Segway is giving its flagship commuter scooter a big upgrade with the launch of the new MAX G3 Plus, adding a larger battery, improved safety features, and what the company says is a more honest way of measuring range.
The MAX series has long been one of the biggest names in premium commuter scooters, and the new MAX G3 Plus builds on that platform with a 20% larger battery rated at 717 Wh.
That boosts the claimed range to as much as 56 miles (90 miles) when ridden in lower power, while the scooter retains a 28 mph (45 km/h) top speed and a peak motor output of 2,200 watts.
One of the more interesting announcements isn’t actually about the hardware, though. Segway says the MAX G3 Plus is the first of its electric scooters to adopt a new range testing methodology intended to better reflect real-world riding.
Rather than calculating maximum range until the battery is completely depleted – when many scooters have slowed dramatically due to low battery voltage – the company now measures range until the scooter can no longer maintain at least 60% of the selected riding mode’s maximum speed. According to Segway, that provides riders with a more realistic estimate of usable range. The company even claims that while the new scooter is officially rated for six more miles than the previous MAX G3, it would have shown roughly a 12-mile improvement had both scooters been measured under the same standard.
Beyond the bigger battery, the MAX G3 Plus receives several rider-focused upgrades. New dedicated rear turn signals join the existing handlebar indicators, while redesigned brake levers and optimized reflector placement aim to improve visibility and control. Segway has also added its new Intelligent Combined Braking System (ICBS), which blends regenerative braking with the mechanical disc brakes to improve braking performance while recovering energy and reducing brake wear.
The rest of the scooter also packs in some nicer components. Riders get dual hydraulic suspension with adjustable rear damping, 11-inch self-sealing tires, traction control, anti-lock braking, Apple Find My compatibility, a 2.4-inch TFT display with navigation, automatic headlights with high and low beams, and FlashCharge technology that can recharge the battery in around four hours – or an even quicker three hours when using dual charging cables.
At 55.6 lb (25.2 kg), the scooter isn’t exactly lightweight, but that’s fairly typical for a high-performance commuter machine packing a battery this large. The 286 lb payload rating should also accommodate a wide range of riders.
The MAX G3 Plus is available for pre-order now in the US, with an introductory price of $1,149.99 before eventually rising to its $1,499.99 MSRP. It is scheduled to begin shipping in the US on August 25 through Segway’s online store as well as retailers, including Best Buy and Amazon.
Electrek’s Take
The larger battery and added safety features are welcome improvements, but I think the most interesting part of this launch is Segway’s decision to rethink how it reports range.
Micromobility range claims have always been something of an optimistic exercise, often measured under ideal conditions that don’t reflect how people actually ride. Measuring usable range instead of “until the scooter finally crawls to a stop” feels like a much more consumer-friendly approach. If the rest of the industry follows suit, we’ll end up with specifications that are easier to compare and much more useful for riders trying to figure out whether a scooter can actually handle their daily commute.
That said, it doesn’t account for the fact that maximum ranges are nearly universally listed in the device’s lowest power setting, despite a small fraction of scooters being used in that setting. Most riders leave a scooter in its higher settings most of its life, meaning the real-world range is often significantly less than the maximum marketing claim. Thus, I always prefer to see a complete list of ranges provided for each power level, though this is a rarity in the industry. Even so, any move towards more honest range ratings is a move in the right direction.
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