NIU, one of the world’s leading smart electric scooter and micromobility companies, has just launched a new lightweight commuter option, the NIU KQi 200F. Designed for riders who need a balance between portability and performance, the new model introduces folding handlebars – following up on a feature introduced late last year to NIU’s popular KQi scooter line.

The NIU KQi 200F stands out immediately for its compactness. Thanks to the foldable handlebars and stem, it can easily fit into tight spaces like office corners, public transit, or the trunk of a car.

While nearly all electric scooters can fold at the stem, wide scooter handlebars still tend to stick out and limit storage options. With folding handlebars, the KQi 200F’s widest component is likely its deck, measuring just 6.9 inches (17.5 cm) at its widest, making it ultra slim and easier to stuff into tight spaces.

Under the hood, the KQi 200F carries a 48V 7.8Ah battery that provides 365Wh of stored capacity. That’s enough for up to 33.6 miles (54 km) of range on a single charge. The scooter is powered by a 350W rear hub motor, which peaks at 700W with 22 Nm of torque, giving it enough oomph to tackle hills and achieve a top speed of 20 mph (32 km/h).

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The motor offers a significant boost compared to NIU’s KQi2 Pro scooter, including 7% more speed, 33% better hill climbing, 17% more power, and 38% more torque. The battery also offers 35% more range.

Weighing in at 44 pounds (20 kg), it’s not the lightest scooter on the market, but it’s a reasonable weight given the scooter’s relatively high performance compared to more basic scooters. NIU also rates the KQi 200F for riders up to 265 pounds (120 kg).

The KQi 200F comes with 10 x 2.3-inch pneumatic tires, which should offer a smoother ride than the smaller or solid tires found on many ultra-portable scooters. The front suspension fork also helps contribute to that smoother ride. The scooter includes dual-wheel braking with a front disc brake combined with rear regenerative braking for enhanced stopping power. NIU claims a stopping distance of just 14 feet (4.2 meters) at moderate speeds.

The scooter also includes a bright LED headlight, taillight, and integrated side lighting for nighttime safety, along with handlebar-mounted turn signals to increase the chances of cars actually seeing and correctly interpreting the turn signal lights.

On the tech side, the scooter connects to the NIU app via Bluetooth, allowing riders to lock the scooter remotely, customize riding modes, track rides, and monitor battery health. An LED dashboard display on the handlebars shows speed, battery level, and riding mode at a glance. And for customization on the hardware side, NIU offers multiple grip tape options allowing riders to play with the scooter’s aesthetics (though the scooter still only comes in a single color that I like to call NIU Gray).

The KQi 200F is priced at $799, but carries a $100 discount for $699 during its launch, positioning it competitively against other mid-range electric scooters. In addition to competitive pricing, NIU is banking on its reputation as a major smart scooter company (known for both standing and seated scooters) to differentiate itself in the increasingly crowded market.

For those unfamiliar with NIU, the company was founded in 2014 and quickly made a name for itself, producing connected electric mopeds and scooters for urban commuters. In fact, we recently took a trip to the company’s factory to get a peek behind the scenes at how they produce millions of these smart e-scooters.

NIU now operates in over 50 countries and has sold millions of vehicles worldwide. In the US, NIU is best known for its standing electric scooters and expanding line of commuter e-mopeds or seated e-scooters, but in Europe and Asia, their seated e-scooters dominate their lineup.

Electrek’s Take

By offering folding handlebars on the KQi 200F, NIU seems to be targeting city dwellers who may have limited storage space or need to mix scooter commuting with public transportation. It’s an interesting move, especially as demand for last-mile solutions continues to grow and cities worldwide encourage alternatives to car ownership.

NIU has long been known for its tech-focused scooters, and so in addition to getting what appears to be a nicely-performing ride, I think a big part of the value here is the connectivity that NIU builds into these things. I’ve got a NIU KQi 200F with my name on it that I’m excited to get testing with shortly, so I’ll be sure to come back and let you guys know what I think.