Updated October 31st, 2024
Electric scooters are an easy and fun way to get around the city or a park. There are many options available. They are convenient, easy to store, and a lot of fun to ride around on. They save on carbon emissions verse driving a car. Parking becomes a nonissue since you can carry it around. You can get a great performing scooter these days for $500 that can handle hills and long distance commute.
The Top 10 Best Under $500 Electric Scooters
- BEST OVERALL: Gotrax G5
- TOP PICK: Hiboy Max Pro
- BEST VALUE: Hiboy S2R
- LONGEST RANGE: Turboant V8
- Hiboy S2 Max
- Turboant X7 Max
- Varla Wasp
- Gotrax G4
- Segway E2 Pro
- Gotrax XR Elite
1. Best Overall – GoTrax G5 Electric Scooter
Specifications
- Top Speed – 20 mph
- Range – 25 miles
- Motor – 500 Watt
- Max Rider Weight – 220 lbs
- Scooter Weight – 44 lbs
- Wheels – 10 inch pnuematic
- Brakes – front and rear drum brakes and electric
What we liked:
- Lots of go power. Great acceleration and hill climbing performance.
- Dual brakes give you more control when braking
- 3 speed levers for sporty performance, eco or walking
- Big comfortable deck for large adult sized feet
- Front suspension and 10 inch air tires for smooth ride
- Cool looking ground effect lights around the side
- Cruise control for easy riding
- Electronic combination lock
What we didn’t like:
- The display is difficult to read in bright day light
- The combination numbers to unlock the bike are too small on the display
- A bit heavy for carrying around
The Gotrax G5 electric scooter has a 48 volt battery, 500 watt motor, front suspension and dual drum brakes. The G5 has fast acceleration. It powers up hills like it’s on a mission. It has a ton of stopping power thanks to front and rear drum brakes. Its front suspension and 10 inch air tires give you a smooth comfortable ride. You have to spend $900 to get anything that equals it in performance from a different brand.
The G5 has a top speed of 20mph and range of 25-30 miles. It is great for commuting when you want to get somewhere fast or live somewhere with hills. It’s just fun to ride around if you don’t need to get anywhere.
Gotrax also sells the G6 which is the same scooter design as the G6 but with a 50% bigger battery for those who want to go farther.
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2. Top Pick – Hiboy MAX Pro
Specifications
- Top Speed – 22 mph
- Range – 46.6 miles
- Motor – 650 Watt
- Max Rider Weight – 265 lbs
- Scooter Weight – 51.6 lbs
- Wheels – 11 inch pnuematic
- Brakes – Front and rear drum brakes
What we liked:
- More power than most scooters in this price range
- Long range
- Connected phone app
- Smooth ride with 11″ air tires
- Front suspension gives an extra smooth ride
- Independently controlled front and rear brakes
- LED lights around the deck
- Color LED display
What we didn’t like:
- Scooter is about at the weight limit for what you can carry around
- No electronic brake for regenerative braking
The Hiboy MAX Pro electric scooter has good features, range, braking, and load capacity combined with an easy to use folding design. The 11″ air tires are shock-absorbing with good traction. The front suspension and air tires give a very smooth rides. It has front and rear drum brakes with separate brake levers for stopping. It has a color LED display and intuitive controls for acceleration and braking. For night riding, it has bright LED headlights as well as ground effect lighting around the deck.
Riders enjoyed the Hiboy MAX Pro. It is fast with strong acceleration. They like the bright headlights and easy to use controls. The drum brakes can be adjusted for more or less sensitivity. You can only get close to the 46 mile range if you ride slow with a lighter rider. Heavier riders going fast will get closer to 25 mile range instead of 46.
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3. Best Value – Hiboy S2R
Specifications
- Top Speed – 19 mph
- Range – 17 miles
- Motor – 350 Watt
- Max Rider Weight – 220 lbs
- Scooter Weight – 31 lbs
- Wheels – 8.5 inch solid
- Brakes – rear disc and electric
What we liked:
- Removable battery for extra range
- Good top speed
- Fun to ride
- Lightweight and easy to carry
- App that lets you customize performance and lock the scooter
- Good hill climbing performance in sport mode
What we didn’t like:
- Ride is not as smooth as 10″ air tire scooters
- Cruise control can activate before you reach full speed on Sport mode
The Hiboy S2R is a great commuting scooter for those who need longer range. It has a removable battery so you can bring an extra battery and swap it in for more range. The scooter can go 17 miles on each charged battery. Most riders get 12-15 miles out of it. The batteries weigh 5 lbs so it’s not a huge weight to toss in a backpack.
The S2R has 8.5 solid tires that provide good traction and a decent ride. The 350 watt motor provides okay acceleration and hill climbing ability. Overall it’s a fun comfortable scooter to ride.
It has an integrated phone app that can lock the scooter and customize the scooter’s top speed and bracking/acceleration. If you want to let a kid ride it, you can tone down the power and top speed from the app.
