This scooter has great safety features as well as being easy to operate. While the travel radius is somewhat limited, and the recharge period is a bit protracted, this machine will be more than adequate for most commutes. Add a manageable weight that won't make it a burden to tote into an office, train station, or lecture hall.
REASONS TO BUY
Light-weight
Easy to fold
Zippy
REASONS TO AVOID
So-so range
Slow to recharge
Struggles on steep hills
What other electric scooters should you consider?
While we like how light this scooter is, it is a much poorer value in most other areas than the competition. The Maxshot V1 costs less and goes about twice the range. The Razor is technically faster by 1MPH, but most people won't notice the difference. The Prime also has a smaller motor and won't climb hills as well. If you want to see how it compares to the other models in our lineup, see our full electric scooter review.
What made the Razor E Prime III stand out in a class of scooters offering stiff competition is that it's an obvious fit for those who make short but frequent commutes that involve carrying the scooter. Obvious candidates are college students and urbanites who use a bus or train daily. The machine is light, easy to fold/unfold, and has a smooth ride. So, when running a bit late, reach for this practical (and fun) machine, as it won't disappoint you.
To make accurate and reproducible assessments of the scooters reviewed here, we developed tests that reveal the products' strengths and weaknesses regardless of marketing hype or looks. These exhaustive tests cover common (and some not-so-common) uses of these products, so you know what you'll be getting into before making a purchase. Below is an account of the testing process and the E Prime III's performance.
Range
The range is at the top of the list of considerations for many would-be scooter commuters. If you fall into this category, the 8.2 measured effective miles of flat ground cruising that the E Prime III delivers won't be all that impressive. Nor will its 46-minute runtime. If these limitations don't bother you, you might raise your eyebrows when you discover that it will take 6 hours to recharge a fully depleted battery.
Further hurting the Razor's standing in the range assessment is that the scooter's top speed and power tapered gradually as the battery charge drained. As a result, the top speed for most of the range test was approximately 12 mph. This is a far cry from the max speed of 18.4 mph observed in the power tests (see below).
Power
As with the Range assessment, the power tests produced less-than-impressive results, landing the Razor E Prime III at the bottom of the class. However, it wasn't all bad. This model cruises at 18.4 mph when fully charged, well above the class average. Additionally, the scooter can climb hills as steep as a 3.5% gradient at approximately five mph.
Okay, bright spots aside. The Razor's top speed was not maintained throughout the battery's charge and started decreasing around mile 2 in our battery test. By 50% battery life, the max speed was around 12 mph. Additionally, the steeper of our test hills, which averages a gradient of 10.5 %, stopped the E Prime III dead in its tracks.
Ride
No one likes a bumpy ride. That's why we use one of the worst roads in town to run the scooters reviewed up and down to test their feedback from bumps and cracks. The Razor E Prime III sports a pneumatic front tire (great for shock absorption) and a sold rubber rear tire. Solid tires are nice and require little to no maintenance, but they create a rattly ride.
We use a crack and bump-riddled section of the street near our lab to test the smoothness of the ride. This road is traversed on all models more than once, allowing testers to assess the scooters comparatively. The Razor's unique combination of a front pneumatic tire and a solid rubber rear tire shows that the front tire is the most important for shock absorption as this tire carries the most weight and is in direct line with the hands and forearms, which suffer the most from cracks and bumps.
Braking
The Razor E Prime III uses an electric brake in the front and a fender brake in the rear. Fender brakes are simple friction brakes that have proven effective for rapid stops. While the E Prime III maintains safe and comfortable speeds while descending our 15% test slope, it delivered a lackluster performance in the flat ground stopping tests.
The flat ground stopping test is repeated three times, and the stopping distances are averaged. The tester throttles the scooter to approximately 12 mph and, at a preset mark, engages the vehicle's brakes. The E Prime III averaged 22.7 feet to stop, significantly above the average for models with fender brakes.
Portability
The Razor E Prime III performed well in the portability evaluation. As the name suggests, this metric evaluates the vehicle's ability to transport when it is not being ridden. The model's featherweight (24 pounds), hassle-free folding mechanism, and easy-to-grip carrying handle stand out for commuters who regularly carry the vehicle.
