Segway Ninebot E45/E45E Review – The Perfect Intermediate Scooter

Last Updated on April 8, 2022 by Matt

In this complete review of the Segway Ninebot E45, we will see why the direct successor of the Ninebot ES4 comes with a few big and several small improvements that make it the obvious choice today, but also why the E45 is just a solid intermediate scooter overall, and when you should consider it.

Note: the Ninebot E45 is sometimes labeled as the Ninebot E45E, and the additional “E” is mostly added to distinguish the European version, as that’s how the scooter is sold in the UK and some other European countries. The differences are almost negligible.

Who is the Ninebot E45 for?

If you liked the Ninebot ES4, you will love the Ninebot E45. With improved build quality in almost every area, bigger 9-inch tires, an extra magnetic brake in the rear wheel for smaller braking distance, and more reflective stickers to make the scooter street-legal internationally, the E45 is the no-brainer choice in 2021 and beyond.

This is a slightly more advanced scooter, and it sits somewhere between the perfect beginner scooter, and the perfect second scooter. It’s not too overpowered and can’t really be considered a performance model, but with a seriously large range, tough and sturdy build and finishing, solid tires to avoid flats, and a lot of experience and lessons learned from previous Ninebot scooters, built into every component, the Ninebot E45 is the perfect intermediate scooter.

So, if you’ve ridden some scooters before, or if you’ve ridden ride-sharing scooters several times and the idea of owning one of the best solid-tire scooters of today intrigues you, you should think about getting the Ninebot E45.

Ordering, shipping, warranty, returns

In North America, you can find the Ninebot E45 on Amazon, and that’s usually where you will find the best deal. The scooter is also available through the official Segway store, although for some reason, it’s often a bit more expensive there.

In the UK, and possibly some other European countries, the Ninebot E45 is available at Amazon UK.

No matter where you get the scooter from, you should typically get the standard Segway warranty, which means 1 year on the critical components, 6 months on the battery and charger, and 3 months on the wear and tear parts. If your scooter arrives with a damaged part, you will most likely receive a new part for free, but if the scooter arrives dead, you will get either a replacement or a refund.

If you wish to return the scooter for any reason, you should have 30 days to return it, and that applies to any of the merchants. The return shipping costs will have to be covered by you in that case.

Unboxing, assembly, user manual

How the scooter arrives can sometimes vary based on where you get it from, but typically it will come with lots of protective covers, bubblewrap and styrofoam and nylon and all the other hoopla.

The box should contain at least the following:

• semi-assembled scooter with handlebars
• charger
• toolkit and screws
• user manual
• warranty card

Assembling the scooter takes a few minutes, as you need to connect the handlebars with the stem, and tighten the few screws, but other than that, the scooter arrives mostly assembled. You will want to make sure all the other screws are tight, and also that the brakes are working and the tires are in good shape. Usually, the scooter will arrive with the battery mostly charged, but if you want to play it by the book, you should still charge the battery fully before riding for the first time.

The user manual is clean and simple, and it takes just 5 minutes to go over it. I recommend doing so, as it may contain some latest information that’s specific to your unit and not covered anywhere else.

Basics, riding, folding

Before you can ride, you have to connect the scooter with the Ninebot smartphone app. You can set a lot of features according to your preferences (more on that in the app section below), but in your everyday rides, you will control pretty much everything through the scooter’s dashboard, or rather, the single power button on the screen.

Pressing the button powers the scooter on, and then a double press switches the speed mode, while a triple press toggles the lights.

Both the acceleration and the brake buttons are thumb-throttles, which I believe to be the best choice out of all the possible button configurations, as they are the most ergonomic choice, and in the case of the Ninebot E45, very responsive to user input as well.

Out of the box, the Ninebot E45 is a kick-to-start scooter, and requires the scooter to already have some speed before the throttle can kick in and accelerate the scooter. If you’ve read some of my other articles, you will know why I believe this is a much better option than the zero-start (it’s safer for pretty much any scenario where you have to carry or push the scooter, and it’s also much better for the battery).

The scooter has three speed modes:

• eco
• standard
• sport

You can also use the cruise control feature, or turn it off through the app if you don’t like it.

Folding the scooter is designed so that the user doesn’t really have to bend over too much – by pressing the folding pedal in the front, the lock for the folding mechanism is released and the scooter can be folded. The hook on the stem locks against the rear fender when folded, and you can also unlock the scooter with your foot and just move the stem up until you hear the click. The handlebars themselves do not fold, but that’s not really necessary as they aren’t too wide.

