What do you do if your e scooter breaks? It can be hard to find a repair shop. As with many emerging technologies, the service sector hasn’t quite caught up with the product. Where can you go to get your electric scooter fixed?
Never fear! In this guide you’ll learn what your options are if you find yourself in need of an electric scooter repair.
Electric Scooter Repairs
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.
Do-It-Yourself Repairs
You can do most common repairs yourself 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).
On the other hand, some of our favorite e scooters to ride, such as the EMOVE Cruiser, also happen to be some of the most repair-friendly models on the market, with abundant parts available online.
Do a little research before purchasing to find out how easy it is to do the most common electric scooter repairs like fixing flat tires, adjusting brakes, and tightening loose parts.
Routine Maintenance
An ounce of prevention…
Doing routine maintenance on your electric scooter can prevent much bigger problems down the road. If you ride your scooter frequently, this should include checking the air pressure on pneumatic tires at least once a month and topping off when low. (See our guide on electric scooter tires.)
If your e scooter has disc brakes, you should wipe down the rotors with rubbing alcohol and a clean, damp cloth and let air-dry once a week to remove grit and road grime that can prematurely wear down brake pads. (What kind of brakes do you have? See here.)
Check your scooter for loose screws, especially around moving parts like folding stem locks and folding handlebar hinges.
Nearly all DIY repairs can be done with tools you already have around the house or in the car.
Read the Service Manual
We know, it’s boring and no one wants to read them. But they exist for a reason. If you don’t have a paper copy, you will likely be able to find your model’s manual on the manufacturer’s website.
YouTube is a DIY Goldmine
You can see ESG’s guides to DIY electric scooter repair to learn how to fix some common problems.
You’ll also find a wealth of electric scooter repair content on YouTube, with video tutorials covering most major brands, models, and repair issues.
Below are just a few recommended channels from some top retailers and manufacturers. Although these channels focus on specific makes and models, they contain useful general information for all scooter owners.
- Voro Workshop. Official repair channel of Voro Motors. Filled with useful tips, tricks, and guides for basic repairs.
- Kaabo Official. Fixing one of the many awesome scooters made by Kaabo? Start here.
- Pure Electric: videos about repairing Pure scooters contain some good general info (including a guide to deep cleaning)
- Apollo Scooters. Great info for setting up and maintaining Apollo’s many models.
- Solar Scooters. Excellent channel from emerging makers Solar.
ESG Forums
Because many electric scooter problems end up being relatively simple to fix (sometimes with a bit of guidance), you can seek advice in our forums if you get stuck. The ESG Forums are 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).
Return to Distributor or Retailer
If you bought your electric scooter from a reliable distributor, you may be 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 return policy and warranty information before buying.
Check Your Warranty!
Look for warranty information on major parts like the motor, battery, steering parts, and other components. The vast majority of electric scooter repairs are minor, but it’s good to have peace-of-mind coverage for these major parts as well.
In our experience, a retailer with a presence in your home country will provide better customer support. Large, overseas distributors on Alibaba or Amazon will not be able to support you as well due to prohibitively expensive shipping costs and a large volume of sales.
Most large general distributors, wherever they’re located, will not employ professional mechanics who do electric scooter repair. Sellers who specialize in electric vehicles will offer the best customer support and service because of their product knowledge and their in-house scooter mechanics.
Retailers With Premium Repair Shops and Customer Support
Below are three retailers who offer exceptional service and customer support for their electric scooters through their own repair shops in several major cities.
These manufacturer licensed shops perform warranty and non-warranty service on most electric scooter parts.
Voro Motors
Retail shops and service centers in Brooklyn, NY, Los Angeles and Kapolei, HI, just outside Honolulu. Learn more about Voro’s servicing here. Search hundreds of parts and accessories from Voro here.
Fluid Freeride
One of the best electric scooter distributors with authorized service centers all over the U.S. Learn more about Fluid’s service & support here. Find hundreds of spare parts here.
Electric Kicks
The best electric scooter retailer and repair shop in Australia. Located in Melbourne. Learn more about EK’s repairs and servicing here.
Local Electric Vehicle Service Shops
While rare, independent local shops that fix a range of personal electric vehicles are popping up in many major cities. You might even be lucky enough to live near an electric scooter repair shop or a few independent scooter mechanics. If you’re not sure, a quick Google search for “electric scooter repair near me” should turn up anything nearby.
Bike Shops
When all else fails visit your local bike shop. Some bicycle repair shops will perform scooter repairs, but the vast majority won’t touch them. Bike shops that also work on electric bicycles might be more inclined and less intimidated (or worried about liability).
