Xiaomi M365 e-Scooter – Review

Xiaomi M365 weights 12,5kg which is about the same as its competitor Ninebot ES2. With a max. speed of 25 km/h it should travel a distance of 30km. Here’s my review:

Box Contents

Xiaomi M365 Scooter comes almost fully assembled. Similar to Segway Ninebot Segway ES2 you only need to attach the handlebar with 4 screws (tools are included as well). Further you get the charger and cable to load the built-in battery. LED lights & bell are already mounted. Additionally there are 2 replacement tubes for the air tyres.

Xiaomi M365 Scooter Versions:
There are multiple versions available (EU version, international). When ordering with Gearbest or Banggood first pay attention where it is shipped from and what is included. The EU version comes with extra wheels and tubes. Regarding the plug & charger it doesn’t really matter. You can change the power cord, so go for the cheapest price. The charger is made for 100-240V that’s not an issue:

Design & Parts

Frame

The sturdy frame of Xiaomi M365 scooter is made of aerospace-grade aluminum and weights 12.7 kg. The e-scooter was awarded with the Red Dot Design award in 2017. Overall the Xiaomi scooter appears to be robust, although the weldseam is not appealing. The footstep is 55cm long and 15 cm wide with a rubberised finish to keep a strong and non-slippy position while standing. The max weight of the driver should exceed 100 kg. Below the footstep there’s a foldout stand to sturdy park your scooter. Xiaomi M365 folds within seconds, the mechanism sits between steering bar and footstep. The crossbar connects to the cover of the back wheel to easily carry your scooter which feels well balanced.

Motor

The front wheel holds the 250 W motor which accelerates your and your Xiaomi scooter to a max. speed of 25 km/h, actually 26km/h as I discovered during testing.

Battery

A built-in 280 Wh battery sits below the footstep and gives Xiaomi a good center of gravity while riding and carrying. According to company info it get’s you 30km far, but this value seems a bit exaggerated. The stated charging time of 5,5h was proven in my test.

LEDs & Display

Xiaomi M365 scooter doesn’t hold a display. Data such as speed and range have to be monitored on a smartphone via the app. The handlebar holds 4 LEDs to indicate battery status and mode. The lowest green LED as seen in the picture below, indicates Eco mode. Further on the handle bar are a bell and a strong, white LED headlight. The back wheel cover holds a red taillight which is flashing while braking.

Tyres & Suspension

Compared to other Scooters like Segway Ninebot ES2, Xiaomi M365 scooter is fitted with tube air tyres instead of solid rubber tyres. Unfortunately the access of the valves to inflate them is inconvenient. Xiaomi includes a valve-extension for easier access. Without this piece pumping up the tyres is very tricky. M365 doesn’t have additional suspension, but the air tyres do a really good good smoothing your ride on uneven terrain.

Brakes

Xiaomi M365 Scooter has two separated break systems: Integrated in the front wheel there is an eABS, regenerative anti-lock braking system. When you release the accelerator lever, the front wheel slowly breaks and the generated energy flows back into battery. You can set the strength within the app. The back wheel holds a disk break which is activated with the break handle on the steering bar. So this break is the primary break as you can only set the strength of the front break within the app and you can influence it during the ride. In comparison Ninebot ES2 uses a completely different system that benefits better from the regenerated power. Ex factory the break at the back is adjusted a bit weak but you can set it stronger by tightening the conducting wire.

Operation & Handling

Simply single press the button on the steering bar to power on. Long press to shut it down again. When Xiaomi e-scooter is on, a short single press will turn the lights  on or off. Double press the button to switch between normal and Eco Mode, which limits Xiaomi M365 to 18 km/h. If Eco Mode is activated, the lowest LED light turns green. On the left side of the steering bar theres the break brake handle and bell. On the right side is the accelerator lever. Gently push downwards and adjust the amount of pressure to reach your comfortable speed.

Xiaomi M365 is a pedal assisted e-scooter. That means you need to give it an initial push and then accelerate after reaching a basic speed. Afterwards you can cruise fully on electric power. Mi Scooter holds a cruise control which has to be activated via smartphone app. If you keep pushing the accelerator for longer than 5 sec, a waring tone sounds and the speed is constantly hold. Short pull on the brake or push the accelerator lever to cancel cruise control.

App

As already mentioned a few features like cruise control have to be activated via app. Xiaomi M365 also offers anti theft protection. When activated the tires are blocked as soon as someone tries to move your scooter and it starts beeping. You can mount your phone on the steering handle, this way you can get a speedometer. Additionally the app reads out data such as average speed, milage, battery info,… Firmware updates are also accomplished via app. Xiaomi M365 EU version works with Mi Home App, the international version with Segway Ninebot App as well. The apps are available for iOS and Android, although I had problems to use it on iOS.

Conclusion

Xiaomi M365 electric scooter is an ideal companion for short and longer distances. It conveniently folds to fit into your truck or to be carried on public transport. After a short manual push you can cruise with even a bit more than 25km/h. The stated 30km range are a bit exaggerated but you can reach about 20km. When the battery status falls below 25% the power of the motors goes down noticeably. The air tyres absorb uneven grounds pretty well and you can experience a smooth ride on different pavement. The center of gravity is low and gives you a secure feeling with high and low speeds. The front LED is very bright so you can use your scooter at night as well.
The Mi home app on iOS is pretty bothersome and I had quite some issues. Good thing is you don’t need the app very often unless you want to change settings. At first I thought a display is really missing, but I am not looking that much on it on Ninebot ES2 scooter. The battery status is the most important information. Overall I’m pretty impressed with my Xiaomi M365 scooter and would definately buy it again. If you can’t decide compared to Segway Ninebot ES2, check out my comparison review.

Price / Retailer Comparison

I think by now the best source is Amazon, where you can buy your local version.
In Germany you need a special version due to regulations.
If you don’t like the scooter, return it easily

 E-Scooter Comparison Chart