Yadea Elite Prime review: The full-suspension e-scooter you’d never guess is so powerful

All of Yadea’s latest full-suspension electric scooters are slick-looking machines. Nicely contoured cast frames, dual swingarms for the complete suspension package, and single-side supported wheels make the scooters look like they’re floating at just the right angle. But it’s the most powerful model of the bunch that packs the biggest surprise. Behind the cute exterior of the Yadea Elite Prime is a veritable wolf in sheep’s clothing, offering up to 1,500W of power in a scooter that looks like it belongs behind a leggy model in a Paris fashion shoot.

This scooter may not outwardly look like a hotrod, but the Yadea Elite Prime sure has the power to fly off the line. Check out how the scooter performs in my video review below. Then keep on reading for even more info on this fun, compact little rocket!

Yadea Elite Prime video review

Yadea Elite Prime tech specs

• Motor: 800W continuous (1,500W peak) rear hub motor
• Battery: 48V 14.5Ah (696 Wh)
• Top speed: 20 mph (32 km/h)
• Range: 40 miles (64 km)
• Weight: 64 lb (29 kg)
• Load capacity: 265 lb (120 kg)
• Brakes: Front mechanical drum brake, rear mechanical disc brake and regen braking
• Tires: 10-inch pneumatic street tires
• Lights: Front and rear LED, rear turn signals

Launching off the line

So here’s the thing about the Yadea Elite Prime that differs from the smaller Yadea Elite Max and the even smaller Yadea Artist: This thing is powerful. After the first kilometer of riding, it lets you unlock the full power mode on the scooter, and that means some serious torque.

The first time I tried it, I accidentally popped a wheelie from a standstill. I just wasn’t expecting that kind of power from what looks like a cute, approachable electric scooter.

Most scooters are weak enough that you just mash the throttle all the way down and hold it until you reach the speed you want. But in the highest power mode, the Yadea Elite Prime has so much power and torque that you actually have to modulate the throttle like you would on a motorcycle or the accelerator pedal on a car. It’s surprising since most sub-$1k scooters simply don’t come with that level of power.

Of course you don’t have to keep the scooter in highest power mode, and you’re probably better served by not using that highest mode all the time, unless you know you want all of that power on tap for fun acceleration or you have some big hills to climb on your commute. Because with a slope rating of 30%, you can climb some serious inclines with this scooter.

But more important than mere power is comfort, and that’s where scooter really excels. There are two sides to comfort here. On the one hand, the acceleration is smooth (in all modes but the highest power!) and so it feels like you’re in solid control of the scooter. On the other hand, the scooter is physically quite comfortable thanks to that dual suspension design with front and rear swingarm.

I really like the way the front wheel is single-supported, which is both convenient for tire changes and simply looks pretty cool. Combined with the cast frame instead of more welded connections and you get a really sleek appearance.

Obviously, this isn’t an off-road scooter, and that suspension isn’t meant for crazy terrain, but it will certainly do well with the occasional curb hops and potholes. The 10-inch pneumatic tires are also relatively large, at least by scooter standards, which further helps smooth out the ride and gives you a fighting chance when hitting a pothole.

If there’s one area that I would have liked to see improved, it would be the scooter’s top speed. At 20 mph (32 km/h), the Yadea Elite Prime can rocket up to speed quickly but then it suddenly runs out of steam, not letting you continue to the higher speeds that you might expect such a powerful scooter to reach.

That’s a bit of a double-edged sword. I like being able to go faster to keep up with traffic, but there’s no doubt that fast speeds on standing scooters don’t always mix with the best results. So going a bit slower does have some safety advantages.

But at least that slower top speed translates into better range, with the scooter offering up to 40 miles (64 km) per charge. The slower you go, the better range you get, and so you can’t stay at top speeds and expect to go 40 miles. But even at top speed, nearly 700Wh of battery will do pretty much any normal commuting trip in most cities.

The other area that’s a bit of a downer is the weight. The scooter is a bit portly at 64 lb (29 kg). The folding mechanism is solid and secure feeling, meaning I feel good about picking it up and carrying it around without worrying that it would suddenly open back up. But not everyone is going to want to carry 64 pounds of aluminum, copper, and lithium for long distances. If you need to do an occasional carry up a flight of stairs or onto a subway train, it’s doable, but not exactly a pleasurable experience.

But those two issues of weight and top speed aside, everything else about the scooter pretty much checked my boxes for a comfortable, full-suspension ride. The scooter feels well built, and having visited one of Yadea’s factories myself earlier this year, I’ve seen how much care they put into their assembly lines. And with added niceties like turn signals, regenerative braking, and an elegant design, there’s more than just meets the eye here.

At a price of $899 from Yadea or the same price on Amazon, the scooter feels like a solid choice for a powerful, comfortable, and robust ride. It’s heavy and not the fastest, but it does everything else so well that I came away from this experience very impressed. I’d absolutely recommend this scooter, especially to someone who specifically doesn’t want to go super fast but does want real power for acceleration and hill climbs.