A commuter electric scooter with a hidden trick: ANYHILL UM-2 review

A commuter electric scooter with a hidden trick underneath! Reviewing the ANYHILL UM-2

Electrek.co by Micah Toll

[{"selector":"#anim-68cdfe44-d271-4d75-9ddc-64b076f38ae6","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":500,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] I’ve set foot on just about every budget electric scooter on the market, and it’s not very often that I get to see something genuinely innovative and new.

[{"selector":"#anim-d34f4d68-c2b6-4968-8188-9bd620454b5d","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":500,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] But that’s exactly what the ANYHILL UM-2 electric scooter delivers: a novel innovation in the form of a pop-up removable battery hidden below the deck.

[{"selector":"#anim-82e38ec3-0f4f-4fdc-b236-bf1b9fbdeeba","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":500,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] ANYHILL UM-2 Tech Specs • Motors: 450W continuous-rated and 750W peak-rated rear hub motor • Top speed: 31 km/h (19 mph) • Range: Claimed 40 km (25 mi) • Battery: 36V 10Ah (360 Wh) • Weight : 20 kg (44 lb.) • Load capacity: 136 kg (300 lb.)

[{"selector":"#anim-252336c3-defb-4f49-9522-01ebc3a75b91","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":500,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] ANYHILL UM-2 Tech Specs (Cont'd) • Brakes: Front drum brake and rear electronic brake • Tires : 10″ air-filled tires • Price : $899 • Extras: LED display, LED headlight and tail light, 3 speed settings, thumb throttle, removable battery, full-width kickstand for extra stability, smartphone application

[{"selector":"#anim-9f16837c-b3a3-40ca-b98a-c2cdc6ad83ba","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":500,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Most electric scooters stuff their lithium-ion batteries in the deck under where the rider stands . It’s the logical location as it keeps the center of gravity low and is already a fairly wide area.

[{"selector":"#anim-823bef8e-d8a8-4794-ae3a-0df06f18fc3e","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":500,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] But almost every scooter that does this uses a built-in battery that isn’t user-accessible and can’t be removed by the rider for charging or security.

[{"selector":"#anim-efd70dae-896c-4be6-aefc-58ef44f572fc","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":500,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] There’s a lot more here than just a removable battery, though admittedly that is the big takeaway (no pun intended).

[{"selector":"#anim-93d3461f-cba6-4766-a8fb-5fc21382368e","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":500,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] With around 25 miles (40 km) of range, it will likely take riders many years to go through enough battery cycles to feel any appreciable degradation of the battery, but it’s always nice to know that you can easily swap in a new battery when the time comes.

[{"selector":"#anim-44f83c5b-d7b4-4e28-9a44-ddb7bb105b5d","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":500,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Read my full thoughts on this new electric scooter and watch my succinct video review at Electrek.co. Video review