Gotrax XR elite commuting electric scooter is the latest update to GoTrax line of electric scooter. This newest electric scooter model comes with a slightly improved battery life stability and side reflectors to keep you safe at night.
We’ll compare the GoTrax XR Elite with other models from the GoTrax lineup, including the GoTrax XR Ultra and the GoTrax GXL V2.
GoTrax has always been best known for budget priced electric scooters that just about anybody can afford and the XR Elite here is no different. Price at $399. This would definitely make a great entry level scooter for anyone watching their spending or whoever needs a set of electric wheels to get around on the cheap.
How it Rides
Riding this scooter on big hills is out of the question and for that you would be better off going with a bigger scooter. This scooter is flat Land Cruiser designed for light hill duty and regular old flat land cruising which describes a lot of cities.
But it’s just fine as a budget entry level scooter and we can see it making a lot of people happy.
Let’s talk about specs:
The Motor
You’ll find a 300 watt continuous motor upfront. GoTrax doesn’t say what the peak power is, but it’s likely close to or slightly above the 430 watt peak rating of the previous version of this scooter GoTrax XR Ultra.
The Speed
The GoTrax XR Elite can get up to 15.5 miles per hour.
The Range
The GoTrax XR Elite, you’ll now get a slightly better range, giving you 18 miles on a single charge while the GoTrax Ultra will get you 16 miles and the GXL V2 at 12 miles of range.
We did a range test on the GoTrax XR Elite riding with a 160 lb rider through city streets, going full speed the whole time with plenty of stops and goes and even a few hills.
We were able to get the full 18 miles and still had a little bit of battery left at the end. Keep in mind that the range will always fluctuate based on the rider weight and the type of terrain you’re riding on.
Go tracks also did away with multiple speed modes on the Elite. With the Ultra and V2,
you had the ability to change between two speed modes. With mode 2 giving you a max speed of 15 miles per hour
However on the GoTrax XR Elite.
You aren’t given the option to change speed modes, but still have a mach speed of 15 miles per hour. We actually really like this. On previous models. It felt a little hard to change the mode using the single button and would always default to mode one when turning it back on.
Testing Evaluation
Tested against similar models within the same category
Main Features:
- Riders Weight Limit | 220 lbs
- Motor | 300 watt
- Range | 18.6 miles
- Battery | 36V 7.8aH
- Speed | 15.5 mph
The Battery
The 36 volt battery clocks in at 7.8 amp hours, which is a slight improvement over the GoTrax XR Ultra. This larger battery bumps the capacity up from 250 watt hours to 280. GoTrax will tell you that equals 18 miles of range. But that’s when you’re riding around in slow mode if you’re going fast expect to get closer to 15 miles of range, which is still pretty darn good for what amounts to one of the cheapest electric scooters out there.
You know, going into a scooter like this, that you aren’t getting a huge battery for 400 bucks, but 280 watt hours is still decent and the range is better than we expected.
The Suspension
Of course not everything is so rosy. There’s no suspension on the scooter which may be a deal breaker for some people, which also means that your legs end up becoming the suspension however as long as you can avoid potholes, you should be fine.
When it comes to riding over small debris or bricks, the air-filled tires will go part of the way to absorbing road shock, though the lack of suspension is definitely still noticeable.
The Portability
One thing I’ve always loved about the GoTrax XR models is the folding mechanism. Not only is there that giant red lever, but it comes with a second safety mechanism that you have to pull out and twist first, which prevents accidental folds.
Other Features
You do get a ton of reflectors, which is nice since there’s only one light on this thing and it’s upfront.
We would have preferred active lighting around the scooter, but with this electric scooter at this budget price, we don’t have a lot of expectations
Over all this electric scooter looks well put together. Ultimately, this is what we would call a good, not great scooter. It’s fine. It’s decent. It’s good enough.
If you have a relatively flat commute of four or five miles, this thing would be perfect for you.
Or if you have the option of charging at your destination, you could do a 10 mile commute.
Construction and Design
Taking a look at the built, one of the biggest differences with the GoTrax XR Elite is that the battery is now built into the bottom deck of the scooter instead of the stem.
This makes the scooter feel more balanced compared to the Ultra and the GXL V2, which did feel a little more front heavy with the battery in the stem.
This also makes the deck slightly thicker and wider than previous models. The elite is also slightly heavier now at 32 pounds instead of 26 pounds.
Another update we’re happy to see that GoTrax made was hiding the brake line within the stem. On the Ultra and GLX V2. The brake line ran down the outside of the stem, which made carrying the scooter a little uncomfortable.
The GoTrax XR Elite also sports some new reflectors on the site’s back and front of the scooter, as well as an improved LCD, headlight and the new addition of an LED tail light giving you a much safer ride at night.
The elite still has the same dual lock mechanism for folding the scooter as the previous ultra model. This additional security latch on the side was not included in the original V2 model, which was not a big deal.
Although the dual lock is safe and sturdy, it is not the easiest folding mechanism and sometimes the stem of the scooter can fall into your head If you’re not careful.
What’s in the Box
It comes nearly fully assembled with the handlebars detached as well as the charger, the instruction manual and some simple tools.
Assembly is super easy. All you need to do is remove the red folding clip, plug in the connections, insert the handlebar and tighten everything up. You’ll also need to hook off the brake line, charge up and you’re ready to ride.
Testing Evaluation
Tested against similar models within the same category
Main Features:
- Riders Weight Limit | 220 lbs
- Motor | 300 watt
- Range | 18.6 miles
- Battery | 36V 7.8aH
- Speed | 15.5 mph
