When I saw the Go Motorboard 2000X on a website after searching for electric scooters, I was excited. It looked brilliant: Basically the size of a two wheel kick scooter, it incorporates two counter-rotating electric motors that directly turn the rear wheel. The drive train and electronics are below the board, so you don’t see anything.
I found a dealership in town, and took one for a test ride. It passed my “train station to work†test, so I bought it. The ride was really fun—about 15 miles per hour, moderate climbing ability, and it easily carries my 240 pounds.
It made the rated four to five miles (but just barely) though it did have disappointing hill-climbing ability. Basically, as with any electric vehicle, climbing hills dramatically increases the amount of energy you’ll use up, and tackling even a moderate hill on battery alone will kill the battery and leave you pushing.
The wheels are wear members and will eventually have to be replaced at a cost of $20 per each. The sides of the rear wheel are impacted by the motors and slowly worn away through normal use, although I’ve been on my board for six months and have yet to swap the rear wheel. You can simply switch the front and rear wheels when the rear wheel is too worn. You cannot ride the scooter through water, both because it’s an electrical device and because water will cause the motors to slip against the rear wheel and grind notches into it. I tested it, it’s true, don’t do it.
Because it’s a scooter, you’re free to kick along with it to save energy and extend range. Complimentary kicking is basically mandatory when going uphill, and it’s not necessary at any other time except to push off (the motors don’t engage until the scooter is already moving faster than 3mph for safety reasons).
At 21lbs., the scooter is a bit heavy but it folds up and can be carried with you easily on a bus or on the train without impeding anyone else. It fits in a standard bat bag as well, which will allow you to disguise it and carry it over your shoulder. The scooter is extremely rugged—I’ve had no issues or problems with the board mechanically. The NiMH charger did go out on me, and Go replaced it immediately no questions asked.
When Go released the 2000XR, which is basically the same as the 2000X but with a lithium ion battery based on the A123 cell rather than a NiMH battery, I was bummed—I couldn’t justify getting another board just for better battery life. Then I found out that Go offered an upgrade, so I shipped in my board, paid $350, and they upgraded my existing board to Lithium Ion, added shock absorbing foam, and shipped it back with a new charger. I sold the old battery and charger on Ebay for about $100 to defray the costs.
The new battery is great—it goes about twice as far and does have somewhat better hill climbing capability, although not enough to really say that you can take the scooter straight up a long hill—you’ll still need to kick. Besides the improved range, the board now weighs 5 lbs. less than it did due to the lighter weight of the new battery chemistry.
The Go Motorboard is the perfect “last mile†solution for using public transit like busses and light rail. It folds up to an inconspicuous and easily carried size, it’s powerful and has a long lasting battery, and it works even for those up to its rated capacity of 250 pounds. I toss it in my trunk so I don’t have to worry about how far away I’m parking downtown. With a bat bag, I can carry the charger with me and charge it back up at work for the trip home. Unless you’ve got significant hills between you and your destination, I highly recommend it.
At $699, you’ll definitely be able to find a cheaper scooter, but there is no better scooter available, and at today’s gas prices, you only have to eliminate one car trip per work day for a year to pay for it in gas savings and vehicle maintenance (presuming a 75 cent per mile total cost of vehicle use average as per Edmunds vehicle TCO calculator and 200 four-mile trips in a year).
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