Xiaomi M365 Scooter vs Ninebot ES2 – Comparison Review

Xiaomi M365 Scooter or Ninebot Segway ES2 – which one is better? I asked this question myself as I didn’t know which one to go for. So I tested both of them to find out.

Xiaomi M365 Scooter vs Ninebot ES2 (ES4)

Basically, these two e-scooters are siblings. Both of them are produced by Ninebot, which is stated on manufacturer plate on Xiaomi M365. Although they look pretty similar there are some major differences. One important difference upfront: You can hook up an extra battery on Ninebot ES2, you can get it as a package as well (scooter incl. extra battery) which is sold as Ninebot ES4. Let’s quickly take a look at the different versions:

There are different versions of Ninebot ES scooter – Ninebot ES1 has no rear tire suspension, compared to ES2. Ninebot ES1 sold with included extra battery is called Ninebot ES3 (the scooter is the same). Ninebot ES2 sold with the external battery is called Ninebot ES4, the scooter itself is the same. So you can either get Ninebot ES4 straight away or go for Ninebot ES2 with the option to upgrade with the extra battery.

There are different versions of Xiaomi M365 scooter – Europe Version and International Version. The EU version comes with 2 extra wheels and inner tubes. If you are curious about charger type and plug: the charger is made for 100-240 V input and you can easily replace the 2-pol cable with the plug you need. So, go for the cheaper version! There is also a Xiaomi Scooter Pro, sometimes referred to Xiaomi M365 Pro. It looks wimilar to Xiaomi M365, but the Pro version is a bit larger with better battery and motor. check out my Xiaomi M365 vs Xiaomi Scooter Pro comparison.

Xiaomi M365 Scooter vs Ninebot ES2 – Main Specs

* with additional battery pack. ES2 with additional battery pack is sold as Ninebot ES4.

Box Contents

Both Xiaomi M365 and Ninebot ES2 come almost fully assembled. You just need to attach the handle bar with 4 screws on each e-scooter, as they are detached to achieve a smaller package. Both boxes hold the required tools as well as charger and cables to charge the built-in batteries. Ninebot ES2 is missing a bell, which is legally required in some countries.

Body & Design

Both Ninebot Segway ES2 and Xiaomi M365 are made of a sturdy metal frame and weight about the same – around 12.5 kg. They are also about the same height. The footsteps also have similar dimensions, 55cm long and 15 cm wide with a rubberised finish to keep a strong and non-slippy position while standing. The maximum weight of the driver shouldn’t exceed 100 kg on both of them. Below the footstep both hold a foldout stand to sturdy park your scooter.

Xiaomi M365 and Ninebot ES2 fold within seconds, the mechanism sits between steering bar and footstep. When folded Xiaomi M365 is shorter (106cm) than Ninebot ES2 (113cm). Actually that was an issue for me as I tried to fit them in my trunk. On the other side Xiaomi M365 is higher (48 cm) vs Ninebot ES2 (40cm).

  I prefer the design of Xiaomi M365 – but that’s personal taste. The bar of Ninebot ES is thicker and holds the battery whereas Xiaomi M365 has a thinner bar and the battery is placed below the footstep. That’s why I think Xiaomi Mijia is more convenient to drive as the center of gravity is lower. Xiaomi also is better to carry as it feels better balanced. I also prefer the folding mechanism on Xiaomi. So overall for me this category is a Xiaomi M365 win.

Motor & Battery

The motor power of Segway Ninebot ES2 is stated with 300W, while Xiaomi Mi Scooter states 250W motor rated power. Nevertheless, both sit in the front wheel and power the scooter up to 25 km/h max. According to respective manuals, Xiaomi M365 Scooter holds a 280Wh battery that gives you 30km range, while Segway Ninebot ES2 holds a 187Wh battery for 25km range. In my comparison tests Xiaomi M365 reached about 18km while Ninbeot ES2 provided 16km range. More on that in my conclusion at the end of this article. In terms of acceleration and uphill performace booth seem to be equal in that category. Also charging time differs a bit from the manual. While 3,5 hrs. are stated for ES2 it is closer to 4 hrs but still a bit shorter than the stated 5,5 hrs. for Xiaomi M365.-
But there is another major difference: You can hook up an additional battery pack (available for around 190 USD) to Ninebot ES2 which increases the max. speed to 30 km/h and extends the range to 45 km. (A Ninebot ES2 with additional battery pack is called Ninebot ES4. You can either get ES4 straight away or go for ES2 with the option to upgrade – the scooter is the same).

  Despite having different motor power and battery capacity the performance seems equal. Due to the fact that you can increase speed and extend range with an extra battery Ninebot ES2 (actually then called Ninebot ES4) wins. If you don’t go for the extra batterie (at a higher cost), I’ll call it a tie.

LED Lights & Display

Both e-scooter provide a white front LED headlight and a red rear-light. Additionally, Ninebot ES2 offers an underbody light. 16 LEDs can be controlled via the app and offer several effects and colors. The headlight of Xiaomi M365 is a bit brighter than the one from Ninebot ES2. When you hit the brakes, both rear LEDs flash.

Xiaomi Scooter M365 only provides 4 LEDs to indicate the battery status. When switched to Eco Mode it is indicated with a different color on the bottom LED. If you want to check the speed, you need to monitor via app. Ninebot ES2 provides more information on a display. In addition to battery level and indication of one of the 3 modes you can see a speedometer and Bluetooth status.

