Key Specs
Motor:250W x 2 | Speed: 17 mph |
Battery: 302 Wh | Range: 16 miles |
Capacity: 276 lbs | Weight: 26 lbs |
Waterproof: IP54 | Incline: – |
Tire Size: 7.5″ | Position: Affordable |
Pros | Cons |
---|---|
Dual motorized | Small tires lacking comfortabilty |
High capacity for big guys | A bit pricey for its overall performance |
Ultra lightweight for easy carrying | |
Simple and clean design with multi colors available |
Unagi Model One E500 Overview
If you’re looking for a scooter with the best minimalists design, the Unagi Model One E500 is the right option for you. You won’t find any wires outer the scooter body, except the single line around the folding mechanism connection. All the control parts are built into the button-click style for easy and intuitive use.
The clean and compact design, in combination with the lightweight body, makes it one of the best choices for daily commutes and last-mile transportation. It might be the first adult electric scooter to feature such a simple appearance, taking the scooter design to a modern and stylish level.
Power Performance – Dual Motor but not that powerful
Motor
The Unagi Model One E500 might be the cheapest electric scooter that packs two motors, with one 250W motor on the front and one 250W motor on the rear. Both motors work together to output a 1000W power at the peak. The dual-motor system is a good selling point that the manufacturer boasts of.
But if you want to ride while saving power, you can set the scooter to a single motor mode. Press the power button two times to switch between single or dual motor mode. If the scooter works in the dual-motor mode, the dual-motor icon will be displayed on-screen and you can easily get it.
Speed
However, don’t overestimate the dual-motor performance. It is still less massive and powerful than those truly formidable high-end models with a dual motor. This can explain why the Unagi Model One is just able to run at a relatively moderate speed – only 17 miles per hour at most, less impressive than those electric scooters with a faster speed.
Both the Unagi Model One E250 and E500 can reach the 17 mph top speed, even the former model features only one 250W motor for power. This is the main difference that causes the other one – the climbing hill ability and we’ll talk about this in the later part.
The Unagi Model One supports three riding modes, which are easily controlled by a small button above the Throttle. Just double click it to change mode – beginner, intermediate, and advanced. A digit among the 1, 2, 3 will be shown on the dashboard to let you know which mode you’re riding right now.
The different modes limit the top speed the scooter can run. The beginner mode, which is also called Eco-mode and indicates the number 1, is good for a soft and smooth riding experience at a maximum speed of 9.3 mph. The Intermediate mode – also called Standard mode with a number 2, is suitable for balanced riding at the quickest speed of 12.4 mph. If you want to reach the specs stated 17 mph, you’ll need to directly change the mode to the last one – Advanced mode, which is similar to the Sport mode.
On the scooter’s official product page, the manufacturer boasts of the 20 mph speed. This might be achievable on the specific and ideal riding environments, based on the rider’s weight and road conditions. But this is not the normal speed for average and daily riding.
Acceleration
According to the Unagi Model One’s riding manual, it seems that the scooter does not support a zero start. It also requires gliding before you start to speed up. After putting both feet on the deck, press the Throttle button to accelerate.
The real test result of acceleration needs about 3.5 seconds from zero to 15 mph if you’re skilled at maneuvering the scooter. For beginners, it’s better to start with the scooter’s beginner mode.
Hill Climbing Ability
The Unagi Model One E500 is capable of climbing 15-degree hills. This grade is not good for steep hills, but good enough to handle with gentle slopes. This makes it a great option for commuters who live in hilly cities.
Riding it around the community or walking the dogs in the park is okay. A long and slightly steep slope – we don’t measure its grade, on the way from home to the office takes more time and power, but the Unagi Model One E500 is still capable of that.
Why do we emphasize the model number? As the ability to climb hills is different for E250 and E500, due to the motor used on the scooters. The E250 features only one 250W motor while the E500 has two 250 motors.
Battery and Range
The Unagi Model One packs with a 9.0Ah lithium-ion battery, which empowers the scooter to go as long as 15.5 miles on a single charge. The 15.5-mile range is not as further as those scooters with the same powered motor. But the riding distance is mostly determined by the battery volume. The company does not tell the data like the battery power on its official site, but we guess that it’s not as big as those half-priced cheap options.
For example, the Segway Ninebot MAX also features a 500W motor, but it has an optimal 374 battery. This makes it go as far as 40 miles on a single charge and rank a spot on the best electric scooters with long mileage.
Even the company boasts that the Unagi Model One is powered by Sony batteries, its battery power is not large anyway. We think the thin deck, where the battery components are located, might be a reason for this, even though we also like the minimalist design very much. Thinner deck means smaller battery parts and less power!
Many users complain about this issue, and you can change or add a battery due to the great welding technique used on the Unagi Model One. Unfortunately, there is no additional battery pack available for extending the range.
4-5 hours charging time is not very long, but it’s a bit disappointing when we know that the Unagi Model One needs that much time. After all, the battery is not as long-lasting as those premium scooters in its price range.
