A 30 mph full-suspension electric scooter that looks striking and rides great: Kugoo Kirin G3 review
There are so many electric scooters these days that it’s becoming hard to keep them straight, so let’s complicate things even more by throwing another one into the mix! It’s time to take a deep dive into the Kugoo Kirin G3 electric scooter and see how it stacks up against the rest of the market.
Kugoo Kirin G3 tech specs
- Motor: 1,200W rear hub motor
- Battery: 52V 18Ah (936 Wh)
- Top speed: 31 mph (50 km/h)
- Range: up to 40 miles (64 km)
- Weight: 56 lb (25 kg)
- Load capacity: 265 lb (120 kg)
- Suspension: Front and rear spring suspension
- Brakes: Front and rear disc brakes, rear motor braking
- Extras: Front and rear LED lights, LCD touchscreen display, right thumb throttle, odometer, rear kick plate, sturdy folding bolt to lock out folding, kickstand
- Price: $1,099
Kugoo Kirin G3 video review
To see the Kugoo Kirin G3 electric scooter in action, take a look at my video review below!
How fast can it go?
The Kugoo Kirin G3 is a fast electric scooter, reaching 31 mph (50 km/h) at full bore.
I did find though that when the battery was partially depleted, I sometimes struggled to hit 29 or 30 mph. Even so, it still felt quite fast at those speeds.
You can put the scooter in lower power modes that limit the speed, but I mostly kept it in the highest power mode. You can always limit your own speed by using less throttle, so I imagine that you’ll likely use the highest power level, too.
The only time I can think of that it would be helpful to use a lower power mode is either in the rain when you want to be extra careful, or when letting a novice friend borrow the scooter for a test ride.
How far can it go?
The Kugoo Kirin G3 is rated with a maximum range of up to 40 miles (64 km), thanks to the large 52V and 18Ah lithium-ion battery housed in the deck.
The thing about that range, though, is that you’ll likely only see a true 40 miles if you’re riding much slower.
If you’re like me and hitting the top speed on every straightaway that can allow it, you’ll never see a true 40 miles of range.
But if you can average closer to 20 mph, you might actually get close to that 40 mile figure.
What about the components?
The scooter itself actually feels quite well made. You don’t get some of the nicer parts like hydraulic disc brakes, but the mechanical disc brakes still feel plenty punchy. They bite down hard and give good stopping power.
The full-suspension absolutely makes for a better ride, and I even had a blast going off-road with the scooter.
The screen on the Kugoo Kirin G3 is large and easily readable, though I’m not sure I like the idea of a touchscreen. There’s a reason that most electric scooters have physical buttons near the handlebar ends – it’s so you can easily access the inputs without taking your hands off the bars.
With the touchscreen, you have to basically let go of one bar end if you want to play with the controls in motion. It’s also hard to hit the button accurately when the scooter is bouncing around since there’s no physical button to feel for. You’re just stabbing at a moving screen, which feels like a serious miss to me.
Other than that, though, the main build quality and component choice decisions seem on point. I even like the bicycle bell included in the brake lever and the smattering of LED lights spread around the scooter to keep it visible at night.
Can it fold easily?
The folding mechanism is quite robust, which is critical in a fast electric scooter that will surely see some serious jarring around at high speeds.
There’s a massive bolt in the front end that is screwed through the stem, which also does double duty as a reflector. It’s there to lock the scooter in the upright, unfolded position. The only way for the scooter to fold on you while riding is to somehow break through a 1/4″ steel bolt – good luck with that.
The downside is that it takes much longer to fold this scooter than almost any other electric scooter I’ve tested, but if I had to choose between fast folding and secure folding, I’ll take the latter every time.
The only other odd thing about the folding is the way it locks in the down position. There’s an orange strap that loops around the rear kick plate. It works fine, but it doesn’t feel like the most elegant solution. It also means that the strap flaps around while you’re riding, as you can see in my video at the top of this article.
Maybe having a waving orange flag is a safety feature, not a bug. It’s all a matter of perspective!
Sum it all up for me!
All told, I’d say the Kugoo Kirin G3 is actually quite nice to ride. For its $1,099 price, it feels like a fair deal.
The scooter is fast, powerful, and comfortable to ride, even at high speeds.
It handles nicely and has a sturdy design. I even like the orange on black color scheme that continues right through to the orange flapping strap.
For a quick and powerful scooter, it gets the job done and looks pretty darn good while doing it.
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On today’s informative episode of Quick Charge, we’ve got Honda engineers Jason Hwang and Emilio Sanchez to talk us through some of the things that make the GM Ultium-based Honda Prologue EV feel like a real Honda, and why that matters.
