We buy all the products we test — no freebies from companies. If you purchase through our links, we may earn a commission, which helps support our testing.
The competition for electric scooters in this price range is fierce, but the Maxshot V1 is currently the best option between $200-300. For the cost, it has impressive range, top speed, and portability. You must spend about twice as much to go significantly further and faster. Whether you want a light scooter that is easy to pick up or don't need to go more than a few miles at a time, this scooter shines. Its only downside is not the best performance on bumpy terrain. You feel the cracks and bumps due to the small, hard tires. And some scooters go much further and faster. That said, they also cost hundreds more.
REASONS TO BUY
Great range and speed for its size
Light
Good app controls
REASONS TO AVOID
Bumpy on rough terrain
What other scooters should you consider?
If you want the ultimate combination of value and adequate performance on shorter rides, it's hard to beat the Maxshot. That said, if you want better performance on bump terrain and are willing to spend a few hundred more, consider the Gotrax G4.
Our Analysis and Test Results
Tested and Rated
For this test, Chris McNamara, GearLabs founder and editor chief did the testing.
I have tested a lot of scooters and I am just amazed at how much value this scooter delivered. While I still use an E bike for most commute and round-trip journeys. This scooter is the perfect one way travel device where you either get a ride from a friend or an Uber back to your starting investigation.
Exploring the Maxshot V1's key features.
Credit: Chris McNamara
Range
The V1 goes further than most other scooters in its price range. Some scooters go further, but they are generally much more expensive and have much larger batteries. Also, remember that this is not the most comfortable scooter for long distances. So, the 18-mile range is adequate for most people's trips.
Why does it go further? Mainly because it has a bigger battery. Most other scooters in this price range have a 275Wh battery or smaller, and the Maxshot has a 375Wh battery. Scooters with bigger ranges and batteries are often double the weight and make a real trade-off for speed and range with portability.
The app not only gives you important controls, but it lets you see the exact battery percentage which offers a lot more precision than the five bar display on the actual scooter.
The app gives you a precise battery mode and features like the ability to lock the device, turn on cruise control, and see the estimated range.
Credit: Chris McNamara
Speed and Hills
Like with range, the max speed of 17.5 MPH may not be impressive compared to the most expensive scooters, but it is much faster than the scooters in its price range. Most scooters for $300 or less have a top speed of 12.5-15MPH. The difference between 15 miles an hour and 17.5 miles an hour may not seem like a lot, but in our experience, it was pretty meaningful. 15 miles an hour is on the edge of feeling slow, whereas 17.5 miles an hour feels about as fast as you would want with this scooter's tire size and handling of bumpy terrain and cracked.
The Maxshot V1 gets up to 18 MPH in about five seconds. It's not blistering fast, but enough speed for most people.
Credit: Chris McNamara
Hill performance was ok. With a 350-watt motor, this scooter will not climb very steep hills without your help kicking. Many other scooters in this price range have 250-watt motors and perform even worse. If you want to climb steeper Hills, you need a much larger motor. And even 900-1000-watt motors can only climb so steep of a hill so fast.
Ride Comfort
This is the metric where the Mac shot struggles a bit. With 8.5-inch hard tires and no suspension, you feel the bumps and cracks.
The Maxshot V1's solid 8.5-inch honeycomb wheel is durable but not forgiving on bumps and rough pavement.
Credit: Chris McNamara
On smooth pavement, this scooter performs just fine. But I'm bumpy terrain. It starts to take a toll on the body. Most importantly, you feel it when you hit an unexpected crack or bump. That is why the scooter is better for shorter rides at lower speeds. If you want longer rides, you want suspension, bigger, and pneumatic tires. The one upside to solid tires is that you can't get a flat tire, and they require less maintenance to maintain tire pressure.
Comparing the skinnier 8.5" tire on the Maxshot (right) to a wider and larger 10" pneumatic tire on the Gotrax G4 (left). Neither scooter has suspension, but the GoTrax has much better ride comfort.
Credit: Chris McNamara
If this video makes you a little carsick, you are not alone. The Maxshot V1 on bumpy terrain is... bumpy.
Credit: Chris McNamara
Portability
This is where this scooter shines. It is one of the lighter scooters in our test and is exceptionally fast to open and stow.
The Maxshot V1 easily stores behind a passenger seat if you need to jump in your car or ride share.
Credit: Chris McNamara
Taking the Maxshot out of a car and converting to ride mode takes about 5 seconds.
Credit: Chris McNamara
Braking
Nothing particularly remarkable about the braking, it is adequate and comparable to similar scooters.
Should You Buy the Maxshot V1?
If you are looking for a great value in a scooter and are okay with not having the best handling on rough terrain, this is it. The only reason to spend more money is if you want one that goes faster and handles better over longer distances.