Ride Quality – Small Tires for Optimized Comfort
The Unagi Model One is preferably suitable for a comfortable ride on smooth roads in the cities. It features two 7.5” solid rubber tires, which are not good at handling bumps or potholes on uneven surfaces, not even to mention the off road scootering.
But rubber tires have advantages – not easy to flat and never ruin your morning commute. They perform not that worse, even not as well as those e-scooters with big wheels.
Thanks to the front and rear suspension system that provides the right amount of shock absorption, you can still experience a feeling of responsive balance and road feel.
The Unagi Model One features electronic brakes with E-ABS. Just press the brake button that is built-in on the right handlebar, the dual electronic anti-lock brakes bring you to a safe, steady stop. Additionally, the Unagi Model One also features an intuitive friction brake, allowing you to adjust their riding style to a more classic “foot braking” position at their pleasure.
The braking distance is about 13 feet on dry roads to slow it down from a moderate speed.
Build Quality – Very Impressive Minimalists Design
At first glance, you’ll know that the Unagi Model One is very different from those scooters we have reviewed and you have seen before. The unique and clean design makes it outstanding among all the scooters. We believe that the company pays more attention to the outer appearance over inner power performance.
The scooter is a bit pricey – about $990 on its official site, and even more expensive over $1000 on Amazon. As you can see, the motor and battery can be easily beaten by most scooters in its price range like the Segway Ninebot MAX or Apollo City, even some entry-level inexpensive scooters like Xiaomi M365.
Handlebar
It seems that the company prefers to develop the scooter using an Internet way. They like to introduce the product with detailed parts, especially if you take a look at its 3D module image for the handlebar.
The manufacturer boasts of the magnesium alloy handlebar is a feat of structural engineering. It’s really as perfect as their designers expected, with all the controls and buttons that are very easy to use: throttle, brake, horn, and LED headlight.
There are no visible wires around the handlebar, all necessary elements are built in the handle via the stem. No bulky console found on the handlebar, but just a sleek and intuitive integrated command center that connects the rider to the ride.
The dashboard is located in the center to show the must-read data – the speed, miles the scooter has run, motor mode, and riding mode. You can easily control the scooter with the Power button.
Deck
The Unagi Model One features a slim deck, which achieves an ideal combination of rigidity and comfort, thanks to the great welding technique to make it just a singular piece of machined aluminum with embedded silicon on the top surface.
Texture surface provides enough grips to enable you to stand on the scooter stably.
You’ll find that the deck looks much thinner than the most common scooters. This might be another reason why the scooter can’t go far but super lightweight for easy carrying.
Portability
The company boasts that the Unagi Model One is the most portable scooter on the market. Partial truth. It’s indeed foldable and lightweight for the materials it used. Made of magnesium, which is 33% lighter than aluminum, the scooter weighs only 26.5 pounds overall. It’s lightweight, but there are lighter models, for example, the Hover-1 Rally.
But we don’t deny the scooter’s great portability. Actually, we like this and love to ride for daily commutes and getting around.
The folding and unfolding is amazingly easy.
But you should follow the Model One’s manual first. In the user manual, there is an important tip that you need to push the tube forward slightly before pressing the hinge button down for folding the handlebar down to the deck.
The unfolding is quite the opposite – press the hinge button down and fold the handlebar up and then fix the handlebar for easy going.
Lights
Honestly, we feel a bit disappointed about the Unagi scooter’s lighting system that includes only the headlights and taillights. We thought that it would have at least a few mood lights to match its position and price.
But the front lights are bright enough if you need to ride it in low-visibility nighttime conditions. The rear red blinking tail light can also work as a braking light if you need to stop.
Is Unagi Model One Waterproof?
No, but featuring an IP54 water-resistance rating. This is enough for you to ride in any condition, except the heavy rain weather.
Testing to ride it on wet roads is okay, no riding on flood and watery roads or trails. The scooter has a very low clearance – due to the small tires, adding the risk of being water-damaged, even if it’s made of well-welding one singular piece of aluminum deck.
Is Unagi Scooter good for Heavy Riders?
Yes. Both Unagi Model One scooters – E250 and E500 support a maximum load of 275 lbs. This means that slightly heavier adults can effortlessly ride on the scooter without affecting the scooter’s performance, even though we know that its performance is not good basically.
Unagi Model One Specs – E500 vs E250
Motor | E500: Dual 250W brushless motor with a 1000W peak power outputE250: 250W single motor with 500W power at peak |
Battery | 9000m Ah Lithium-ion |
Charging time | 4-5 hours |
Distance | Approx. 15.5 miles |
Dimensions | 37.80 in (L) x 16.54 in (W) x 14.96 in (H) Folded; 37.80 in (L) x 16.54 in (W) x 43.31 in (H) unfold |
Weight | Approx. 26.5 lbs (12 kg) |
Tire Size | 7.5-inch solid rubber tires |
Color | Cosmic Blue, Matte Black, Sea Salt, Scarlet Fire |
Top Speed | 17 mph |
Max Incline | E500: 15-degreeE250: 6-degree |
Applicable terrains | streets, bike lanes, sidewalks, trails |
IP Rating | IP54 |
Max load | 125 kg/ 275 pounds |
Brakes | Electronic brake E-ABS |