I have the Xiaomi 4 Lite electric scooter for only a few days and I have already noticed some things that everyone considering buying a scooter should know.
1. The mileage in relation to battery consumption is not accurate. The actual consumption is about 70-75% of what is stated.
As you can see in the image I have uploaded along with this review, there is a slight difference between the actual mileage and the mileage shown by the battery consumption. After routes 1 and 2, the actual mileage was 2.7 km while the battery consumption showed 4 km.
After route 3, the actual distance was 1.3 km while the battery consumption showed 1 km.
After route 4, the actual mileage was 1.4 km while the battery consumption showed 3 km.
All routes were taken during the day without lights.
On the second day, the consumption was similar. However, due to heat, the battery temperature reached 47 degrees and the speed dropped to 12 km/hr.
2. Locking via the App
Something else that is very important is the highly advertised feature of electronically locking the scooter through the application that comes with each scooter.
What they don't tell buyers is that this feature consumes a lot of battery. For example, I left the scooter locked using this method for 24 hours and the battery consumption was 20% while idle.
This means that you can do this for about half an hour or an hour, but it is not something you can do continuously or leave overnight.
Therefore, it is necessary to lock the scooter with a lock and turn it off.
It is also a good idea to place an air tag inside the scooter so that you can locate it in case it gets stolen.
3. km/hr in the description
The scooter states in its description that it can reach up to 20 km/h in Drive mode and up to 25 km/h in Sport mode. Both of these values are valid on a flat road with a rider weighing 75 kg, as stated on the Xiaomi website.
4. The scooter weighs 15.6 kg and it is quite difficult to carry it up stairs to another floor. It requires caution and you need to keep it close to your body.
The reason I switched to Sport mode during route 4 is not because going at 20 km/h is unsatisfactory, but because this route had a slight incline and in Drive mode, the scooter would stop at some point and you had to push it with your foot to climb the hill, while in Sport mode, there was no issue and it was able to climb the hill without any problem.
I bought the scooter for 400 €, so the price of 322 € on Skroutz is very good.
Now, the Gen 2 has been released, which gives you an extra 5 km, but it is slightly heavier and takes much longer to charge the battery, almost double the time.
The major downside I find with the Gen 2 is that the hand brake with the cable locks the front wheel, and locking the front wheel while going at 25 km/h is a bit dangerous, as you can lose control since the center of gravity for scooter riders is high, making it more dangerous than a bicycle or motorcycle.
I have experienced the scooter jerking once due to the hand brake, which is located at the back on the Xiaomi 4 Lite, and I had no issues. It is good to lean your body slightly low and back when braking abruptly.
As for the tires, they need air but it is almost impossible to inflate them with the accessory they provide because all the air escapes. You need a pump like the Xiaomi 1S (https://www.skroutz.gr/s/34175909/Xiaomi-Mi-Portable-Electric-Air-Compressor-1S-BHR5277GL-Trompa-CHeriou-me-Manometro.html).
One last thing, the deck is a bit small, which means that your back foot protrudes from the deck and from both sides, which is a bit tiring.
Overall, this scooter is OK but I probably wouldn't buy it again, as you can only go 14 to 15 kilometers, so you have to charge it very often, and it was a big disappointment that it heats up so much in the sun that it doesn't work afterwards. On the other hand, it is only 15.6 kilograms, and it really isn't worth buying one that is even heavier, so if there is no other option, maybe the Xiaomi 4 Lite would be an OK choice.
July 20, 2024 - Update: 1) when you buy the scooter, the first thing you need to do is buy a Xiaomi pump and inflate the tires, if you don't, like me, the rear tire will burst in the first month because the pressure will be much less than it should be, which is 50psi. So mine burst and it took me 5 hours to patch the rear tire and 2 and a half hours to change it a little later when I bought a new tire. 2) check the air every two weeks - it should be at 50psi! If you don't want to go through this process, then buy another scooter without a tire, which may not be as comfortable to ride, but you won't have the hassle of changing the tire and having to take off and put back the wheels, which is a quite difficult process, much more difficult than a bicycle! 3) With 50 PSI in the tires, the scooter easily goes at 25 km/h in Sport (S) mode with a rider at 79 kg, which is of course very good.
