A road-legal mobility scooter with three wheels and a total weight of 17kg without the battery. It also features a folding frame that can collapse and unfold in seconds.
This is my eFOLDi with 1,000 miles on the clock. You might be wondering how I know it has successfully covered 1,000 miles, but I have a “Maps Ruler” app, which tracks the route on my phone and sums up the miles.
I’ve broken my eFOLDi review down into the following sections!
The Good Points:
1. It’s nice and lightweight, easy to fold, and can easily be transported in a small car boot.
2. Receives lots of positive comments from people and encourages them to look in a good way as opposed to staring.
3. Tyres are good for 1,000 miles, but the front tyres are only just able to manage that, see photos for example.
4. Solid/springy tyres would be a better option for active users.
5. The motor and rear wheel bearings have no issues after 1,000 miles.
6. Still using the original brake blocks with plenty of rubber remaining. Only had to adjust here and there, which take minutes to do.
7. Pulls a small trolley or trailer quite well, even when full of beer and soft drinks, see photos for example.
The Bad Points:
1. It’s a bit pricey at £2,195 (now even more), especially compared to other folding scooters. Although I bought two (one for me and one for my wife), so I received a discount.
2. Not very good on hills, especially not the 1 in 6 as eFOLDi claims. Any slope steeper than 1 in 10 causes the scooter to struggle. It’s even more difficult on a wet, slippery, or sandy surface.
3. It has a top speed of only 6mph, not the 8mph claimed by eFOLDi. I’ve tried several speedometer apps, and they all show the same. My wife is the same, and we are both not exactly heavy people, so definitely bear in mind if you want to roll alongside a fit, fast walker.
4. The range is also a lot less than the 14 miles eFOLDi claims. The best I’ve managed is 10 and a half miles, which was on a warm day across mostly flat terrain.
5. A few nuts and bolts have fallen off both of our scooters over time, especially where the handle attaches to the frame, but we managed to fix it by applying superglue to the threads.
6. Both seats are very squeaky, which we were also able to rectify by applying WD40 to the springs.
7. The display screen is almost useless on a sunny day. It would have been much better to have an LCD display like on an e-bike, showing speed, battery level, total miles, trip range, etc.
8. My display screen also stopped working after the first charge as I left the battery in place. Even though the ignition was off and the keys weren’t in, my screen now shows 0.00v when turning on and running. Very annoyed about it, but since it was my fault, there isn’t much I can do.
9. Big issue here. My eFOLDi stopped folding properly, and upon inspection, I found a crack in the frame (see picture). I’ve managed to bodge a repair using thick brackets and bolts, but only time will tell how long it lasts. I’ve been as careful as possible since purchasing, but you can’t always avoid bumpy roads, uneven paths, cobbled streets, poor pavements, or the lack of drop kerbs.
The Design Flaws:
1. Both our scooters have sloppy steering columns (where the folding hinge is) from day one. About an inch and a half of movement exists in all directions- forward, backwards, and side to side. Mine is significantly worse than my wife’s, but she has only done a few hundred miles, so it’s still like new, just with the same issue. It would be much better with a heavy-duty clamp or hinge similar to those used on folding bikes.
2. The pulling handle is too short, causing the rear wheels to hit the back of your ankles when walking. I eventually crafted a different handle that fits into the eFOLDi frame, adding a foot (see picture).
Overall, a very good product that has been a lifesaver for my legs. But would I buy another? Most likely, but only if I could find a second-hand or nearly new device because of the price.
