SEGWAY E300SE (2023 - on) Review

You’ll almost certainly know the Segway name from the firm’s bizarre self-balancing dicycle (emphasis on the ‘dicey’) that was briefly a thing during the early 2000s. Mercifully, this E300SE electric scooter doesn’t have much in common with that contraption.

The Segway brand was bought by Chinese firm Ninebot in April 2015, and since then they’ve been expanding their product lineup to include electric kickscooters, madcap unicycle things, and even an electric drift go-kart. Thankfully, in between downing fistfuls of loopy pills they’ve also found some time to build something relatively sensible that you can actually use to get around.

The E300SE is proper road-legal electric scooter that’s broadly equivalent to a 125 petrol machine. Compared with electric commuter rivals it’s quick, capable, keenly priced and boasts an impressive lineup of safety aids and practical features. The riding position is a little compact, and accessing the two removable batteries beneath the floorboard isn’t the slickest process, but overall this a deceptively impressive creation.

The E300SE’s suspension is simple kit, with a set of unadjustable 33mm right-way-up forks at the front, and twin shocks at the back offering adjustable preload. Ride quality is reasonable enough – it’s no magic carpet but it covers up potholes and broken roads as effectively as you’d hope any affordable commuter scooter to manage.

One thing the suspension definitely doesn’t have to deal with is an excess of weight. On our scales the E300SE weighs just 130kg with its two batteries fitted. That’s an almost exact match for Honda’s PCX125 and Yamaha’s NMAX 125, and lighter than a Silence S01 or Super Soco CPX. It rolls on dinky 12-inch wheels, making it incredibly nimble at walking speed – ideal for nipping into gaps between gridlock. But as your speed rises, the titchy hoops can make the chassis feel a bit nervous.

It’s also worth nothing that the riding position is quite cramped. Bars are set low, which can cause you to hunch forward, while legroom is compromised by a high floorboard (because it contains the batteries). Riders of a smaller stature won’t be bothered, but if you’re of even average proportions be sure to check whether you fit comfortably.

Brakes are plentifully powerful, with single discs on both wheels and a four-piston radially mounted J.Juan caliper at the front. Best of all is that the E300SE comes with dual-channel ABS – most electric scooter rivals use a far more basic linked system with no anti-lock intervention. For all-season use, it’s a big tick for the Segway’s safety credentials. And speaking of safety, the E300SE even features a basic traction control system. Yes, really.

The E300SE is driven by Segway’s own hub-mounted electric motor. Peak power is a modest 13bhp (10kW), while torque is an absurd-sounding 148lb.ft (200Nm). No, that’s not a typo. Thing is, plenty of other electric scooters claim bananas torque figures, and most of the time the acceleration is nothing special. Surprisingly the Segway actually feels pretty brisk, at least in its sportiest setting.

There are three riding modes. Mode 1 is “Eco”, with very leisurely acceleration (just about quick enough to keep pace with typical city traffic) and a top speed around 60mph. Mode 2 is “Coast”, which pulls much faster, but also cuts all energy regeneration when you close the throttle, so it runs on like a two-stroke. Mode 3 is “Furious”. Stop laughing at the back.

Furious actually proves surprisingly tetchy. Our GPS datalogger shows the E300SE can sprint from 0-30mph in just 3 seconds, making it quicker off the line than a Silence S01+. It’s faster at the top too, with a tested maximum speed of 67.9mph. At least, that’s what it can do briefly. The E300SE can’t sustain that speed for more than a few seconds, before peak power tapers off and it sits at more like 60-65mph. Don’t buy one planning to slog along dual carriageways, but the E300SE can briefly hold its own on country lanes.

The Segway’s speed is temporarily enhanced by a Boost feature in modes 2 and 3. You don’t have to do anything – there’s no button to push – but opening the throttle past a certain point unlocks a short burst of extra performance. A line around the LCD dash flashes purple, and remaining Boost is displayed: 100 for full; 0 for empty. Segway say Boost adds 50% performance, and each activation lasts around 15 seconds before needing a rest to replenish.

