When I reviewed the Segway Max G3 electric scooter a year ago, I called it one of the best electric scooters for those who have to travel long distances. It had a powerful motor, a battery good for up to 50 miles, and its dual suspension made potholes feel like nothing. If there was anything I had to quibble about, it was the fact that it only had turn signals in the handlebars.
Well, Segway has fixed that issue — and made a few more improvements — with the Segway Max G3 Plus, which the company just announced this week.
A good preorder price
The Segway Max G3 Plus will cost $1,499 when it goes on sale August 24, but if you purchase it for preorder, you can get it for $1,149 at Segway and Amazon, which is just $100 more than what the Max G3 is currently selling for.
Now with more turn signals
The biggest thing Segway added to the Max G3 Plus is rear turn signals. On the Max G3, there are turn signals on the handlebars — which is great — but they're hard to see if you're behind the scooter, so any cars coming up from your rear might not know your intentions to turn.
It's one reason why I like the Apollo City, as it has signals both on the handlebars and on the rear of the chassis. Yes, the Max G3 Plus' are small, but they should be bright enough to give drivers fair warning. Uniquely, there are two sets of rear-facing turn signals: one on the front wheels, and one on the rear wheels.
Other tweaks
In addition to the turn signals, the Max G3 Plus has a larger 717Wh battery, which boosts the overall range to 56 miles, up from 50 on the Max G3. Of course, you're likely to get far less than that in everyday use, but extra range is extra range.
Segway has also redesigned the braking system with larger 140mm rotors and combined mechanical and regenerative braking, so that you can recapture some energy while riding, and maybe eke out a few more miles.
Another feature, called Intelligent Riding Assist, uses a gyroscope to know when you're going uphill, and provides a little extra boost to keep you moving. Like the Max G3, the G3 Plus has a top speed of 28 MPH.
At 55.6 pounds, the Max G3 Plus weighs about a pound more than the Max G3, which isn't much in the grand scheme of things — I wouldn't want to lug either up a set of stairs — and is roughly in line with scooters that provide similar levels of performance.
Other niceties common to both models is downlighting on the deck, Apple FindMy support, dual hydraulic suspension, 11-inch tires, and Bluetooth AirLock.
In all, these little tweaks look like nice improvements to an already great electric scooter, and represent a good value at the presale price.
