If you’re an environmentally friendly commuter looking for a green transportation solution, here’s an alternative in the form of an electric scooter. The road-legal Niu
The N-series is powered by 1.5kW Bosch electric motor capable of producing a maximum of 2,300 watts of power and a whopping 120Nm of torque. However, the scooter is limited to a maximum torque of 65Nm and top speed 45km/h. Still, 65Nm of torque is quite impressive considering that the Niu N1 scooter weights only 95kg.
The scooter runs on a 29Ah Panasonic battery pack which weighs in at 10kg. This is important to remember because the battery pack is removable should you want to charge it separately. It takes up to 6 hours to charge fully.
The Niu N1 has a maximum range of about 70km on a single charge provided that you maintain a constant speed of 20km/h so in real life situations, expect the maximum range to be around 50km or so depending on the terrain, your riding style and weight.
12-inch wheels, with single disc brakes front and rear come as standard so too are the LED front and rear lamps as well as an LCD readout that shows speed, battery level and riding modes. There are three to choose from, one optimised for energy saving and range, one optimised for speed while the third mode is something in between.
Seat height is a comfortable 740mm off the ground with a fairly ok 18.9 litres of storage space underneath. There’s also a USB charger and a cargo hook on the front panel.
To keep weight down to a minimum, the scooter’s swingarm is made from a titanium alloy. Naturally, the scooter is equipped regenerative braking that is used to top-up the battery.
The scooter can also connect to your smartphone via a dedicated app. The app provides additional information such as real-time diagnostics, GPS tracking and battery level status, among other things.
Largest lithium-ion battery-powered e-scooter company in China
Niu claims that they are the largest lithium-ion battery-powered e-scooter company in China. Founded in 2014, the company recorded US$112 million in revenue in 2017, up from US$52 million in the year before. The company has a range of fully electric scooters from the N1 with the top speed of 45km/h and a range of about 70km to the soon to be released NGT that’s capable of a top speed of 70km/h and a range about 100km thanks to its dual batteries.
