How we rate and test scooters
What every number on ScootFinder means, where it comes from, and how we are moving from researched estimates to our own physical tests.
The manufacturer's own figure, shown as published.
Our realistic figure for everyday riding, worked out from the specs. Not a test result.
Measured by us on the standard test below. Only used once a scooter has actually been through it.
We never relabel an estimate or a claim as a test result. On model cards, compare tables and the Scooter Finder, every range figure is marked Claimed, Estimated (shown as est.) or ScootFinder tested.
No scooter on ScootFinder has been physically tested yet. Our testing program is being set up now. Until the first results are published, every range you see on the site is either the manufacturer's claim or our estimate, and is labelled that way.
Where our specs and prices come from
Specs come from the Australian distributor or the brand's official product pages first, then the global brand site, then established Australian retailers. We do not borrow a figure from a sibling model or a different battery version. When nobody publishes a figure, such as a water rating, we say so rather than guess.
Prices are Australian prices from Australian sellers, including any sale price running on the day we checked. Every retailer link and source carries the date we checked it, and our build process refuses to publish if any of those checks are more than 45 days old. When we cannot find a model on sale in Australia, we mark it Unconfirmed instead of showing an overseas price.
How we estimate real world range
Brands measure range in ideal conditions: a light rider, flat ground, low speed, mild weather. Real riding adds stops, hills, wind, heavier riders and ageing batteries. For each model we set a realistic estimate from the claimed figure and the published specs. Across the 63 models that have one today, our estimate averages 70 percent of the claim, ranging from 51 to 86 percent depending on how optimistic the brand's test looks.
Where we have not set a model specific estimate yet, the Scooter Finder and directory filters use 70 percent of the claim, and label it as an estimate. Plan trips with at least 20 percent in reserve.
How we work out legality
Every scooter is checked against each state and territory's rules, not given a blanket road legal claim. Two things decide it: whether the state allows privately owned e-scooters in public, and whether the scooter fits the 25 km/h legal class, meaning it cannot exceed 25 km/h or can be locked to it. We then apply each state's footpath and path speed caps, minimum age, helmet and licence rules. The state rules were last checked against the official government sources on 2026-09-03. You can run any scooter through our legality checker.
How the Scooter Finder ranks matches
The Scooter Finder scores every current model against your answers: price against your budget, fit with your state's rules, suitability for your main use, real world range against your daily distance, and weight against how often you carry it, plus any extras you pick. Scooters above the legal class are left out unless you choose off road and private property riding. Brands cannot pay to change a score.
The ScootFinder Range Test
This is the standard test every scooter will go through when we test it in person, so results can be compared fairly.
- Rider and load. 80 kg total rider weight, topped up with ballast so every test carries the same load.
- Scooter setup. Fully charged and rested, tyres set to the maker's recommended pressure, firmware up to date, speed locked to 25 km/h in the fastest legal riding mode.
- Route. A fixed loop in Adelaide on paths and roads where 25 km/h is permitted, with a measured mix of flat riding and a set climb. The same loop, every time.
- Conditions. Dry weather between 15 and 25 degrees, with wind and temperature recorded.
- The run. Continuous loops at the highest speed the rules and conditions allow, until the scooter can no longer hold 15 km/h on the flat or cuts out. Distance is logged by GPS.
- Energy use. The recharge is measured at the wall, so we can publish watt hours per kilometre as well as total range.
The rest of the test
- Weight on our own scales, ready to ride.
- Fold and carry. Time to fold, folded size, and how it carries up a flight of stairs.
- Hill climb. Speed held up a set gradient with the 80 kg load.
- Acceleration. 0 to 25 km/h, GPS timed.
- Braking. Stopping distance from 25 km/h on dry bitumen, best of three.
- Ride quality. The same rough surface section, rated for comfort and control.
We do not water test scooters. We report the maker's published water rating. Speed runs above 25 km/h, where a scooter allows them, happen on private property only. Every rider in our testing wears a helmet.
Independence
Test scooters may come from brands or retailers and are returned after testing. Brands do not see results before they are published and cannot pay for a better result or score. ScootFinder also sells a small range of phone mounts in our shop, and any paid relationship is disclosed on the page it affects.
Spot an error?
Specs and rules change. If a figure looks wrong, tell us through our Instagram or Facebook page and we will check it against the source and fix it.