Xiaomi Mi Electric Scooter Official UK version

Product Information

To fold the e-scooter, slide the release securing the latch on the steerer tube, pull down the latch until the steerer tube starts to fold, then secure it in place by attaching the lever on the bell to the protrusion on the rear mudguard. Again, it’s simple enough to do without even referring to the manual and you can fold or unfold the e-scooter in under five seconds once you get the hang of it. The Xiaomi 1S electric scooter is far from being the perfect scooter, but the best thing about it is that you get what you pay for, along with a little more. It has a maximum climbing range of 14% and only weighs around 27.6 lbs, which is still quite heavy for an entry-level scooter. The good thing about it is that it has a maximum load capacity of 220 lb. On top of that, it only takes four hours to charge.

This is a great scooter for those thinking of replacing public transport or even a bicycle with something smaller, more convenient and easier to stash in a flat or office. It offers a great mix of performance, durability and comfort at a price that won’t break the bank. Battery range is pegged at 18.5-miles, based on a 75kg rider scooting around in fairly ambient 25-degrees celsius temperature, but we all know that’s not going to be the case in the UK. Xiaomi have updated their super popular M365 electric scooter after several years of global dominance. However, instead of calling it something like M365 Mark II or M366 or N365, they have called it the Xiaomi 1S scooter. I assume the "S" stands for "scooter" but otherwise this new nomenclature makes little sense. It would make sense if it was a brand new model, but the 1S scooter is nothing of the sort. It is essentially an M365 with a M365 Pro screen and an improved battery. It is thus somewhere between the M365 and M365 Pro. But let's take a good look at the Xiaomi 1S scooter. You can also see a direct comparison of the M365 and 1S. An accompanying Xiaomi Home app takes care of the scooter, looking after firmware updates and controlling some of the functionality. It’s not as comprehensive as rivals such as Segway Ninebot and Bird, but it handles the basics well. However, it’s also not very clear what app is required. A QR code for something similar would help matters, Xiaomi. We would always recommend wearing a helmet when riding an electric scooter. Most scooter injuries seem to happen when a pothole (or similar) is encountered and the smallish wheels are indeed susceptible to such obstacles. Please read my post Are Electric Scooters Safe? for more information and statistics on the safety of electric scooters. As we often point out, as of May 2022, it is not legal to ride privately owned electric scooters on public roads in Britain, although few police forces take any action against riders.The scooter's battery is located in the base and the frame itself is built from aluminium. It feels strong and the folding mechanism means it can be folded or unfolded in a few seconds (Xiaomi claims three seconds). This sturdiness and low cost (as you are not paying for carbon fibre) does mean it is reasonably heavy at 12.5 kg; but this is as light as mid-range scooters come and heaviness is fairly subjective: I am by no means strong and can carry this scooter up and down stairs without too much effort. One difference from its predecessor, apart from yellow reflectors on the EU/UK model, is that the external wires are neater in the 1S. They still have not figured out how to feed the wire to the handlebar internally (through the folding joint) but they have at least tried. The Xiaomi M365 was one of the first e-scooters I reviewed last year and I immediately fell in love with it for its perfect balance of weight, range and ease of use. Four years on, however, Xiaomi has decided to give its worldwide best selling e-scooter a much-needed upgrade – and the result is the Xiaomi 1S. It is worth noting that once the battery level drops below 5% the scooter performance drops significantly (if you are in a rush ensure you have it reasonably well-charged or you may find yourself going at an embarrassingly slow speed).