The handlebar height is fixed, but it will be suitable for people of almost any height. While Ninebot advertizes the scooter as suitable for riders as tall as 200 cm / 6’6″, I think taller people should still check out other scooters designed for taller adults.

The left handlebar hosts the bell, which will be loud enough for pedestrians (probably not loud enough for drivers in vehicles though).

The scooter features a hook on the stem which is primarily used for locking the scooter’s folding mechanism when folded, but also it’s very useful for hanging your bags or other items from it while riding.

Lifespan, design, engineering

Continuing the tradition established by previous Ninebot models, the E45 comes with the recognizable thick and robust stem, which translates into good quality and structural integrity for the entire scooter, making it tough and durable.

The scooter’s frame is made from aerospace-grade aluminum alloy, while the gripped mat on the deck is from rubber to prevent slipping. The kickstand is quite thick and stable, although, in my opinion, I believe it should be a bit longer as well to eliminate any chance of the scooter tipping over while leaning on it. The handlebars are also covered with gripped rubber, and will provide good traction even if your hands start to get sweaty.

The most impactful decision in terms of the scooter’s design is to place the battery on the stem.

The advantages of that decision will be a smaller and more flexible deck, which will also have a higher ground clearance, but also the fact that the battery and the charging port will be further away from the ground, where water and dirt can easily infiltrate them and damage them.

The disadvanvantages will be the scooter being a bit front-heavy, and not very well balanced because of the higher center of gravity.

User experience, ride smoothness

I feel Ninebot has done some low-key, barely noticeable improvements under the hood with the Ninebot E45, that improve the overall ride quality in small but meaningful ways.

This is a solid-tire scooter, and that will always be a downside for ride smoothness.

There is some spring suspension in the front, which adds a few stability points. Also, the tires are slightly larger than usual, but for commuter scooters, even small differences in tire size make a big difference in ride quality, so that’s another plus.

Still, the Ninebot E45 provides a better ride smoothness and user experience than most other commuter scooters, and especially better than most other solid-tire commuter scooters, and that’s because of its overall build quality. With all of the components being rock-solid and well-integrated, and Ninebot drawing from years of experience and user feedback, the scooter offers quality that far exceeds its price, and still results in a stable, comfortable ride well above the industry average.

Cockpit, screen

The screen of the Ninebot E45 is a work of genius in my opinion, as it manages to display all the information you need in a very compact space. The small circular LCD screen shows:

• current speed (in your preferred units)
• speed mode
• battery level (5 bars)
• bluetooth status
• overheating status
• error status

Since the screen is small, it doesn’t spend a lot of battery, and also it shines quite bright so it’s easily readable even on the sunniest of days.

Brakes, safety

The Ninebot E45 has a highly redundant braking system, with 3 separate brakes engaged by a single press on the break button.

The electronic brake in the front cuts power to the motor, and it also has the energy recovery feature (KERS), so it recharges the battery by a small amount. The rear wheel has a strong magnetic brake, which is probably the strongest of them all and provides a lot of stopping power. Finally, there’s the foot brake activated by pressing your foot on the rear fender, which acts as a failsafe (you will likely not use it that much, but it’s good to have it).

With so many separate brakes, and all of them of good quality, the Ninebot E45 is one of the safest budget scooters available today.

Tires, wheels, suspension

With 9 inches in diameter, the tires are slightly above the industry average of 8 to 8.5 inches, but when it comes to ride comfort, that 1 inch does contribute quite a lot. The tires are solid (dual-density), made from synthetic rubber and filled with anti-explosion foam, and they are immune to flats because of that. Of course, the tradeoff will be decreased ride comfort, but in the case of the Ninebot E45, that will not be as pronounced, as the scooter’s overall build quality will compensate and absorb a lot of the shocks from the ride.

The scooter has a small spring shock absorber in the front, between the stem and the front tire. The suspension is not big enough to make a big contribution to ride comfort, but it’s much better than nothing.

The rear fender is quite long and does a great job of protecting the rider from splashes. Because it’s meant to be used as an emergency brake as well, it is built to last and it will withstand some punishment. Still, I wouldn’t recommend being too careless with it, as it’s still a part that’s known to malfunction or even completely break off in some instances.

Motor, speed, climbing

The Ninebot E45 packs quite a punch in its front-drive hub motor, with 700 Watts of power. It’s one of the strongest features of the scooter, and makes it more performant than the average budget scooter in terms of speed, acceleration, torque, carrying load, and climbing.

The scooter can develop top speeds of up to 30 kmh / 18.6 mph, although the E45E comes with its speed limited to 25 kmh / 15.5 mph so that it’s street legal in the UK. The speed can be unlocked by installing some custom firmware (this video should be helpful).