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4. Longest Range – TurboAnt V8 Dual-Battery Electric Scooter
Specifications
- Top Speed – 20 mph
- Range – 50 miles
- Motor – 450 Watt
- Max Rider Weight – 275 lbs
- Scooter Weight – 47.6 lbs
- Wheels – 9.3 inch pnuematic
- Brakes – rear disc, front electric
The TurboAnt V8 Dual Battery Electric Scooter is a new commuting scooter from our favorite brand Turboant. The V8 brings a lot of new innovative features that make this the perfect commuting scooter. It has dual batteries giving it a super long range up to 50 miles. One battery can be detached for easy swapping. This gives it the potential for even more range.
The V8 upgrades the motor to 450 watts giving you better acceleration and hill climbing performance. The X7 Max was already a lot of fun to ride. The V8 pumps things up another notch.
The 9.3 inch air tires give a smooth ride. The V8 doesn’t stop there and also adds front and rear suspension to make it even smoother.
The V8 has a cool integrated display in the top of the handlebar stem that gives you all the information you need.
What we liked:
- Dual batteries for extra range and more power
- Removable battery that lets you charge anywhere and swap for even more range
- Long 50 mile range on a charge
- Longer wider deck is comfortable for larger foot sizes
- Powerful 450 watt motor
- Smooth ride on 9.3 inch pneumatic wheels and front and rear suspension
What we didn’t like:
- Higher cost
- At 47.6 lbs it is heavy to carry around
- Not available in Europe
- Only available in 1 color
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5. Hiboy S2 MAX
Specifications
- Top Speed – 19 mph
- Range – 40.4 miles
- Motor – 500 Watt
- Max Rider Weight – 220 lbs
- Scooter Weight – 41.5 lbs
- Wheels – 10 inch pnuematic
- Brakes – Front electric and rear drum brakes
What we liked:
- Long range with 11.6 ah battery
- Good acceleration and braking
- Easy to use controls
- Smooth ride for a scooter with no suspension
- Phone app for adjusting settings
What we didn’t like:
- Cruise control can activate before you reach full speed on Sport mode
The Hiboy S2 MAX Max sits at the top of their popular S2 line. It has an upgraded 500 watt motor and 48 volt 11.6ah battery. This gives is much better acceleration and longer range than the more budget minded scooters lower in the S2 range. The S2 Max has a rear drum brake and front electronic braking. The front brake has regerative ability for recovering some of your braking energy back into the battery.
The S2 Max has a large enough deck to be comfortable for adults. It has about as smooth a ride as you can expect from a scooter with no suspension. This allows it to be ligher weight for carrying. At 41.5 lbs it’s not too bad to carry around. The folding mechanism works well with a flip up metal bracket at the back for attaching the handlebars. It works well and it stays latched.
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6. TurboAnt X7 Max
Specifications
- Top Speed – 20 mph
- Range – 32 miles
- Motor – 350 Watt
- Max Rider Weight – 275 lbs
- Scooter Weight – 34.2 lbs
- Wheels – 10 inch pnuematic
- Brakes – rear disc, front electric
What we liked:
- Removable battery that lets you charge anywhere and swap for more range
- Long range on a charge that can be extended by swapping batteries
- Longer wider curved deck allows a more comfortable stance for adult riders
- Powerful 350 watt motor
- Smooth ride on 10 inch pneumatic wheels
- Simple and easy to use controls
What we didn’t like:
- At 34 lbs it is heavy for smaller riders to carry around
- No suspension in the front wheel
- A 15mph speed setting would be nice between the 10mph and 20mph settings.
The TurboAnt X7 Max is a 350 watt scooter with removable batteries and 10 inch pneumatic wheels. The TurboAnt X7 Pro was already an excellent performer and value and the X7 Max makes it even better. It has a top speed of 20 mph and range up to 32mph. The drive unit is new with better performance. The detachable battery has dual latches and a key lock. You can easily remove the battery and lock it for security.
The deck has been raised higher off the ground compared to the X7 Pro. This gives it more ground clearance and better ride and handling. If you look at the rear of the deck you will notice it curve down towards the rear wheel.
It has 10 inch pneumatic tires give it excellent ride. They are very smooth and give it good traction. I’ll take 10 inch air tires over 8.5 inch tires on a scooter any day if I have the option.
The X7 Max has an easy to use control interface. It has a disc brake and electric brake. There are 2 buttons on the throttle control for cycling through the controller options. Any first time scooter rider will have no trouble with it.
Overall the X7 Max is a really fun to ride scooter and a great value given all the options it has.
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7. Varla Wasp
Specifications
- Top Speed – 19 mph
- Range – 19 miles
- Motor – 350 Watt
- Max Rider Weight – 265 lbs
- Scooter Weight – 33 lbs
- Wheels – 8.5 inch pnuematic
- Brakes – rear disc, front electric
The Varla Wasp is their entry level commuting scooter. It is lightweight at easy to carry at only 33 lbs. It has plenty of power with a 350 watt motor and 36 volt battery.