Energy is supplied by a pair of removable 2kWh lithium-ion batteries, which live beneath your feet. Range, as ever, varies massively depending on how fast you ride. Segway claim the E300SE can do 80 miles but we couldn’t get close to that. We managed a maximum of 67 miles, but only by sticking exclusively to Eco mode and riding at or below 30mph. Conversely, riding closer to 60mph we got just 30 miles before needing to plug in. If you spend equal amounts of time in and out of town, expect 45-50 miles as a rough guide.

Recharging is done via a compact off-bike charger. Plug one end into a regular household three-pin socket, then the other end into a port under a flap by the front of the seat. A complete 0 to 100% charge with both batteries in the bike takes around 4.5 hours and uses 4.3kWh. Alternatively you can remove the two batteries and charge them each individually out of the bike, though it’s a bit of a faff to get them out and each weighs a hefty 12.8kg. There’s no option to charge via a public charging station.

We’ll have to award a middle-of-the-road score for now, given this is the first and only Segway scooter we’ve had a chance to test. Absolutely nothing went wrong with our E300SE during our 10-day, 180-mile test, and looking over the bike it seems pretty well put together – no signs of flimsiness, no worrying creaks or squeaks, no obvious glaring giveaways of offensive cheapness.

However, it’s only fair to wait for more time and miles to accrue, and for owners to share their long-term experience, before we can say anything more concrete either way.

The Segway E300SE comes with a two-year warranty, which is extended to three years for its batteries.

Officially the E300SE costs £4499 on the road – however, it’s eligible for a £500 OLEV grant, reducing the effective price to just £3999. That’s not bad at all. It’s £400 more than a Honda PCX125, and £222 more than Yamaha’s NMax 125 (all 2023 prices) – though it wouldn’t take too long to make the difference back on running costs. There’s no vehicle excise duty to pay each year, and electricity costs work out to around 2-3p a mile (given a full charge costs around £1.20 at current rates). That’s roughly half the cost-per-mile of a 125cc petrol scoot (assuming 130mpg and £1.50 per litre).

Servicing is needed every 3000 miles or annually, but is described as “just a mechanical component check” which means it doesn’t need to be taken back to an authorised dealer (of which there are 20 in the UK). There’s no oil, filters, coolant or spark plugs to change, no final drive to maintain, and software can be updated at home or over the air via Segway’s phone app. Segway UK estimates a service costs around £80-£120.

Compared to other electric scooters, it’s slightly cheaper to buy than a dual-battery Super Soco CPX – compared to which, the Segway is substantially quicker, lighter, with a lot more features and much more consistent performance over a battery charge. The E300SE is also more affordable than a Niu MQI GT Evo, which offers a similar top speed and size, but lacks the Segway’s ABS and underseat storage.

Segway appears to have identified all the key gadgets and features of the E300SE’s electric scooter rivals, combined them all, and then add a few of its own on top. It features anti-lock brakes (a rarity for affordable electric two-wheelers), traction control, cruise control and a reverse mode.

There’s even a hill-hold control, which uses the electric motor to stop the scooter rolling forwards or backwards when you’re on a slope. However, as it activates just by holding the brake lever for three seconds it does have a habit of activating without you really wanting it to.

On top of all this is an extensive, dedicated Segway/Ninebot phone app, which is near-essential to have as it offers much more detailed information than is shown on the bike’s LCD dash. It also lets you track the bike’s location at all times, log your rides, set battery charge limits (to extend their long-term lifespan), update software, switch the bike on and off, open the seat and more.

If the scooter or battery gets stolen you can even report it via the app, and Segway will lock it remotely. Given the importance of the app, there’s also two USB charging ports (one regular, one Type C) to keep your phone topped up.

The app is one of three different ways it’s possible to switch the bike on and off. You can also use the physical key (old-school…), as well as press a button on the remote fob. All rather fancy, except for the fact you still need the key to operate the mechanical steering lock.

While many other electric scooters offer no underseat storage, the Segway finds space for a 34-litre cavern beneath the seat – easily enough to store a full-face helmet, or possibly even two open-face lids. And, yes, carrying a pillion on the E300SE is no bother, thanks to its huge rear grabrail and pair of flick-out passenger footpegs.