A stealthy electric scooter with extra wide 9.5" tires that keep it upright almost without the kickstand... turning requires a bit more force from the arms like a motorcycle
Super quiet but powerful 800 watt gearless hub motor, these are known for being durable and long lasting, variable speed twist throttle is smooth and intuitive (full grip twist design)
Available in three color combinations but only one frame size, the bars are adjustable forward and back for a relaxed upright body position, you can stand for comfort when riding over bumps
Beautiful looking plastic fenders should keep you dry and clean, the battery offers good capacity but isn't removable which could make charging difficult, servicing flats or changing tires might require the help of a motorcycle shop, it's heavy
In my opinion the SEEV-800 electric scooter is one of the most affordable but cool looking electric scooters around! Lots of other mostly-plastic scooters have arrived in the US for similar or even lower prices but many times they use heavy short-lived Sealed Lead Acid battery packs. By comparison, the SEEV uses a powerful and large 48 volt 20 amp hour Lithium-ion pack that’s mounted below the standing deck (providing balance and improving the aesthetic). From the side, it almost looks like the seat is floating and there’s so much room between the seat and bars that Sam, the owner of the Electric Bicycle Center in Fullerton, CA (where I reviewed the scooter) explained that some users ride with their kids standing in front of them. That’s pretty awesome! I found myself standing sometimes for fun and to help absorb bumps with my knees vs. sitting and loved how adjustable the bars were. I believe this e-scooter would feel good to a wide range of riders, tall and short alike.
What you don’t get here is storage or lights. That’s part of what makes other competing scooters versatile and competitive with gas powered scooters but here they just aren’t used. All you get is a basic red reflector on the rear fender, there are no turn signals, nowhere to store your gear like a locking box or cubby and no hooks for purses. I feel like the SEEV-800 focuses on style and fun more than utility but that doesn’t mean it wouldn’t work for transport to school or work, just use a backpack. The motor powering this scooter is a sturdy gearless design built right into the rear hub. At first glance you can hardly tell there’s a motor or battery at all but as demonstrated in the video, it does produce a soft electronic whir when activated. One area I feel like the whole bike falls short is with display feedback, you don’t have pedals here so if the battery runs all the way out you’ll have to get off and push but since the display is so minimal (just showing three LED dots to designate charge level) I feel like I’d constantly be ending rides soon just to avoid getting stranded. Many competing scooters and electric bikes have LCD displays with 10 bar battery indicators that deliver much more peace of mind.
The SEEV-800 was kept simple but it looks great and the packaging for the 2 Amp charger and keys is actually better than most. Other areas where it excels are with the large sturdy 203 mm hydraulic disc brakes front and rear. They are easy to use and provide the necessary stopping power you’d expect from something that’s more like a car. And on that note, this thing isn’t easy to classify… It’s not a bicycle because there are no pedals and it’s not quite a street legal moped which would require a license and insurance to operate. It doesn’t have the necessary lights, signals and DOT approval to be ridden in traffic so it becomes something of a toy to be used on private property. In practice I realize most will just use it around town without issue but given the legal definition of an electric bicycle (750 watt or lower motor and pedals) this thing ends up in a sort of no-man’s land. Please be careful when riding.
