Swiss-based VMAX has been a key participant within the European electrical scooter market since 2015, and final yr expanded into the US market. Now we’re getting our first take a look at two new fashions launched into the US market, the VMAX VX2 Excessive and the VX5 Professional.
The corporate is leveraging its Swiss heritage and the standard popularity that goes together with it, even when the scooters aren’t truly made in Switzerland like your favourite timekeeper or chocolate. Nonetheless, that penchant for high quality appears to reside on within the model’s industry-leading two-year guarantee, concentrate on UL certification testing, IPX6 waterproof score, and fully-stocked alternative elements warehouse within the US, simply in case anybody wants to check out that guarantee.
Now, the corporate is displaying off a pair of recent scooters within the US market, focusing on each the higher-performance market and the entry-level section. The $999 VX2 Excessive is designed for that kind of higher-performance driving, whereas the $449 VX5 Professional is constructed with finances buyers in thoughts.
Each fashions embody a number of vital options, resembling comparatively giant tubeless pneumatic tires (10″ and 9″ on VX2 Excessive and VX5 Professional, respectively), LED lighting with included blinkers, UL 2722 certification from SGS, IPX6 water resistance to guard the scooters in a rain bathe, and a mixture of digital regenerative braking and sealed drum brakes.
To dive into the small print, let’s begin with what seems to be the extra adrenaline-laced mannequin. The brand new VMAX VX2 Excessive is the corporate’s newest replace to the VX2 Professional, which remains to be out there as one of many firm’s finest sellers. The truth is, one among my colleagues obtained an opportunity to check out the VX2 Professional final yr. Hopefully, I’ll check out the even higher-performance VX2 Excessive.
Upping the ante, the VX2 Excessive comes with a better energy motor that includes 1,600 peak watts, a steeper max climbing grade of 33%, an extended vary per cost of as much as 43 miles (69 km), a wider deck for added consolation, an upgraded 4-inch TFT LCD show, a brand new companion app, a better weight restrict of 330 lb (150 kg), and a brand new high pace of 25 mph (40 km/h).
The bottom mannequin presents a 500Wh battery with 28 miles (45 km) of vary. There are additionally two bigger battery choices out there. Riders can go for 624 Wh or 792 Wh battery packs providing ranges of 34 and 43 miles (54 and 69 km), respectively.
At $999 (or an additional $100/$200 for the bigger battery choices), that’s loads of efficiency. We’ve seen different corporations focusing on this high-performance/low-price section recently, however not often with the bang-for-buck that VMAX is providing with the VX2 Excessive.
On the extra relaxed experience finish of the spectrum, the brand new VMAX VX5 Professional presents a number of upgrades over the corporate’s VX5 finances e-scooter.
The 18 mph (30 km/h) scooter now comes with new LED blinkers for indicating turns, and the pneumatic tires have been elevated to a 9″ measurement whereas additionally going tubeless.
The scooter additionally maintains the identical VMAX Join App, IPX6 water resistance score, UL 2722 certification by SGS, and a mixture of regenerative braking and sealed drum brakes.
The $449 entry-level worth features a smaller 11-mile (18 km) battery, however there are two longer-range choices with bigger batteries that provide 17 miles or 22 miles (27 or 35 km), with every including simply $50 to the worth.
Electrek’s Take
I’m fairly impressed by the worth right here. The efficiency of each fashions exceeds the worth, particularly when you think about a number of the good added options like flip indicators and wider decks. It was that getting a $400 scooter meant purchasing from one of many shady off-brand manufacturers. However now you will get a strong scooter for the price of a automobile cost and nonetheless have sufficient left over for a strong lock and helmet.
The one hesitation I’ve is the suspension, or lack thereof. I’m a bit cut up right here. On the one hand, it’s nice to have suspension when driving on surfaces like pavers, bricks, and cobblestones. Alternatively, scooters are extra rugged and usually last more with out it (to not point out are cheaper and a number of other kilos lighter). So so long as you don’t have loopy tough streets, that is in all probability ample, and the added bonus is the scooter will probably final for extra years.
These 9″ and 10″ pneumatic tires may even assist with the occasional pothole, even when they aren’t the identical as true suspension. However for anybody cruising Boston’s cobblestone streets, for instance, that true suspension on rivals’ fashions does begin to look mighty attention-grabbing.
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