NIU the brainchild of the former CTO of Baidu and Microsoft employee is one of the most innovative exports to come out of China to date to tackle the automotive industry's energy usage and environmental impact. One of the most interesting developments from NIU in the creation of the U1 is that the scooter was impacted heavily from first hand primary research where over 150,000 riders and more than 1 million kilometers of usage data from NIU’s popular N-Series and M-Series scooters were taken into account for the specifics of the urban e-scooter that is the U1.
The U1 is provided with a 1,500 watt optimised Bosch electric motor that provides 92.6% efficiency. Despite the U1's perceptively lightweight frame, this e-scooter has exceptional carry capacity and strong frame. With additional features such as motor-lock innovation, providing protection from theft, the U1 is prepared for a busy inner city lifestyle.
Additional features of the U1 include Panasonic 18650 Lithium-ion batteries, which remarkably are of the same type as the Tesla Model S, with a range of 25 miles. The start function is a wireless key fob that has a range of 50m, a NIU standard feature, however, relatively un-interesting after the first few uses. As NIU look to optimise all of their ranges with the latest tech, the U1 comes with a connected smartphone app to monitor vehicle health and provide any cloud updates when necessary.
The U1 smartphone app has battery monitoring to GPS riding history, keeping riders up to date with the scooters whereabouts and the overall health of the U1. Also, when the scooter is being moved, the rider receives a notification that the scooter may be being stolen. If for any reason the U1 is needed to be tracked, the apps real-time GPS is an essential anti-theft feature, that we love!!
The RideTo favourite feature of the U1's many awesome smart features is the EBS braking system, with a braking distance of a staggering 1.4 meters that also provides a Kinetic Energy Recovery System, which returns energy to the battery every time you break, now that's a cool feature!
Available Colours: White, Red, Blue, Red/Black.
Model year reviewed: 2019