The extra 3 mph / 5 kmh of speed when compared to the Ninebot E25 mostly comes from the extra battery, as it doesn’t only add to the range but to the overall power and performance of the scooter.

As with all previous Ninebot scooters, the E45 will accelerate quickly, and a bit quicker than the models without the extra battery.

The official climb angle of the Ninebot E45 is 20% / 11°, which means the scooter will handle the majority of everyday hills without too much struggle. You will need to ride in the sport mode for the best hill climbing abilities. Independent owner tests confirm that the scooter climbs pretty well and tackles moderate and everyday hills easily.

Battery, charging, range

The Ninebot E45 comes with two batteries, one integrated inside the stem, and the other one attached to it on the outside.

As the name might suggest, the E45 has an official range of 45 km / 28 mi, and that range is pretty much what the average rider will get in the real world as well (except for some riders closer to the weight limit).

The battery has a 368 Wh, 10.2 Ah capacity, and a voltage of 36 Volts. The battery comes with one of the most thoroughly tested smart battery management systems in the scooter world, both in the factories and labs, but also in the real world by real users every day, and the result is a battery that’s strongly protected against any type of charging or discharging defects and achieves a very long lifespan (in some Ninebots, the batteries last even more than 3 years).

The charging port is on the top of the battery, far away from the ground, and that will almost certainly expand its lifespan, as contact with dirt, dust, liquids, or other damaging material, will be very limited. The scooter takes 7.5 – 8 hours to charge fully.

Weight, dimensions, portability

The scooter comes with an extra battery, which adds a bit to its weight. The total weight of it is 36.2 lbs / 16.4 kg, and compared to the average commuter scooter, it’s about 4 lbs / 2 kg heavier.

While the scooter seems quite large when unfolded, it manages to fold down to a quite small package, mostly because of how low its folded height gets, and that single dimension cuts down its folded volume drastically and makes the scooter very portable. When folded, the scooter’s dimensions become:

• length: 119 cm / 46.9 in
• width: 42 cm / 16.5 in
• height: 36 cm / 14.2 in

The scooter might be a bit awkward to carry because of the extra battery on the stem, which makes holding the scooter close to where its natural center of gravity is difficult. Plus, the stem is quite thick as well, and some people will not be able to grab the scooter at the stem.

Overall, the scooter is a bit on the heavier side and not really convenient for carrying for long distances, but at the same time doesn’t occupy a lot of volume when folded and will fit easily in the usual places (car trunks, public transport, hallwas, doors, under the office desk), so portability can be described as not great but still pretty good.

Weight limit

The weight limit of the Ninebot E45 is the typical 100 kg / 220 lbs limit found in the majority of electric scooters today.

While heavier adults will definitely want to take a look at scooters with big weight limits, I suspect that the Ninebot E45 might actually support people weighing above its weight limit as well. There are only several owner reports of this, and that’s anecdotal evidence at best, but given the scooter’s 700 Watt motor and its sturdy build quality, I don’t think heavier riders will see some serious drops in performance. It’s not wise to go over the recommended weight limit in any case, but know that if you’re close to it, the Ninebot E45 will probably be good enough.

Water resistance, IP rating

The Ninebot E45 has an official ingress protection rating of IPX4. That means the scooter will be very water resistant, and not suffer water damage by water splashes from any angle. However, that doesn’t make the scooter fully waterproof, and it’s still best to avoid riding in the rain as much as possible.

There seem to be no independent tests of how the scooter performs in the rain, but given how it’s very similar to other Ninebot models with the same IP rating that have been thoroughly tested in all sorts of weather by many users, it’s probably true that a short ride in some light rain will not harm it.

Lights, stickers, night rides

The main headlight of the Ninebot E45 is placed on the top of the stem, nicely angled for a good lighting distance.

The rear of the fender hosts the red brake light, which turns on when you engage the brakes.

Besides the main lights, the scooter comes with multi-color LED ambient lights below the deck, that can strobe in one or many different colors, with all of the options being controlled through the app.

To ensure street legality in almost any region, the scooter has reflective stickers all around it: white one on the front of the stem, two yellow ones on the sides in the front, two red ones on the sides of the rear wheel, and another red one on the rear fender.

The scooter can easily be ridden at night, as it provides sufficient and strong-enough lighting.

App

The app for the Segway Ninebot scooters is one of the better electric scooter apps out there. It’s available for iOS and Android. It has a lot of features, most of which being statuses and readings, but there are a lot of preferences you can set in there to personalize your ride as well, including:

• locking the scooter
• cruise control settings
• regenerative braking level
• current stats (speed, distance, ride time, battery)
• controlling the lights and setting the color of the ambient deck light

In addition to the Ninebot app, I recommend the EScooterNerds Universal Scooter Helper App, available for both iOS and Android as well. The app is meant to complement the original Ninebot app rather than replace it, and it comes with many supplementary features like resources, guides, hacks, calculators, tools, a marketplace for used scooters, etc.