Most electric scooters collapse the steering column across the standing deck for transport and storage. This is convenient but poses safety concerns if the steering column isn't properly secured. The safety latch is a focal point in the portability evaluation. Happily, Razor has developed a slick design that incorporates a secondary locking mechanism into the primary latch, which can be undone with a simple twist.
The only knock against the E Prime III is that the steering column/carrying handle is a bit big, potentially making it difficult for those with smaller hands to grip for prolonged periods. Additionally, the scooter is fairly long at 41 1/4" folded. Besides these minor issues, we found this model to be a great fit for the campus commuter.
Value
The Razor E Prime III offers consumers a good, but not great, value.
Conclusion
In the above review, we have examined the performance of the Razor E Prime III. Specifically, we have examined this machine's range, ride, power, braking, and portability. Our testing and analysis revealed that this model is economical and high-quality while offering innovative safety features. Additionally, we found that this scooter is particularly well-suited to short-range commuting, where carrying the vehicle is frequently required.
This Product | Niu Kqi3 Max | Gotrax G4 | Maxshot V1 | ||
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Awards | ![]() Best for Most People | ![]() Incredible Top Speed and Bumpy Terrain Performance | ![]() Great Balance of Performance and Portability | ![]() Best Bang for The Buck | |
Price | $500 List | $689 List | $600 List $599.99 at Amazon | $569 List $439.99 at Amazon | $299 List $199.99 at Amazon |
Overall Score | 62 | 81 | 80 | 77 | 63 |
Star Rating |
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Bottom Line | This scooter will appeal to commuters as it is speedy, fun, easy to collapse, and is relatively lightweight | A smooth-riding scooter built for long commutes at top speeds that does better on most hills but falls short on the steeps | A burly and fast scooter with great performance on rough terrain | A powerful scooter with excellent range and a smooth ride | This budget scooter is a favorite due to its impressive top speed, range, and portability |
Rating Categories | Razor E Prime III | Niu Kqi3 Max | Isinwheel GT2 | Gotrax G4 | Maxshot V1 |
Range (30%) | 4.3 | 9.9 | 9.6 | 7.9 | 6.9 |
Speed and Hills (30%) | 5.6 | 7.1 | 9.0 | 6.9 | 6.2 |
Ride Comfort (20%) | 7.3 | 8.7 | 9.2 | 8.0 | 4.0 |
Portability (20%) | 8.8 | 6.5 | 3.1 | 8.2 | 7.9 |
Specifications | Razor E Prime III | Niu Kqi3 Max | Isinwheel GT2 | Gotrax G4 | Maxshot V1 |
Measured Maximum Speed | 18.4 mph | 20.1 mph | 26.3 mph | 19.8 mph | 17.5 mph |
Measured Effective Range | 8.2 miles | 29.8 miles | 28.5 miles | 22 miles | 18.2 miles |
Measured Weight | 24.0 lb | 47.0 lb | 54.6 lb | 37.8 lb | 27.5 lb |
Motor Size | 250W | 450W | 900W | 350W | 350W |
Peak Power | 250W | 900W | 1400W | 500W | 500W |
Max Load | 220 lbs | 265 lb | 330 lb | 220 lb | 264 lb |
Battery Size | 187Wh | 608Wh | 720Wh | 374Wh | 375Wh |
Tire Size | 8" | 9.5" | 11.5" | 10" | 8.5" |
Brake Type | Front electronic brake and rear fender brake | Front and rear disc brake and rear electric brake | Front and rear disc + EABS brake | Rear disc brake and E-ABS braking system | Drum braking and eABS regenerative anti-lock braking |
Tire Type | Pneumatic front Solid rear | Pneumatic tubeless and self sealing | Off-Road Pneumatic | Pneumatic | Solid (honeycomb) |
Measured Charge Time | 6 hours | 7.8 hours | 7.1 hours | 5.8 hours | 4.2 hours |
App | No | Yes | No | No | Yes |