The GenZe 2.0 electric scooter is one of those rare vehicles that doesn’t just excite me, it actually makes me hopeful about the future of urban transportation. I’ve spent the last two months using it as my daily driver, and it has fundamentally changed the way I get around town.
After nearly 200 miles in the saddle, here are my thoughts on the GenZe 2.0 electric scooter.
First of all, let’s get the numbers out of the way.
GenZe 2.0 electric scooter tech specs
- Top speed: 30 mph (48 km/h)
- Torque: 100 Nm (73 ft-lbs)
- Battery capacity: 1.6 kWh (52V 30Ah)
- Range: 30 miles (48 km) *note I actually found the range was closer to 34 miles (54 km) in economy mode
- Charge time: 3-4 hours
- Charger: Built into battery, 500 W 110 VAC
- Battery life: 800 cycles to 80% capacity
- Curb weight: 232 lbs (105 kg)
- Carrying capacity: 295 lbs (134 kg)
- Wheels: 16″ front, 12″ rear
- Brakes: single piston hydraulic brakes front and rear; regenerative braking rear
- Aux power: 12 V outlet for device charging
Video review
In addition to my written review here, you can also check out my video review to see the GenZe 2.0 electric scooter in action.
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Non-tech specs
This is a city scooter, not a hot rod. Even so, it’s still surprisingly sporty despite its speed limit.
But that 30 mph (48 km/h) limit has a big advantage, which is to keep it street legal as a moped in as much of the country as possible.
For example, here in Massachusetts I can ride the GenZe 2.0 electric scooter with just a regular driver’s license. I don’t need to get a license plate (even though it came with one) or insurance (strangely).
I can legally ride in the road with cars or in the bike lane with bikes. Parking for mopeds isn’t clearly defined in the law here, but they are de-facto allowed to park anywhere bicycles can. That opens up sidewalks and other free parking, as long as you are considerate about parking only where there’s plenty of room left for pedestrians.
The GenZe 2.0 has three different riding modes: Easy, Economy and Sport. I never use Easy, as it is meant for first time riders learning to use the scooter. It neuters the acceleration to the point where it feels more like a toy. That’s probably good for practice in a parking lot, but not for road use. I keep it in either Economy or Sport mode. Both go up to 30 mph (48 km/h), but Sport gives you full power on acceleration and hill climbing.
The riding modes are selectable via the 7″ color touchscreen.
That touchscreen also displays the speed, battery level, tripometer, odometer, and acts as the interface for changing settings and reading the user manual.
The screen is surprisingly bright, even in direct sunlight. If you watch the video above, the screen looks much more washed out on the camera than it does in real life.
The handlebars house the other controls, such as turn signals, forward/reverse selector and horn. There’s no button for lights, as they turn on automatically with the scooter. That means you can’t forget to turn your lights on or off, but also removes the ability to go blackout during tactical ops. The sacrifices we make for convenience… *sigh*
Speaking of convenience, the GenZe 2.0 electric scooter doesn’t have an ignition key. Instead, you press the “On” button and then type in your PIN code to unlock the scooter. No chance to lose your keys!
Actually though, the removable battery does have a key-lock for security. But with over 30 miles of range, you won’t need to remove it very often.
I wound up charging mine about once or twice a week, depending how much shopping and joy riding I was doing. You can also leave the battery on the scooter to charge it if you have a garage or a long extension cord from your apartment. You don’t even need to lug around a charger because it is built into the battery itself. Simply plug in an extension cord and the battery starts charging itself.
There is a locking storage bay in the rear of the scooter that is surprisingly large. I could easily carry all the groceries I would buy at one time. You might have to get a bit creative with packing though. Just think of it like 3D Tetris with a baguette as the long piece.
There’s also smaller storage under the seat, but I used that to stash a rain cover. The scooter is completely waterproof, but I didn’t want to have wet pants the next time I sat on it after a good rain.
Very rarely did I need to carry something that didn’t fit in the rear cargo area. In those cases, I just stuck it down on the floorboard and held it with my legs. That’s probably not advisable, but I see people do it all the time in Europe on gas scooters, so why not? Plus it’s not like I’m moving refrigerators here.
Convenience and usability
This is where the GenZe 2.0 electric scooter truly shines.
The scooter is just incredibly convenient.
When I’m running errands or heading to the supermarket, I can easily skip gridlock city traffic by (legally) hopping in the bike lane or (illegally) lane splitting.
Note to Massachusetts: Get with the program on lane splitting. California and most of the rest of the world already allow it! It just makes sense to let smaller and quicker accelerating vehicles filter to the front at red lights.
Anyways, if lane splitting isn’t legal in your area, that takes a bit of the convenience out, but the GenZe still has a number of other advantages.
In the city I can park basically anywhere I want. I can always take a car spot if I choose to, but I almost never do because a scooter gives me better parking options. I get to make use of special motorcycle spots, park on the sidewalk (check your local laws, here we have to leave 36 inches of space free on the sidewalk to make it legal), or just pull right up in front of a store and park by the door. Not only is parking easier, but it’s a heck of lot cheaper. Like, free-cheaper.
I also feel a lot safer on the scooter than on my e-bike. When I’m riding in the road, I get to take up a lane just like all the cars. People see an electric bicycle on the road and often think of it as infringing on their territory. But when people see a scooter or motorcycle, it might be an oddity, but it still belongs on the road. Thus, I’ve found that cars generally give me the space I deserve when I’m on the GenZe 2.0 electric scooter. That almost never happens on my e-bike.