Lock, security

The scooter can be locked through the app, and that’s an excellent security feature as it prevents the motor from being started at all and renders the scooter almost useless to anyone that might want to steal.

Still, someone might decide to steal the scooter anyway (and maybe they might know how to bypass the electronic lock as well), and the scooter’s app lock doesn’t do anything to stop someone from simply grabbing the scooter and putting it in their car trunk. That’s why it’s recommended to use a lock for an electric scooter in addition to the app lock and prevent theft completely.

Helmet, accessories

You should always ride the Ninebot E45 with a safety helmet on, as that not only reduce the risk of a serious injury, but it also keeps you out of trouble with the law, as riding without a helmet can get you a ticket in almost any country in the world today. See the guide on the best electric scooter helmets to find a good pick to go along with this scooter.

The scooter is fairly feature-complete, but it still might use a few customizations and accessories if you want to truly level it up.

You will probably want a phone mount (the IPOW on Amazon is a great yet affordable pick), and I usually recommend a storage bag for adults with responsibilities who use their scooter for more than just casual fun (the Epessa on Amazon should fir the Ninebot E45 perfectly). Also, since the scooter has practically the same dimensions as the ES4, the standard Segway Ninebot saddle should fit it (the saddle is adjustable and foldable).

If you want to see some other ideas about some cool potential accessories, see the guide on the best electric scooter accessories.

Maintenance, repairs

Since the tires of the Ninebot E45 are solid and will never go flat, you will only have to inspect them for wear-and-tear every now and then. That means your maintenance routine can be as simple as making sure all the screws are tight, and the brakes are all working, and you don’t have to do this more than once a week.

Cleaning the scooter can also be a simple process, just use a soft and damp cloth to remove any stains. Don’t hose your scooter down, as it only has an IPX4 water protection standard and it’s not resistant to water jets.

If something in your scooter malfunctions, you will get a spare part shipped to you for free if your scooter is still under warranty. You should also be able to easily find any spare parts after that, as the model is quite popular and sells lots of units. That’s also the reason why most mechanics and bike repair shops should be familiar with it and be able to fix your scooter if you need them to.

Ninebot E45 vs other electric scooters

Since the Ninebot E45 is a successor to the popular ES4 model, it gets compared to a lot of other Ninebot models, but also other popular scooters as well.

Ninebot E45 vs Ninebot E45E

You might notice a slight difference in model versions depending on where you live, and in some places, most notably the UK and some other European countries, the Ninebot E45 is available as the Ninebot E45E (the additional E at the end stands for Europe). Those two are practically the same scooter, with the only difference being that the E45E is made to be street-legal for the UK and European traffic laws, and comes with its top speed limited to 15.5 mph / 25 kmh (the speed can be unlocked to the higher speed by installing some custom firmware).

Ninebot E45 vs Ninebot ES4

Simply put, the Ninebot E45 is the direct upgrade to the Ninebot ES4.

The biggest difference is in the tire size. With the E45 coming with 9-inch tires, it will provide rides that are much more comfortable than the ES4 rides, as it has tires of just 7.5 inches. Both tires have solid rubber tires that are immune to flats, but the E45 employs better tire technology as well.

The E45 also has an additional magnetic brake on the rear wheel that’s not present in the ES4.

The performance of both scooters is largely the same, and no wonder, as both the motor, the battery, and the extra battery, all have almost the exact same specs.

But in 2021 and beyond, I don’t think there’s a good enough reason for anyone to go with the ES4. The E45 comes with some incremental improvements in build quality, but they add up and truly make the scooter an upgraded version. The only reason to get the Ninebot ES4 today might be if the place where you live still doesn’t have the E45 available (you can see the Ninebot ES4 review in that case).

Ninebot E45 vs Ninebot E25

The Ninebot E25 is a level below the Ninebot E45, and in many ways, it’s exactly the same comparison as the Ninebot ES4 vs the Ninebot ES2.

The E25 has a smaller range of 25 km / 15 mi (hence the name), and that’s probably the biggest and most substantial difference between the two scooters. Their tires are identical, as well as many other features like the IP rating, the weight limit, and even the official climb angle, although I suspect the Ninebot E45 will actually climb better because of the stronger battery.