The Xiaomi Mi 1S sits right in the middle of the current range, costing less than the slightly larger and more powerful Pro 2 but only costing only slightly more than the basic and much slower Xiaomi Essential model. The Xiaomi 1S has a 42V rechargeable lithium-ion battery that takes about 5.5 hours to fully charge from empty. The scooter’s charging port is concealed under a red rubber flap beneath the front wheel. Simply connect the power adapter provided into this port and turns green once it’s fully charged. The 250W motor on the 1S is almost completely silent; so silent in fact that I had to use the bell on more than a few occasions because pedestrians couldn’t hear me approach even when I was less than two feet behind them. The pneumatic tyres provide great grip on every road surface, but you will notice slight jarring if the terrain gets rough. Convert kinetic energy into electrical energy for longer battery life. The kinetic energy recovery system (KERS) has been fully upgraded, and the energy conversion efficiency has been further improved. It can recover the kinetic energy of each braking and non-powered coasting, and convert it into usable electrical energy to further improve the cruising range. The efficiency of energy recovery can be adjusted through the Mi Home App to meet your individual riding needs. Pedestrian mode is indicated by a walking man icon and it tops out at 3mph; ideal for when you’re walking with your e-scooter because the throttle doesn’t activate in this mode. Drive mode is denoted by a blue “d” icon and has a top speed of 12.5mph. The fastest is Sport mode, denoted by a blue “s” icon, with a maximum speed of 15.5mph.The biggest upgrade on the Xiaomi 1S is its LED display and three riding modes. The M365 has only two riding modes and four battery indicator dots, making it the only e-scooter I’ve reviewed without a display. The 1S also seems to have ironed out any kinks with the patchy Bluetooth connectivity I experienced when I rode the M365. The main plastic platform is slightly smaller than its larger Pro 2 sibling, but there’s ample room to have even large feet resting one in front of the other. Unlike rival scooters, the rear fender doesn’t double-up as a brake and carries a ‘no step’ warning with it, which is slightly annoying given the rear foot naturally wants to sit here, but it feels strong enough to handle it. With all these in mind, it’s up to you to decide which scooter you should get. But for now, let’s get into the nitty-gritty of Xiaomi 1S. Read on. The Xiaomi Mi Electric Scooters are some of the best electric scooters we’ve reviewed and it’s of no surprise that we continually see them on the best selling lists. Before diving into the review, we must stress that it’s illegal to ride a personal e-scooter on both roads and pavements in the UK. You’re only permitted to ride them on private land with the landowner’s permission. The government has recently legalised the use of rental e-scooters in some UK cities, with a view to reducing traffic congestion on shorter journeys. While there is an ongoing bid to legalise private e-scooters, they remain illegal for now.

There’s also a conventional rear brake, much like you’d find on a bicycle, which pairs up with a clever regenerative braking technology in the front wheel to bring things to a fast and predictable stop. The puncture resistance and robustness have been comprehensively improved and the performance of the explosion-proof tires has also been greatly optimized. The durability of the 8.5" tires has been increased by up to 3 times. Not only does it make for a smooth ride on flat roads, it is also very comfortable to ride on non-paved roads like gravel, dirt roads, and grass. High quality batteries guarantee a riding distance up to 30km as the Forty 18650 li-ion cells offer altogether a high capacity of 275Wh. Smart battery management system (BMS). Dual braking system Outfitted with regenerative and disc braking at rear wheel, E-ABS system at front wheel.

The batteries will drain faster in colder climates and as soon as you throw a few hills into the mix, the remaining range soon slips away, but we’d say it could still handle a ten-mile commute if ridden carefully. Before taking your Xiaomi 1S for its first ride, you should first update its firmware. To do this, simply install the free Xiaomi Home app (available for both Android and iOS), turn on your phone’s Bluetooth, create a Xiaomi account or login to your existing one, and follow the onscreen instructions. As soon as you pair the app with your e-scooter, you’ll see a Bluetooth icon on your scooter display, and the app will automatically update its firmware.

Personally, I prefer the comfortable rubber grips on the Xiaomi 1S handlebar compared to the squishy rubber grips on the Pure Air, which feel cheap. However, the Pure Air counters this with 10in pneumatic tyres that offer a slightly more comfortable ride across different surface types compared to the Xiaomi 1S’s 8.5in ones.That being said, both e-scooters have their strengths and weaknesses. The Pure Air can be ridden on wet roads and in rain, and it can accommodate a maximum rider weight of 120kg. By comparison, the Xiaomi 1S is only IP54-rated, which means that riding in rain or puddles will void your two-year warranty and it can only accommodate 100kg, so it’s not suitable for heavier riders.