How to make an electric scooter faster?

Do you feel that your scooter would be so much better if it was just a little bit quicker, just a little bit zippier? Well, there might be a solution. Depending on the scooter there might be a couple or more options to make it faster.

Here are few methods that can be used to make your electric scooter run faster, from the easy ones to ones that require advanced technical skills. Read carefully, and judge for yourself whether you would benefit from any of these.

These methods are easily reversible, do not include any kind of modifications and do not pose any risk of defects. Depending on the scooter, they can be surprisingly effective.

Almost every electric scooter has more than one speed mode. In order to achieve the maximum speed advertised by the manufacturer you need to set the scooter up to the highest mode. It is usually explained in the manual how to do it. Some electric scooters allow the settings to be modified via an app, while others can be unlocked using the cockpit contols.

Some scooters come out of the box in a sort of a locked mode, mostly to comply with local laws and regulations. Some scooters, like the Unagi, have the “secret” sport mode that removes any kind of electronic speed limit. With the speed limitation enabled, you can’t go past the set speed even if you are going downhill. This is because the computer slows down the engine if the speed starts crossing the limit. By removing this limit you will get access to going faster in the right conditions.

Risk: This is manufacturer-aproved method so there is no risk. The responsibility of staying safe at higher speeds is all on the driver.

Tires can affect the speed of your scooter, especially if they are air-filled ones. The less inflated a tire is, the more of its surface touches the ground when riding. That results in more friction your scooter has against the ground which, in turn, results in less energy efficiency.
Keep in mind that you shouldn’t inflate the tires too much. Check your scooter’s recommended tire pressure, and use a pump that can measure the pressure when inflating the tires.

This does not apply to the scooters with solid tires. The solid tires are the ones that go faster, but they are rough on challenging surfaces and do not give away that much bounce compared to the pneumatic ones

Risk: This method is risk-free if you stick to the manufacturers’ recommendations for tire pressure

The more weight on the scooter, the harder motor and battery have to work to get to a certain speed. To allow your scooter to go as fast as possible, you need to keep the load to a minimum.

Scooters usually have the maximum recommended weight, so you need to make sure not to exceed it. Excessive weight will inevitably slow your scooter down, especially if it has a low-powered motor. Removing a few extra pounds from backpack, boots, or just pockets full of loose change will make a small difference in how quick you can reach the top speed.

You could replace some heavier parts, for ones made from more lightweight materials but since the heaviest parts of an electric scooter are the battery and the motor, this would not bring impressive results. Also, replacing metal parts with plastic ones will compromise the structural integrity of a scooter.

Is this risky? There is no risk, unless you start pulling your scooter apart to make it lighter. Do not do this!

There are couple of methods to increase the scooter top speed that are effective, but require a bit of technical know-how. They do require some tinkering with your scooter that can go wrong, and potentially turn your scooter into a brink. So if you are not comfortable with it, we suggest that you skip these, and move along.

Some e-scooters , like Zero scooters, or Dualtron scooters have a physical speed limiter on their controller. A speed limiter is only a wire, or a plug that needs to be disconnected. This is fairly esay to do, and you can find many tutorials on the internet from the people that have successfully done it. Here is how you can remove speed limiter on Dualtron Storm:

Risk: Speed limits are installed both for the rider’s safety and for legal reasons. This means that you might be inviting legal trouble by removing it.

For certain models, there are modificatins of the original firmware that make the scooter faster. This modifications change the motor power output, which results in more torque and higher speed. You can download the custom firmware and flash it with the app, or otherwise, depanding on your scooter model.

Risk: Scooter overheating. Once the constant motor power output is increased, it will cause the unit’s temperature to rise. This can be a problem if you live in a hot climate, or if you push the scooter to its limits on inclines.

These are methods that include opening up your scooter and messing with its internals. We do not advise trying any of these, unless you are a gearhead that loves garage projects.

To put simply, a controller is the unit that tells the battery how much power to send to the motor. As a rule of thumb, assuming the battery can deliver the current, increasing the controller amps will not affect a higher top speed on the flat, but will increase acceleration and the achievable top speed on a hill.

For the best results, battery and controller upgrade usually go together. If the new controller you’re getting will make the system draw more current, then your pack also has to handle the new higher load, too

Risk: While the motor may be able to achieve higher speeds, but it doesn’t necessarily mean that the scooter as a whole is capable to handle those speeds.

For a DC electric motor the voltages influence the max rpm, or top speed, while the amps have an influence on how fast you accelerate to that max rpm. In other words, to make your scooter go faster you need to put more voltage on your engine while the amperage will make it accelerate fast. Using a higher voltage battery is the way to increase your speed. You can do this by adding another battery wired in series, or by replacing your existing battery with higher voltage one. However, before you upgrade your 36V battery to 48V, you need to check that your controller can handle the increased voltage.

Risk: You risk frying your controller if it cannot handle being overvolted. Also, this makes the motor work harder, so it might overheat.

If your scooter is brand new, there is no need to put it through this complicated mechanical procedure. But if you feel your scooter has gotten laggy and is not as quick as it used to be, it might have to do with the motor. In simple terms, motors, like all mechanical parts, are subject to wear and tear over time. Rewinding a motor is like refreshing it, and if it’s something your scooter motor needs, it will increase its efficiency.

Risk: If you don’t want to ruin the motor, this has to be done by someone that has the required knowledge and the equipment.

If you have a scooter that can go up to 18mph, but you need it to go 25mph, instead of thinking about modifying or replacing every part, just think about getting a faster scooter. After all, a small 250W or 300W motor can only do so much, and pushing a scooter beyond its limits will eventually cause it to break down.

Here are our top three recommendation for good value scooters that can go up to 25mph:

FluidFreeRide Horizon

Horizon, a clone of Zero 8, is a commuter scooter which falls somewhere in the mid-range category pricewise. It is a step up from entry-level scooters like Xiaomi, or GoTrax. While it might not be the sleekest in design, its performance is most impressive.

With the 500W motor that peaks at 800W, Horizon can reach top speed of 24mph and tackle up to 10% inclines. The maximum range is fantastic 25 miles, thanks to the 13Ah battery. It has front and rear spring suspension, which makes even the longer rides very comfortable.

EMOVE Touring

EMOVE Touring is another great under $1000 option, with top speed of 22mph. It has several interesting color option, so it stands out from a sea of black and gray urban commuter scooters.

A standout feature of EMOVE Touring is three types of suspension: two springs in the rear underneath the deck, two in the front next to the front tire, and one right below the stem. This makes the ride very soft despite the small tires, and the fact that the rear tire is solid.

Zero 9

Zero 9 is a robust, well-built scooter that is light and compact enough to be portable. It has a perfect balance of, range, speed, and ride quality making it an excellent all-around electric scooter.

Zero 9 has dual brakes, all-round suspension and plenty of deck space. It is a solid scooter built to be both enjoyable enough and durable enough for everyday use. Zero 9 has pneumatic tires, so there is always a risk of getting a flat tire and having to go through a grueling process of changing them.

DISCLAIMER: This article is for informational purposes only and is not intended as a guide. In fact, any kind of tampering with your scooter will void the warranty and could potentially damage it. RideTwoWheels is not responsible for any damage you do to your scooter or yourself trying to make your scooter faster.