What can you do if your electric scooter needs a repair? As can be expected with many new technologies, service facilities are not fully established. Never fear! In this guide you’ll learn what your options are and what to do if you find yourself with a broken scooter.
Electric scooter repair
If you put enough miles on your scooter, chances are you will have to do some type of maintenance. In fact, you can expect some type of repair every 550 miles or about 6.5 months of use, on average. Most likely it will be a flat tire or brake adjustment.
Your options for repair are:
- ESG forums
- Repair finder
- Return to distributor
- Do-it-yourself
- Local personal electric vehicle (PEV) repair shops
- Bike shops
ESG Forums
Because many electric scooter problems end up being relatively simple to fix (sometimes with a bit of guidance), your best bet is to seek advice in forums. The ESG Forums are one of the fastest-growing online forums for all things electric scooter related and is teeming with experts and enthusiasts,
Ask your repair question in the ESG forums (you’ll need to sign up to post, but it’s quick and painless). Best of all, you can even login with your Facebook account (if you don’t want to create a new one).
Repair finder
We are beta-testing a repair finder that allows you to search for local electric scooter repair mechanics / shops near you.
Check out our PEV Repair Finder.
Return to distributor
If you bought your electric scooter from a reliable distributor, you are in luck. Depending on their policy and time since purchase, you can probably send it back for repair or replacement. If you’re doing research for an electric scooter purchase, then definitely make sure to check out the distributors policy and warranty information before buying. In our experience, a distributor with a presence in your home country will better support you. Overseas distributors on Alibaba will not be able to support you as well due to prohibitively expensive shipping costs.
Do-it-yourself repair
You can do most common repairs if you have a maintenance-friendly scooter. Be aware that even some of the most common and popular electric scooter models are not maintenance friendly e.g. Segway Ninebot models. Typical repairs are fixing flat tires, changing tires, adjusting brakes, and fixing squeaks and loose parts.
See our guide to DIY electric scooter repair to learn how to fix the most problem problems.
PEV repair shops
Local personal electric vehicle shops are popping up in most urban areas. Some repairs are best left to the professionals. You might be lucky enough to live near one of these. If you’re not sure, a quick Google search should turn up anything near you.
Bike shops
When all else fails visit your local bike shop. Some bike shops will perform scooter repairs, but the vast majority won’t touch them. Bike shops that also work on electric bicycles will be more inclined and less intimidated (or worried about liability).