The triple braking system consists of a front brake with regenerative function, controlled by a mechanical handbrake system, and an added rear foot-operated fender brake. The regenerative braking system captures the kinetic energy produced when stopping and converts it back to power the battery. This neat trick helps extend the scooter’s battery life. The hand brake and a foot brake are both easy to use and achieve a quick, convenient, secure, and precise stop. Each brake can be used exclusively or in combination with the other, giving your daredevil plenty of options in coming to a safe halt. The triple braking system combined with the non-skid grip tires ascertains overall safety. You can rest easy knowing that your child will be able to stop when they need to and do it safely.

Portability

The Segway Ninebot ZING E8 is portable and handy, thanks to its lightweight design and one-step folding mechanism. Weighing an incredible 17.4 pounds, the scooter is unbelievably lightweight and easy to carry around. Your kid can effortlessly move or carry it around when climbing or descending a small flight of steps or other minor traffic inconveniences.

The lightweight construction coupled with the scooter’s one-step folding mechanism makes it a breeze to carry around or store. It’s ranked among the most portable kid’s scooters currently in the market. 

Lights

Unfortunately, the Ninebot Zing E8 doesn’t come with LED headlights or taillights, making it unsafe to ride at night. Nonetheless, the scooter comes equipped with a 3M reflective strip placed on the rear, enhancing low-light visibility. This, coupled with the unique under-deck lighting , gives the scooter some level of security when riding at night. However, ensure your kid wears highly reflective jackets, helmets, gloves, etc., when riding at night to stay safe and visible. 

Tyres

The ZING E8 comes with high elastic solid rubber tyres, measuring 7 inches (front) and 6 inches (rear). The maintenance-free tyres are resilient to wear and tear, as well as punctures. Besides, they integrate anti-skid threads that enhance safety in wet weather conditions. The tyres are quite grippy on a wide variety of surfaces contributing to the overall ride quality. 

Deck

The ZING E8’s deck sits 3.9-inches above the ground. This works to lower the center of gravity and provide the maximum stability achievable. This tweak favors rider control, which counters the risk of falling over. The scooter also packs a silicone deck with anti-skid, sandpaper-feel property to keep riders firmly stable on the e-scooter at all times. The deck is comfortable, easy to clean, and safe, protecting riders against slipping and potential accidents.

Reliability

The excellent build quality, complemented by its outstanding features makes the ZING E8 undoubtedly reliable. The features are elaborately designed with kids’ interests at the core; lightweight enough to match their smaller frames, maintenance-free tires that are ideal for kids’ riding independence, lack of headlights and taillights to discourage unmonitored night movement, low top speed to ensure the ride is within realistic limits, triple braking system to complement the smoothness and precision of the stop, shorter range to ensure the kids don’t wander too far from home and uncomplicated, non-technical mode of operation. Your kids will certainly enjoy the fun offered by the E8, while remaining safe thanks to its skillfully executed design.

Water Resistance

The E8 claims a water resistance rating of IPX4, offering moderate protection against water splashes from all directions. Therefore, it’s safe for use in moderate rain or snowy conditions.

What’s In The Box?

·         1x Segway Ninebot Zing E8 Kids Electric Scooter (Blue or Pink)

·         1x user manual

·         1x warranty

·         1x 5mm Allen wrench

·         1x battery charger

Maintenance

Like most e-scooters, the Ninebot Zing E8 requires minimal maintenance. It has maintenance-free rubber tires and easy to clean deck and handlebars. Fortunately, there are no chains or gears, which usually need regular maintenance to sustain effective functionality. To say the least, the E8 is an ideal scooter for individuals (kids) seeking to enjoy the benefits of an electric scooter without worrying about maintenance.

Is this E-Scooter worth buying?

The Ninebot Zing E8 Electric Scooter is the perfect machine to get your kids interested in outdoor activities. The scooter’s elegant design, sleek appearance, coupled with its exciting specs, are guaranteed to lock in the interest of your young one. While it lacks essential lights, it comes equipped with under-deck ambient lighting , which complements the overall appearance and appeal.

Ninebot Resources

Ninebot Segway Website