Overall, I don’t think the E25 would be a good investment for most people, including beginner scooterists. You might save a few bucks, but the price difference is usually not that great, and certainly not great enough to justify almost half the range that you would get with the E45. If you want, you can still check out the Ninebot E25 review.

Ninebot E45 vs Ninebot E22

If the E25 is a level below the E45, then the E22 is two levels below it.

With a range of just 22 km / 13.7 mi, this is one of the commuter scooters with the least range available today.

Now, the E22 does have some interesting advantages, including small weight and folded volume, both of which make it ultra-portable, and for people that need to carry their scooters a lot or fit them through doors and trunks and hallways, and at the same time they don’t really need all that range, the E22 might even be the better choice. I think most of us would rather stick with the large and comfortable range, but if you need that extra portability, see the Ninebot E22 review.

Ninebot E45 vs Ninebot Max

In my opinion, the Ninebot Max is the biggest competitor to the E45, both within the Ninebot family and outside of it.

Both scooters are priced about the same usually, and have some similarities in their performance, like their speed, motor power, acceleration, climb angle, and weight limit.

It comes down to your position on two of the most important debates in the scooter world – the solid vs pneumatic tire debate, and the range vs portability debate.

With 10-inch pneumatic tires, the Ninebot Max will provide a lot more ride comfort than the E45, but the tradeoff will be the ever-present risk of a flat tire, something which will not concern E45 owners.

Also, with a range of 64 km / 40 mi, the Ninebot Max is a true range monster, and one of the most popular long-range commuter scooters ever. It provides almost 50% more range than the E45. The downside, of course, will be the greater weight, and weighing a whopping 19 kg / 42 lbs, the Ninebot Max might be unmanageable for many.

If you’d prefer some extra range and don’t mind the extra weight, and are also willing to risk some flats in the name of superior ride comfort, then check out the Ninebot Max review.

Ninebot E45 vs Xiaomi Pro 2

Out of the box, both scooters will come with the same range, and the same top speed in Europe and the regions where the E45’s top speed is limited to 25 kmh / 15.5 mph. In fact, performance will be comparable for both scooters in most instances.

The tires of the Ninebot E45 are slightly bigger, but the Xiaomi Pro 2 has pneumatic tires, so the ride comfort advantage still goes to the Xiaomi Pro 2, although that difference will not be as pronounced. I believe this will be the determining factor for many. If you don’t want to worry about flats, ever, then go with the Ninebot E45. If you prefer the better ride comfort, however, then check out the Xiaomi Pro 2 review.

Issues, tradeoffs, what to know

The only major incident reported for this scooter has been a single instance of the battery malfunctioning very soon after the scooter being bought. Given how the scooter has already sold thousands of units, that’s probably not so bad (the owner returned the scooter and got a refund).

Other than that, the scooter doesn’t really have any faults per se, and it mostly comes down to the classic tradeoffs which are inescapable in the scooter world. Since the E45 addresses a lot of the small and annoying issues of the ES4, often in some not-so-visible ways like fixing the rattling rear fender and making the folding mechanism more stable, it’s no wonder that there are almost no critical issues reported.

As you probably already know, the major tradeoff that every solid-tire scooter brings is the reduced ride quality. You will never get a flat tire, and you will never have to worry about tire pressure, and the new dual-density technology does improve ride quality, but still, it will not be the same as with an air-filled tire scooter. That’s probably the biggest decision you have to make if you’re thinking of buying this scooter.

Ratings, reviews

The Ninebot E45 hasn’t been around for that long, but it has started off on the right foot, and initial feedback from users is overwhelmingly positive. With pretty much all of the major issues of the ES4 addressed and fixed, the owners of the new E45 have little to complain about, and that’s best reflected in the amazing reviews and ratings the scooter has on most big online retail websites. The scooter has several hundred reviews if we aggregate all of the big retailers, and they all average to around 4.6 stars out of 5. And beyond that, it’s clear from the language that owners use in their reviews that they love their E45s and are very satisfied with them.

Verdict

The Ninebot E45 is the next step in the Ninebot ES saga, and as we bid the famous old scooter line farewell and welcome the new one, we are all curious about the upgrades and the improvements. Ninebot has learned a lot from the feedback of ES4 owners, and even though many of the improvements seem small or symbolic, they do add up.

Beginners will quickly learn to make this scooter their own, and advanced users will love the range and the toughness and the build quality, but I believe intermediate riders will get the most fun and value out of the Ninebot E45. If this isn’t exactly your first scooter rodeo, but at the same time you don’t want to dish out thousands of dollars on a scooter yet and just want a high-quality, tough, solid-tire scooter that will never disappoint you, consider the Ninebot E45.

Specifications

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