The Jetson Quest electric scooter is the latest two-wheeled EV that I’ve had the chance to try out. On the surface it may seem like any other electric scooter, but a closer look reveals some nice features that other electric scooters are lacking.
Jetson Quest electric scooter
At a certain point, all-electric scooters are somewhat similar. They’ve all got a deck supporting two-wheels, a tall stem and a narrow set of handlebars.
But it’s the extra features, the build quality and the design notes that set each scooter apart.
For its part, Jetson has included some excellent features in the Quest that make it well worth the $599 price (or $499 on sale now!) That’s been a theme with other Jetson products we’ve tried: good micro-mobility products at great prices.
As usual, let’s start by checking out the tech specs to see what this electric scooter is packing under the hood.
Tech specs
- Motor: 250 W continuous
- Battery: 36 V 7.5 Ah 270 Wh (non-removable)
- Top speed: 15 mph (25 km/h)
- Range: 15-18 miles (25-29 km)
- Weight: 28.4 lb (12.9 kg)
- Frame: Aluminum
- Load capacity: 220 lb (100 kg)
- Brakes: mechanical disc brake in rear; regen brake in front
- Tires: 8.5″ airless
- Suspension: none
- Climbing angle: 15º
- Extras: multi-color option headlight, taillight, bell, LED speedometer and battery meter, iOS/Android app, under-deck lighting (road lights)
Video review
Make sure to check out our video review, then keep reading for even more details below.
Build quality
The Jetson Quest is very nicely made. It looks and feels like a premium scooter. It has a solid folding mechanism, flowing lines around the digital dash and faux leather hand grips complete with chrome accents.
This might be a bit superficial, but I just really like how classy the scooter looks. Many other electric scooters have such utilitarian designs. I’m a big fan of the aesthetics of the Jetson Quest.
I’ve ridden a pile of different electric scooters that run the gamut of quality and price. This one is definitely on the higher quality end while still remaining a budget scooter.
The digital dash looks much nicer than some of the simpler LED bulb battery readouts that I’ve seen. The numbers on the screen are both large and easy to read, which is great when you’re moving fast and don’t want to spend too long looking down.
The deck has a nice rubber coating that feels perfectly grippy, though will probably be fairly annoying to clean if you ever get it muddy. Those little bumps are great for holding your shoes but also at holding onto mud and dirt. Not that you’ll be off-roading too much on this thing. It has hollow tires that should help with bumps, but they aren’t pneumatic so they don’t have the same smooth feel as typical air-filled tires. Of course if you’ve ever had to carry a scooter home due to a flat tire, you’ll definitely appreciate the benefit of airless tires on the Jetson Quest.
The folding mechanism appears to be solid and well made. I always give that area extra scrutiny since it can often help separate the cheap scooters from the better designs.
The Quest’s folding joint works well and feels robust.
The mechanical disc brake in the rear is definitely appreciated. So many scooters these days are going to motor braking only. That works fine for everything but emergency braking. When you really need to stop quickly though, you want something physical clamping down on the wheel.
The rear disc brake does just that, and brings you to a stop quickly. It also has a bell built into the brake lever, another nice touch!
Another great feature that many other electric scooters lack is the light package. You’ve of course got standard head and tail lights, though those aren’t necessarily a given on all scooters. But there are also under-deck lights that illuminate the road underneath you with a blue glow.
They not only look cool, but they make it hard for drivers or pedestrians to miss you at night. No one will walk out into the bike lane and claim “oh, I didn’t see you.” At least not when you’re coming in hot on top of a blue glowing cloud.
Lastly, and I know this is minor, but I love that the scooter included T handle hex keys for assembly. Many electric scooters arrive in a box with some assembly required. For the Jetson Quest, that means screwing the center console onto the top of the stem and then screwing the handlebars onto the console. Most scooters give you those cheap pot metal hex keys that somehow feel like they will simultaneously break in your hand and also break your hand. But out of the dozens of electric scooters I’ve assembled, this is the first to include real T handle grip tools that worked well and are actually deserving of a place in my tool box afterwards.
I know the difference is probably a dollar or so on the manufacturer’s end, but I think it says something about the company when they say “instead of making one more dollar in profit, let’s include some real tools for once.”
How well does it ride?
The Jetson Quest accelerates just about as well as any other 250 W scooter. It won’t blow you away, but you won’t feel sluggish either.
For a 250 W scooter, it feels plenty powerful. I’m a little bit spoiled since I often like to commute on my 1,000W dual motor WideWheel electric scooter, but that isn’t really a fair comparison. For just $499, the Jetson Quest does a great job getting you up to its 15 mph (25 km/h) top speed and holding you there.
The ride is perfectly fine on smooth ground and sidewalks. I did a bit of gravel riding and the ride got bumpier without any suspension or pneumatic tires. It wasn’t anything the scooter or my body couldn’t handle, but it wasn’t as smooth as full suspension scooters. But again, we’re talking about an entry-level priced scooter here – you can’t have fancy features like full suspension for this price.
As long as you aren’t hitting big pot holes, the hollow rubber tires will manage small bumps and road imperfections just fine.
My verdict
The Jetson Quest isn’t the best scooter I’ve ever ridden, but it’s definitely on the upper end of the list. And it costs half of the price of some of the nicer scooters I’ve ridden.
It’s definitely a fun electric scooter that would handle most urban commutes with ease. And its list of features as well as fancier than average design score it plenty of points in my book. You can find it either on Jetson’s website or soon at BestBuy.
But let’s hear what you think! Let us know your thoughts on the Jetson Quest in the comments below.
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