Today I would like to introduce you the Revolt 2.0 electric scooter. Revolt is the product of Revoe company based in France who also produce hoverboards, electric folding bikes and electric skateboards. It's not surprising if you are not familiar with the brand or the scooter, because I have only seen it in Decathlon store so far. However I've decided to make a short review about it, because most people who never owned an electric scooter before are usually searching for a reliable, good quality product which will not empty their bank accounts. Revolt 2.0 has exactly these features.
First impression, design
The scooter arrives in a stylish paper box in a folded state but nothing fancy. You can find the users manual and the charger next to it. In my opinion for the price range nobody can expect much more and since it fulfills the basic requirements I think its not a problem. After unpacking I have acknowledged that you can not only fold the bar but also both of the handles which saves you a lot of space. You can not even see this option every time in higher priced models. Maybe it was only the test device which did not receive a carrying bag by default, I hope that's the case because it would be good to have.
The scooter in general looks really minimal, every part serves a purpose and there are no unnecassery design elements on it. If you are using a scooter for every day commuting, flashy designs will be the last thing you are looking for.
Handle bar
The bar is telescopic so you can easily adjust it to your height. I am more than 190 cm and I could still lift the handle by around 20 cm so it should fit everyone. The simple rubber grips are feeling good to the hand, they did not get slippery or uncomfortable even when I used it for more than 20 kilometers. On the handle bar I personally did not really like the LCD display. It's definetly serves the purpose but with the design I was not happy.
Wheels
The cost reduction is more visible on the wheels. The rims are made out of plastic, but since the design and the quality is good it did not bother me. For sure you can find exclusive looking wheels which may even be more durable, but for this price I think they are a perfect choice. The rubber tires are not inflatable which has its ups and downs as well. You don't have to worry about punctures, but neither can you adjust the air pressure for your needs.
Deck
The frame of the deck is compeletely made out of aluminium and it really looks solid. Below the cover you can find the battery, which makes it a little thicker but I think it looks good. The downside of this construction is, the battery is fixed within the deck and you are not able to exchange it. The battery charging outlet can be found directly on the left rear side of the deck and it's covered by a rubber inlet which helps it to keep dry in wet situations.
The top of the deck is covered with non slipping paper as usual, which you will have to change from time to time. The hub motor is inside the rear wheel, which means there are no bands or chains.
The Revolt 2.0 comes with lights both on the front and rear. They are integrated into the deck, which provides them a good mechanical protection and are quite bright. Unfortunatly I was not able to test them during the night, but I imagine the front LEDs would light up the road ahead sufficiently and the rear lights ensures that you will be noticed in the traffic.
Transportation and storage
Lets start with the downside: However the folding design has been realised perfectly, if you would like to fold the scooter's bar for the first times, you will have a hard time doing that. For the first time it really feels that it has been stuck and you need quite a big force to open the latch. I was wondering if it only happened with my scooter, but after I have read the user reviews it became clear that its a common problem. Lubrication helps with that and after you are folding it for 10-20 times, it will become easier.
The folding design however is exceptionally good. It has a low profile from both sides which means you can easily fit it into your car or behind in your apartment. The 10,5 kilogram weight is not the lowest on the market, but still makes the transportation really easy.
Riding experience
Speed and range
The Revolt 2.0 electric scooter is really easy to use. After you have turned it on, you can select three speed limitations on the LCD display with the up and down buttons. The first level is around 5-6 km/h which equals to a normal walking speed. The second speed level is around 12-15 km/h and third is 25 km/h. Before you can speed up, first you have to push yourself to get a little speed. It is also a safety function, so the scooter will not be able to speed up if it is not in movement during normal usage.
Even though the specifications say the scooter is designed for 5-15 km runs,during testing I have made around 20-24 kilometers daily in two sets, which I think covers the commuting needs of most people. I was never ran off battery, but even if I did I could get home easily using it as a standard kick scooter. It is unclear for me why some electric scooters nowadays don't have this option. Using it in turned off mode is really easy, you don't feel the pullback force by the magnets.
When you are starting it is advised to use the 1st or the 2nd speed levels, because the torque on the 3rd can be surprisingly big. By simply pushing in the gas trigger, the scooter speeds up silently. And this is one of the biggest problems. If you have ever tried to use a scooter in a crowded city among pedestrians, you know it is really important to get noticed. Since the scooter is almost completely silent even at 25 km/h, you can only depend on the alarm sound or your own voice. In this case I would suggest to either use a standard bicycle bell or get used to shout loudly, because the built in alarm sound gives a really awkward and not so loud beeping which I found hard to hear in a normal city environment.
Revolt 2.0 has a maximum capacity of 100kg on paper. I was not able to check if it can handle more, but it easily dealt with my 95 kilogram body weight and the acceleration was really smooth at all speed levels.
The braking
During my test rides I have found the braking system as one of the biggest disadvantages. You can slow down the scooter with an electric motor brake or by stepping on the rear mud protector. The electric brake has a dynamic stopping force, which depends on the speed you are going. Higher speed means bigger brake force. However I have foun d it not sufficient especially at higher speeds. For me it felt like road bikes braking system which gently reduces your speed, but you are not able to make emergency stops.
I have found myself in the situation quite often, when people was closing all my routes and besides using the electric brake, I was stepping on the manual brake really hard not to crash into them. The front wheels are not the biggest, but since the scooter is pretty light you can easily go through obstacles by lifting it up. Anyway it is advised to use the scooter on flat surface, but if you hit 1-2 bumps during your ride, the rear suspension will help you and your scooter, not to get a direct hit.
Verdict
The Revolt 2.0 Electric Scooter is a good choice for those, who are just jumping into the world of electric vehicles, but still would like to use their scooter every day without problems. For the price which is around $500-$600 depending where you live, you will get a really nice and robust scooter. Even though it has some downsides, we liked it and would recommend it to buy.