Pros:
Extremely easy to mount and stand over thanks to the low-step deck, both feet easily fit onto the deck which has grip tape all the way up for plenty of traction
Minimalist design is very iconic, the seat feels good and seems to support weight well even for larger riders like Sam who weighs ~260 lbs, it’s quiet to ride so people might not even realize it’s motorized
Available in at least two colors (black and white) but I’d probably choose white for improved visibility at night, there are no lights just a rear reflector
Extra large 203 mm hydraulic disc brakes with thick rotors and oversized levers more like what you’d find on an ATV or motorcycle
Powerful but quiet motor that’s well concealed in the rear wheel… same for the battery pack which is mounted below the deck vs. inside a box that’s tacked on somewhere, it’s stealthy
Adjustable handlebar is comfortable to reach… you don’t have to lean far forward or stress your back/neck, I like that it can be angled down or up depending on your torso and arm length
The tires are 9.5″ wide making them very stable (it almost stands up on its own) and I bet they handle soft terrain like sand and snow fairly well but was not able to test for sure (consider lowering air pressure in very soft terrain)
The charging port is super small, nearly hidden, located on the right side near the rear wheel axle, should be protected by the metal frame and has a cap to keep water and dust out
The deck is long and Sam was saying that some customers ride with a friend or kid standing on the front while they sit… you can stand or sit while operating this thing and I found that standing while going over large bumps is more comfortable
Because there are no gears, no chain and very few other moving parts this scooter should be very durable… the gearless motor is also known for being maintenance free and long lasting
The box for the charger was really nice, made a better impression than the brown generic cardboard boxes with a lot of ebikes I review, love that it comes with two keys and a nice charger with a long cord (since the battery isn’t removable from the SEEV800
Cons:
Rides more like a motorcycle than a bicycle or scooter with narrow wheels, requires a bit of getting used to in order to push and hold the handlebars
Very heavy, might require a ramp or two people to load into a truck bed or trailer, not easy to take upstairs but the plastic/fiberglass fenders aren’t as tough as steel if left outside (avoid scratching or damaging)
The design looks cool, it almost appears like you’re floating when viewed from the side, but there’s nowhere to stow extra gear, no locking boxes or trays and nowhere to mount a bag or rack so you probably need to wear a backpack or drill into the deck and do something custom
The battery isn’t easily removable which means you’ll have to park the SEEV-800 near a wall outlet in order to charge and considering how large and heavy it is that could be a challenge
The front wheel doesn’t turn all the way to 90°, it sort of bumps against the frame around 45° so turning radius isn’t quite as tight as it could be, thankfully it’s easy to put a foot down and back it up to do a multi-point turn
If you get a flat tire on this scooter you might need to take it to a motorcycle shop because it requires tools and a lot of strength to get the tires off compared with a bicycle and some smaller tire designs on other scooters
With such a minimal display there’s less to get broken and the cost stays low but you can’t tell how fast you’re going, how far you’ve ridden or really how much battery is left… you get a basic red, yellow, green LED cluster that estimates battery charge, I do like how the ignition is built in and easy to reach and the twist throttle feels good
A bit too powerful to be an electric bicycle (plus no pedals) but not quite a scooter either (no lights or turn signals) so it’s officially classified as something of a toy to be use on off highway vehicle OHV trails or private property
Can the SEEV-800 be ridden in the rain? How weather-proof is it?
Court Rye
7 years ago
Howdy! Yeah, I’m pretty sure this is a rain-resistant product… especially given the integrated fenders. The battery compartment appeared to be very well sealed underneath and generally speaking, direct drive motors are durable and long lasting. The display and throttle are a bit vulnerable but not any different than other scooters and ebikes I’ve reviewed over the years. You could probably rinse the whole thing off after rides and be fine as long as you don’t spray super hard around the electronics. Most frames are engineered to drain and be weather resistant and work fine as long as you don’t flip them upside down or use high pressure water or air. Here’s a guide I wrote about this topic a while back really focusing on ebikes with some good photos and examples :)
Anon
7 years agoCan the SEEV-800 be ridden in the rain? How weather-proof is it?
Court Rye
7 years agoHowdy! Yeah, I’m pretty sure this is a rain-resistant product… especially given the integrated fenders. The battery compartment appeared to be very well sealed underneath and generally speaking, direct drive motors are durable and long lasting. The display and throttle are a bit vulnerable but not any different than other scooters and ebikes I’ve reviewed over the years. You could probably rinse the whole thing off after rides and be fine as long as you don’t spray super hard around the electronics. Most frames are engineered to drain and be weather resistant and work fine as long as you don’t flip them upside down or use high pressure water or air. Here’s a guide I wrote about this topic a while back really focusing on ebikes with some good photos and examples :)