Full suspension Mantis 8 launches as (slightly) more reasonable high power electric scooter

Miami-based Fluidfreeride has just launched the new Mantis 8 electric scooter, which tones down the ridiculous power of its big brother in favor of more wallet-friendly pricing.

Don’t get me wrong — I loved riding the original 40 mph (64 km/h) Mantis electric scooter.

But with a pair of 1,000W motors, it was probably more powerful than most people needed. And at a price of between $1,699 to $2,399 depending on how much battery capacity you want, it’s a bit more than many people are prepared to spend.

Enter: The Mantis 8!

With a similar setup to the original Mantis, the Mantis 8 electric scooter has full suspension and either a single 800W motor or a pair of those motors, depending on the version.

The single motor version tops out at 28 mph (45 km/h), while the dual-motor version will take you up to 33 mph (53 km/h).

Having spent a fair amount of time on 33 mph scooters, I can say that is plenty fast enough to have some serious fun, but also reasonable enough to keep people from getting too far over their heads.

The single motor Mantis 8 has a range of 30 miles (48 km) from its 873 Wh battery, while the dual motor model has a range of 40 miles (64 km) from its larger 1,176 Wh battery.

The dual-motor scooter also gets upgraded to hydraulic disc brakes, while the single motor version has mechanical disc brakes.

Both have LED lighting in the front, rear and light strips on the sides, 8″ x 3.1″ wide tubeless pneumatic tires, and regenerative braking ability.

The single motor version is priced at $1,299, while the dual motor version is priced at $1,999.

Electrek’s Take

I’ve had a lot of experience with Fluidfreeride’s scooters, having ridden and reviewed many of them.

I’ve always been happy with the company’s service and support, and I’m excited to see this Mantis 8 added to their lineup. I think it fills a very nice gap between the more ridiculous scooters with crazy high power and the smaller commuter scooters that lack suspension or large batteries.

The Mantis 8 has both, offering a comfortable ride and long range — yet without the 2,000 to 5,000 watts of power that the higher performance (and higher price) scooters offer.

The 800W of the single motor scooter and 1,600W of the dual-motor scooter are likely plenty for most riders and will handle hills and strong acceleration. And with that fairly long travel suspension (at least for a scooter), I’ll bet it’s a great ride, too.