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:
- Return to distributor
- Do-it-yourself
- Scooter sharing gig mechanics
- Local personal electric vehicle (PEV) repair shops
- Bike shops
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.
Scooter sharing gig mechanics
If you don’t have time or aren’t mechanically inclined, we are building a listing of local electric scooter mechanics. These are mostly individuals who do gig work for Bird and other scooter sharing companies.
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).