Razor scooters are all grown-up with new electric lineup for adult riders
Before Bird and Lime, Razor was the name synonymous with "scooter."
But 20 years after its kick scooter launched, the scooter scene has changed: It's now filled with adults using the two-wheelers to commute and the devices are battery-powered. Scooters are no longer considered a toy, but a vehicle. Razor has some catching up to do.
So the American scooter brand is adding even more to its electric lineup with new scooter designs meant for adult riders. Razor still caters to a younger audience with smaller, colorful e-scooters, but it's adding options for the over-18 crowd.
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On Wednesday three new models were revealed: the EcoSmart SUP, the E300 HD, and the C25. Each look different from each other and offer different features (and price points) for riders who want to own their own scooter instead of sharing through rental apps.
EcoSmart SUP: $499 (available this month)
For those new to e-scooters, the wide bamboo deck on this model makes for a sturdier ride. The 16-inch wheels also help stabilize any unsteady riders. The scooter can hit 15.5 mph and can be used for longer distances with 12 miles of riding available on a single charge. Razor has stepped into scooter-sharing in some cities, so this wide-based scooter might be familiar to some people from the rental service.
C25: $399 (available in October)
Coming in the fall, this option is foldable and therefore more of a commute contender. It's smaller than the SUP model with only 12-inch wheels and weighs 30 pounds, even when folded up. It has a lithium-ion battery, but a lead acid battery version will be available in 2021. That type of battery should bring the cost down.
E300 HD: $289 (available in the fall)
This takes one of Razor's already available e-scooters and gives it a motor update. It's a smaller scooter with a 9-inch front wheel and 8-inch solid back wheel, but also cheaper so this is geared more toward a rider sick of paying per minute for scooter rentals.
As the pandemic reorients how people get around, e-scooters are turning up more. "Outdoor forms of isolated travel, including bikes and scooters, are seeing an increase in usage" as a recent survey from Apptopia and Foursquare found looking at scooter-rental app downloads and location check-ins.
Sasha is a news writer at Mashable's San Francisco office. She's an SF native who went to UC Davis and later received her master's from the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism. She's been reporting out of her hometown over the years at Bay City News (news wire), SFGate (the San Francisco Chronicle website), and even made it out of California to write for the Chicago Tribune. She's been described as a bookworm and a gym rat.