Jason and Emilio talk about some of the choices they made to make the Honda Prologue and Acura ZDX feel different from its GM-branded cousins, and explain why this was much more than a case of badge-engineering. Give it a listen, then let us know what you think of the Prologue and ZDX in the comments.
Today’s episode is sponsored by BLUETTI, a leading provider of portable power stations, solar generators, and energy storage systems. For a limited time, save up to 52% during BLUETTI’s exclusive Black Friday sale, now through November 28, and be sure to use promo code BLUETTI5OFF for 5% off all power stations site wide. Learn more by clicking here.
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Read more: All my favorite EVs, racecars, and robots from Electrify Expo Austin.
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The first EV charging hub funded by the Charging and Fueling Infrastructure (CFI) Program in the Eastern US is now online in Deerfield, Massachusetts.
The town installed the region’s first DC fast chargers (four ports), along with four Level 2 chargers, at 59 North Main Street in South Deerfield.
These new charging stations, funded with $2.46 million from the CFI program, are conveniently located near Interstate 91 in Franklin County, the most rural county in Massachusetts, which serves drivers from Connecticut up to the Canadian border.
The hub also features local and regional bus stops and designated bike lanes with secure onsite bike racks. The chargers are meant to cater to everyone: from local residents and visitors to municipal EVs and commercial vehicles that service the region’s businesses, like those in food and beverage manufacturing.
Gabe Klein, executive director of the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation, sees this as a model for future projects:
Multi-modal charging hubs in communities are key to giving more people the choice to ride and drive electric. The Town of Deerfield is showing leadership in building out convenient charging infrastructure that brings new transportation choices to rural and disadvantaged communities while supporting local commerce.
In recent years, Deerfield has experienced increased climate change-driven flooding from nearby rivers, including the Deerfield River, the Connecticut River, and the Bloody Brook. The project incorporates environmental engineering designed to mitigate and adapt to the effects of flooding and climate, including the installation of permeable asphalt and rain gardens, planting of native trees, grasses, and shrubs, and the creation of new greenspace in the center of Deerfield.
The Biden-Harris administration’s CFI Grant Program is expanding EV infrastructure nationwide. It offers grants for projects that complement and expand upon the initiatives of the NEVI program in urban, rural, and disadvantaged and low-income communities. So far, the CFI Grant Program has allocated over $1 billion to nearly 100 projects across the US, encouraging private investments and expanding the EV charging network to make EV ownership more practical and convenient.
Read more: The US reaches milestone of 200,000+ public EV charging ports
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Kia’s upcoming EV4 electric sedan was just spotted testing in the US for the first time. The low-cost EV is expected to make its big debut by the end of the year. Here’s a look at the new model.
The EV4 will round out Kia’s new “EVs for all” master plan launched last year. Kia showcased three new models, the EV3, EV4, and EV5, during its first annual EV Day in October 2023.
During the event, Kia outlined its new global strategy to “lead and accelerate the EV revolution” with a wide range of models priced from $30,000 to $80,000.
Kia plans to rapidly expand its lineup with a series of smaller, lower-priced models. It launched the EV9, its first three-row electric SUV, which is already proving to be a hot seller in the US. Starting at under $55,000, the EV9 is still a great deal compared to others in its class, but Kia plans to go even lower.
The EV3 and EV4 are expected to be among the most affordable electric vehicles when they arrive in the US.
Kia’s new EV4 is now testing in the US
Ahead of its official debut, Kia’s new EV4 sedan was recently caught driving on US streets for the first time.
The latest image from KindelAuto doesn’t reveal much more than what’s been shown in the past, but the fact that it’s now testing in the US is significant.
Kia’s EV3 is already on sale in Korea, starting at around $30,000 (42.08 million won). Earlier this week, the company said its new compact SUV is now available across Europe, starting at around $38,000 (36,000 euros) with a “segment-leading range” of up to 375 miles (WLTP).
Next up will be the EV4. Kia is expected to officially reveal the new EV by the end of the year, with deliveries starting in 2025. It could be as soon as next week at the 2024 LA Auto Show.
The interior will feature Kia’s advanced new ccNC infotainment system with dual 12.3″ navigation and driver display screens. An otherwise minalimalistic design is expected inside.
Kia’s EV4 will also be available in a hatchback variant. Although the hatch is likely aimed at European buyers, it was also recently spotted testing in the US for the first time.
We will learn official prices closer to launch, but the EV4 is expected to start at around $35,000 to $40,000.
Kia is teasing five new vehicles for the US, at least one being a new EV, that will debut at the LA Auto Show next week. Will it be the EV3? EV4?
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