Micromobility, or moving around the city on compact and light electric vehicles, is gaining popularity in Ukrainian cities as well. Indeed, it is very hard not to notice the constant increase in electric scooters, electric bicycles, and unicycles. This transport is great for short trips around the city and due to the development of cycling infrastructure, it is sometimes faster and more convenient than public transport.
Therefore, it is not surprising that more and more companies are entering this market, even if it is completely atypical for them. One such example is the Kyiv-based brand Hator, which our readers may know by gaming peripherals such as mice, keyboards, microphones, and headphones. Recently, the company’s portfolio was replenished with its first electric scooter, named eHator Model Pro. It’s a pretty massive and powerful model, so in this review, I’ll focus on its capabilities and use in the city.
Design and specifications of eHator Model Pro
eHator Model Pro is a two-wheel electric scooter with a classic design for such models and a folding structure that allows you to fold the rack with the steering wheel back and lock it for more compact storage.
The scooter is available only in dark gray color with small orange reflective elements that increase safety when moving around the city.
The height of the steering wheel is not adjustable, but it is more than enough for comfortable use during trips. On the steering wheel, the user will be able to find a digital LCD screen that shows up-to-date information about the trip, including speed, driving mode, and mileage.
The eHator Model Pro is equipped with 10-inch wheels with tubeless tires. The latter have a good protector, which will help when driving on wet asphalt, however, it is worth noting that when you buy a new scooter, the tires will smell of rubber for a certain time. This is worth considering if you decide to just keep the scooter in the hallway.
One of the advantages of the eHator Model Pro is the dual shock absorbers on both the front and rear wheels of the e-scooter. This significantly increases comfort when driving on cobblestones, slabs, or simply uneven asphalt. If you’ve ever ridden a rental or just a scooter without shock absorption, you know that even a small obstacle can hurt your hands on the steering wheel. The effective suspension of the eHator Model Pro almost completely eliminates this problem, you can calmly drive over low curbs, tram rails, and not-too-deep potholes.
Additional strength of the electric scooter is provided by the cast disc of the front wheel, which bears the main load. In total, the eHator Model Pro is rated for a weight of up to 120 kg and is equipped with front drum and rear disc brakes for effective stopping. The bearings in the wheels have IP54 protection and must withstand the ingress of dust and splashes of water.
The electric motor of the eHator Model Pro has a power of 500 W, which can increase to 1000 W for a short time, which of course affects the battery life. In addition, the brushless design of the motor provides a relatively quiet operation and is more reliable than older electric motors with polarity reversal brushes.
The dimensions of the eHator Model Pro when unfolded reach 1235 mm in height and 1210 mm in length. If you fold the steering wheel, the height will decrease to 510 mm. The weight of the model does not change in any way and reaches 24.5 kg. This is almost twice as much as in many popular consumer electric scooters, and this must be taken into account, because not everyone will be comfortable even just picking up this model, for example, to carry it up the stairs. However, this is a price for greater power of the electric motor and greater capacity of the built-in battery. So with more weight, the eHator Model Pro has its advantages.
Usability, speed and battery life
The steering wheel of the eHator Model Pro has large rubber pads of a slightly flattened shape, which are comfortable to hold while driving. In addition to them, the steering wheel can offer the already mentioned LCD, which is visible even in bright light, as well as a smartphone mount and a USB Type-A charging port, into which a USB-C adapter is inserted out of the box.
In this way, you can not only use navigation from your smartphone while driving but also recharge it, which is quite convenient. The phone mount itself is made of strong plastic and rubberized panels that hold the device firmly. However, it is difficult to say how the bolt-on design will hold up over time.
On the back side of the steering tube, there is a special hook that has a dual purpose. First, it allows you to fix the entire structure in a folded form, clinging to a special slot in the back of the case. And secondly, you can hang a bag or an umbrella on it during the trip.
Another important element of the steering wheel is a 2.5 W flashlight, which will be needed in the evening. It illuminates a not too large, but sufficient area in front of the scooter to safely avoid obstacles. The rear red running light is also bright enough and has a flashing mode when braking.
The maximum speed of the eHator Model Pro reaches 35 km/h, which is one of the highest for electric scooters in general. Of course, it will be possible to accelerate so strongly only on straight sections, and if there are plans to do so, then it is worth using a helmet immediately. However, the eHator Model Pro shows good speed even while going uphill, but it is worth considering that during a long ascent, the engine may heat up and after that for a certain time it will not allow you to drive at the maximum speed, dropping it to 25 km/h.
Through the M key under the LCD screen, you can select the speed mode, it can be “eco” – up to 15 km/h, “normal” – up to 25 km/h, or “sport” – up to 35 km/h. This can be done through the eHator app, available for Android and iOS. It is not very beautiful in terms of interface or functionality, but it copes with its task. In it, you can lock the scooter if you stopped on the street and went, for example, at a cafe for coffee, set your own “comfort” driving mode, choosing your maximum speed value.
In addition, the application allows you to turn on the light (the same can be done by pressing the power button under the steering wheel) and even configure the cruise control with its version of the cruising speed.
For braking, the eHator Model Pro has two knobs on both sides of the steering wheel, and it’s best to press them at the same time. Especially in a new scooter, the brakes are very sharp, so you have to be more careful. In general, even from maximum speed, the eHator does not have a very long braking distance. However, with such frequent stops, the brakes will require maintenance sooner.
I will also note the presence of a loud bell, which can be useful when driving around the city, but of course not to scare passers-by on the sidewalks.
The declared range of the eHator Model Pro reaches 80 km, however, like all manufacturers, Hator brings special ideal conditions – a user weight of 75 kg and a maximum speed of 15 km/h on a level road. Therefore, in general, the range depends very much on the physiological characteristics of the user, the route, and the speed.
With a weight of 90 kg, you can count on 30-50 km of mileage with a maximum speed of 35 km/h. Accordingly, the quieter you drive, the further you will be. In general, if it is necessary to overcome 10 km every day in a mixed driving mode, the battery life of the electric scooter should be enough for almost the entire working week.
The eHator Model Pro is charged from the included power supply unit, which will take 7 hours to fully charge the 48V 15.6 A⋅h electric scooter battery.
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