The Wasp has an easy to read LCD display combined with a set of control buttons on the left handlebars. This lets you easily change modes or turn the lights on and off while riding. This level of controls are not usually found on entry level scooters at this price.
The scooter has a smoother ride with a coil spring rear suspension and air tires. It won’t leave your feet feeling tired after your commute.
The Wasp is on the smaller side for adult scooters. The handlebars are not high enough for taller riders much above 6′. It is perfect sized for under 6′ sized adults.
What we liked:
- Lightweight and easy to carry at 33 lb
- Well thought out folding mechanism
- Easy to use controls with handlebar mounted buttons
- Coil spring rear suspension combined with air tires for smoother ride
What we didn’t like:
- Scooter is too small for taller riders much over 6 foot
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8. GoTrax G4 Electric Scooter
Specifications
- Top Speed – 20 mph
- Range – 25 miles
- Motor – 350 Watt
- Max Rider Weight – 220 lbs
- Scooter Weight – 37 lbs
- Wheels – 10 inch pnuematic
- Brakes – rear disc, front electric
What we liked:
- Smooth comfortable ride
- Good range and speed
- Double locking with cable and electronic locks
- Simple and easy to use display and controls
- IPX4 water resistant
- Max and Ultra versions available with more range
What we didn’t like:
- Heavy for smaller riders to carry at 37 lbs
- Kickstart takes a little getting used to
The GoTrax G4 is a great electric scooter for commuting. It has 10 inch pneumatic tires that give it a smooth and comfortable ride. It has up to 25 miles of range. It has a unique 2 level locking system. It has a cable combination lock built into the steering tube. It has an electric lock built into the control display requiring a code every time you power up the scooter. The scooter has a disc and electronic brake that give it solid braking. The controls are easy to use and intuitive making the scooter fun and easy to ride.
The G4 comes in 2 other versions, the GMax, and GMax Ultra that have larger batteries and more range. The GMax range is 42 miles and the GMax Ultra has a range of 45 miles.
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9. Segway Ninebot E2 Pro
Specifications
- Top Speed – 12.4 mph
- Range – 13.7 miles
- Motor – 300 Watt
- Max Rider Weight – 220 lbs
- Scooter Weight – 28 lbs
- Wheels – 9 inch dual density solid
- Brakes – rear footbrake, front electric
What we liked:
- Modern sleek design
- Phone app
- Available extra battery for more speed and range
- Lightweight and easy to carry around
What we didn’t like:
- Solid tire ride not as smooth as pneumatics
- Brakes could be a little stronger
The Segway Ninebot E2 Pro Electric Scooter has a very sleek modern design with no cables or wires and a very sleek lightweight folding design. It has an integrated mobile device app that can control things such as regular and sport mode. The dual density tires provide a smooth ride. An available add on battery increases both the range and top speed for those wanting to go a bit farther and faster.
This scooter is fun to ride while in Sport mode, especially in flat areas. It is able to achieve the advertised range and top speed for most riders. The braking system works okay but is on the weak side compared to other electric scooters.
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10. Gotrax XR Elite
Specifications
- Top Speed – 15.5 mph
- Range – 18 miles
- Motor – 300 Watt
- Max Rider Weight – 220 lbs
- Scooter Weight – 31.9 lbs
- Wheels – 8.5 inch pnuematic
- Brakes – rear disc, front electric
What we liked:
- Air tires give a smooth ride over bumps and cracks in the pavement
- The deck is wide and comfortable for most adult riders to stand on
- Decent speed and range. Smaller riders can achieve the published top speed and range
What we didn’t like:
- Could use more power for climbing hills
- Brakes aren’t smooth and may need adjustment when new
The GoTrax XR Elite is one of the most popular electric scooters on Amazon. It offers a competitive range, speed, and power for an affordable under $500 price. The scooter is well made with decent build quality with hidden cables and a nice large deck. The scooter performs well with a smooth comfortable ride. The brakes may feel jerky and need adjusted when the scooter is new.
Most riders have a good experience with this scooter. It has plenty of power for flat ground and slight inclines. If could use a bit more power for riding in places with lots of hills. Overall it is a good scooter for the price for commutes or riding for fun.
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Get up to $600 Off during GoTrax Black Friday Sale
Ryan Craig
Co-Founder & Chief Editor
I am a total gear nerd and love learning how things work and thinking about how they could be improved. Nothing excites me more than trying out new gear. I’d rather spend 3 hours taking my bike apart and learning how to change something than go to a bike shop. These days, I reside in Michigan by the Great Lakes and go skiing, biking, and boating as much as possible. Visit our About Us page and learn more.
ryan@lowbudgetadventurer.com