And because I’m taking up my rightful space on the road, I’m not getting passed by cars all the time. This works great in the city, where speeds rarely exceed 30 mph (48 km/h). If you live in the suburbs or out in the country, then you might have to move your GenZe 2.0 over a bit to let faster cars by. But in the city… oh the city is mine!
And the performance! I said the GenZe 2.0 is no hot rod, and it isn’t. You won’t be burning rubber, but it still has decent get up and go. Unless there’s someone next to me with something to prove, I always pull away from red lights faster than cars. I can also climb hills on the GenZe 2.0 easily, and feel the same power as I do on the flats. By the way, this is the same scooter that Scoot uses in San Francisco. If it can handle those hills, it can handle your city too.
Lastly, I love the suspension. It’s another amazing upgrade from an electric bicycle. The plush seat and comfortable suspension make potholes barely noticeable.
One other note is cold weather riding. It’s been getting chilly over the last month or so, but I’ve been riding the same amount as ever. With a decent jacket and a full face helmet, your body and face stay warm. The main problem is your hands, since they are exposed out on the handlebars. For that I added bar mitts, which are like mittens that are meant to mount to your handlebars. Then you just slide your hands inside them to control the bars, switches, throttle, etc. You can wear normal thin gloves or even no gloves at all if your bar mitts are good enough. They only cost $16 on Amazon and I highly recommend them for winter riding. They fit on bikes too!
App integration
A hidden gem of the GenZe 2.0 electric scooter is the well programmed smartphone app. It houses a number of extra features. The telemetry built into the GenZe 2.0 continuously sends all of its data to the cloud where you can check it with your phone. Forget how much battery you have left in your scooter downstairs? Just check your app.
You can also run diagnostics to check if there are any issues with your scooter, view your past trip logs, and see where you stand on the distance leaderboard versus other GenZe 2.0 owners (people have gone over 10,000 miles on their scooter so far!)
It’s raining outside but I can still check my GenZe’s charge level comfortably from inside
There’s even a trip planner that gives you turn-by-turn GPS navigation and only takes you on roads up to 30 mph. Don’t underestimate how useful that is. I used the Waze navigation app a few times and it kept trying to take me on highways – not a fun thought for a city scooter.
One of the most important features of the app is theft warning. If someone touches your scooter, you’ll get a notification. If it gets stolen, you can track the scooter to its new location so you (or the police) can go get it back.
And if you just need some peace of mind, you can check the GPS anytime to make sure your scooter is still where you left it. While covering the Paris Motor Show and Milan Motorcycle Show for Electrek over the past couple months, it was really nice to check in on my scooter and confirm its location from halfway around the world.
Price
The GenZe 2.0 electric scooter starts at $3,699 and increases to $4,299 if you get the model with all the bells and whistles (cargo box, center locking kickstand, etc.)
Compared to taking a Lime or Bird scooter, that’s fairly expensive. But as a car replacement for city dwellers, it’s quite reasonable. This is a made-in-America, roadworthy motor vehicle. It’s no electric bicycle.
I know, I know. The comments are going to be full of “I can buy a used car for cheaper than that.” And that’s fine, but that’s not the point. If you need a used car then this isn’t the vehicle for you. The GenZe 2.0 is for someone who either doesn’t need a car in a city, or wants a second vehicle for trips where a car would be overkill.
Any while we’re on the subject, your car is fine and all, but would you ever describe a trip in it to the local supermarket as “fun?” My trip sure is!
In summary
The GenZe 2.0 electric scooter is a total lifestyle changer. I’m definitely a scooter guy now, and I love it.
It’s turned the act of getting around from a hassle to a pleasure. I never thought simple errands would be so much fun, but now I’m looking for excuses to hit the road. Anything to get me back in the saddle of my aluminum frame-steed, flying down the road with the wind in my helmet hair and a stupid grin on my face.
To be honest, I’m having difficulty trying to prevent this review from coming off like an ad. I always give honest reviews and discuss exactly what I don’t like about a product in addition to all the good stuff. But with the GenZe 2.0, I’m struggling to find faults with it. If forced, I could probably say that it feels a bit heavy at 232 lbs, though I still managed to lift up the backend while maneuvering through the pedestrian door of a parking garage when the gate was broken (another win for a scooter!).
Also, while 30 mph is usually enough for a city, I’d love another 5 mph or so for the few 30 mph roads that everyone speeds on. But then again, if the scooter was faster than 30 mph it wouldn’t be legally classified as a moped anymore and I’d lose many of its advantages such as free parking, no moto license, etc.
Oh, and another downside is the fact that it’s a one-seater. This will actually turn into a problem for you on multiple occasions, as this thing is the ultimate babe magnet. It should come as no shock to you that me and my GenZe are making knees weak left and right when we pull into the local Trader Joe’s parking lot. I can’t tell you how many times the ladies impulsively bite their lip when I respond cooly, “Yea, it’s electric.” But you better also start practicing the line “Sorry, it’s a one-seater” as you twist the throttle to pull away while kicking at the fingers of eco-minded men and women clutching onto the floorboard hoping to ride tandem with you back to your place. It’s a tough world out there, but you can’t help how good you look on this thing.
Seriously though, all-in-all I am just incredibly happy with the GenZe 2.0 electric scooter and can’t really think of anything actually bad to say about it. If you’re a city dweller like me without the need for a car, then this is an amazing way to get around. If you’re in the rotation for your kids’ carpool, then this probably isn’t the vehicle for you. At least not for your first vehicle.
I’m interested to hear what you think of the GenZe 2.0. Let me know in the comments below!
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