Electric Scooter Motor- Everything You Need to Know

Escooter101Feb 27, 2021

As electric scooter battery is like human blood, electric scooter motor is like human muscles, strong muscles can make us more powerful. If you enjoy high-speed riding, you can't ignore the power consumption (in watts) of the motor when choosing a fast electric scooter. Then, what does Watt mean?

People who are new to electric scooters may be confused by the term. We will explain it clearly in this article. Read on to learn more about motors, which will help you choose a suitable electric scooter.

What do watts mean?

When buying a lamp, you may have encountered watts, so you will know that the higher the wattage, the brighter the lamp. "Watt" is a unit of power. One watt (W) is the rate at which work is completed when a current of one ampere (A) flows through a potential difference of one volt (V). As shown in the following formula:

W = V * I

For electric scooters, the electric motor's power will tell you how much energy the electric motor can handle continuously. This is different from peak power, which describes how much energy the electric motor can operate in a short period of time.

Simply put, the more powerful the scooter, the higher the speed it can reach and the higher the slope it can climb.

What are the average watts of electric scooter motors?

It depends. More powerful motors will have greater wattage.

If you prefer to own a lightweight electric scooter for a short-distance daily commute, the motor's power may only be 250W-500W, and the maximum speed can be around 20 MPH. It can meet the needs of most people for city traffic.

However, if you prefer higher speed and adventure, an electric scooter with excellent off-road riding performance will be more suitable for you. Such off-road scooters are designed to be more sturdy, able to carry more weight, take you to your destination faster, and take you through steep hills or rugged terrain.

How do watts affect electric scooter performance?

Wattage affects some key performance aspects of electric scooters, including:

Top speed
Max climbing angle
Max payload capacity

The most critical factor affecting speed is the power of the motor. The greater the power, the higher the speed that can be achieved. Cheaper electric scooters usually have 200-600 watts of power, the top speed can be between 10 mph and 20 mph, and the climbing angle is less than 15 degrees. If you are in a city of hills like San Francisco, you often need to spend more power to push the scooter ahead to climb a long slope.

For high-end all-terrain electric scooters, they usually have bigger power motors. Take Varla Eagle One electric scooter as an example, and it is equipped with a 1000W*2 motor with a peak power of 3200W. It can reach a top speed of 40mph and can easily conquer hills of 30 degrees with ease.

The motor power mainly affects the scooter's speed, but if the load is too heavy, the speed of the scooter will be greatly reduced. Therefore, it indicates that the larger the motor, the larger the weight it can carry.

What types of motors are used in electric scooters?

Electric scooters use two types of motors: brushed direct current (DC) motors and brushless DC motors.

Brushed DC motor

The brushed motor is an older type of motor. In this type of motor, mechanical brushes are moved along the motor's inside to provide power to coil phases. Unfortunately, this will lead to the brushes wearing over time due to friction and may cause the voltage irregularly, and it'll be dangerous while riding. At present, most quality scooters no longer use this type of motor.

Brushless DC motor

These are new types of motors, also called BLDC or EC motors, which are more efficient, more durable, quieter, and less likely to overheat than brushed motors. In brushless motors, the mechanical components are replaced by digital switching circuits that supply power to coil phases.

What is the best electric scooter with dual 1000-watt motors?

Varla Eagle One is an excellent all-terrain electric scooter equipped with a 2*1000 watt brushless motor.

Max cruising range 40 Miles

A single charge can let you have fun for a whole day.

Top speed 40 MPH

With dual high-power brushless hub motor, and has two different modes: Eco and turbo, and three gears speed mode, so you can ride at a speed you want precisely.