  I think the display is a “nice to have” rather than a “must have” but you get used to it once you have it. Both provide the most important info and that’s battery status. Nevertheless, Ninebot not only offers a display, it also has underbody lights, and therefore clearly Ninebot ES2 wins.

Tires & Suspension

Xiaomi M365 Scooter and Ninebot ES2 provide a different solution. Xiaomi M365 is using tube air tires, you can see the valve in the top left image. It is super tricky to inflate them without the included adapter. On the other side Ninebot ES2 uses solid rubber tires, but therefore ES2 offers suspension on front & back wheel.

  Air tires can deflate or puncture. Changing the tubes on Xiaomi M365 can be bothersome, especially on the front wheel where the motor is integrated. You don’t have these problems with Ninebot ES2 and the solid tires. Although having suspension the ride is not as smooth on uneven grounds, course asphalt or cobblestone compared to the air tires. I also think the suspension provides a shaky stand on the Ninebot ES2. Xiaomi feels more compact and sturdier. So even if there can be problems with the air tubes, I think it gives a better ride comfort and therefore Xiaomi M365 wins (at least for me). If you prefer hassle free solid tires you will judge differently.

On a side note: There are solid rubber tires for Xiaomi M365 available, but as stated above I prefer the air tires. Remember, with solid tires you don’t have suspension at all. I also heard reports that solid tires on the M365 could cause problems with electronic parts as there is no shock absorbtion.

Brakes

Both Ninebot Segway ES2 and Xiaomi M365 scooter feature two separated brakes. Each of them offers a mechanical brake on the back wheel and an electrical brake on the front wheel. The electrical brake on both of them is an eABS regenerative braking system. Which means the energy produced during deceleration flows back into the battery and it provides anti-lock security while braking. But the handling and priority is different:

It seems the mechanical disk brake on Xiaomi M365 is meant to be the primary brake while the electrical brake in the front wheel is auxiliary. When you let go the gas lever M365 decelerates. You can set the strength within the app. On the left side of the handle bar you got a brake handle for the disk brake. Ex-factory it is a bit weak, but you can fix that with a screw.

On the Handlebar of Segway Ninebot ES2 there are two levers. Electronic brake on the left side and throttle on the right side. With ES2 it the electronic brake is the primary brake while the mechanical brake is auxiliary, which is a simple design: a step-on brake, you need to step on the wheel cover, known from early days kickscooter.

  It’s arguable which system is better. Maybe the disk brake of Xiaomi M365 provides a faster emergency stop with more control, but you can’t quickly change the strength of the front brake, so basically you have just one brake you can control. On Ninebot ES2 you can control both brakes in an emergency situation: brake electronically and step on the mechanical brake. I think the solution of Ninebot is also smarter as you are using the electronic brake primarily which regenerates battery life and therefore Ninebot ES2 wins.

Xiaomi M365 vs Ninebot ES2 – Handling

After the first categories in my “Body & Specs” section it seems to be a tie between Xiaomi M365 Scooter and Segway Ninebot ES2. So, let’s check out handling who can take the lead:

The handling bar looks pretty similar. The brake lever is on the left and the accelerator on the right. In the middle there’s the power button. Xiaomi M365 features 2 modes: Eco (18 km/h) and Standard (25 km/s). You can switch by pressing the power button twice. In Eco mode the LED on the bottom turns green. Ninebot ES2 features 3 modes: Eco (5 km/h), Normal (15 km/h) and Sport mode (27 km/h) which is indicated on the display. You have to press 2 times to switch modes.

Both e-scooter are pedal assisted. 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.

  Handling is pretty similar – One button controls it all. Ninebot ES2 needs less force to initiate electric cruise, a slight push is enough. Both of them offer cruise control which is set in the app and is activated when holding the gas lever for 5 seconds at the same position. The folding mechanism lock of Xiaomi M365 is easier to operate. I’ll call it a tie.

Xiaomi M365 vs Ninebot ES2 – App

As already mentioned, the EU version of Xiaomi M365 only connects to Mi Home app, while the international version also connects to Ninebot app!

Both apps are available for iOS & Android and offer pretty much the same features and settings. You can see actual speed, average speed and mileage. Turn on/off cruise control or change light settings. You can switch between metrical and imperial system display or upgrade the firmware if available. Both also offer an anti-theft function where you can lock your scooter. If someone tries to push it away the brakes block and the scooter sounds a warning tone.

  I couldn’t connect my EU version of Xiaomi M365 to Mi home app on iOS at all. It finally worked out with Android. There are some tricks how to connect Xiaomi M365 and Xiaomi Pro with the app, I did a separate article. The Segway-Ninebot app runs way smoother and I didn’t experience any problems. You don’t need the app for daily usage, but it is important to change some settings. Clearly one app is better than the other, so in this category Ninebot ES2 wins.

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

Conclusion

At first, I thought Ninebot ES2 will be my winner when looking at the features. I got some sweet new details compared to the older Xiaomi M365. It’s nice to have a display on the handle bar as speedometer. Also, the underbody lighting is quite fancy. I really like the brake system of Ninebot compared to Xiaomi. This way the main brake is a regenerative one that gets power back into the battery. Speaking of batteries: I prefer them built-in under the footstep like on Xiaomi M365. This way a better center of gravity is achieved and that has a positive influence on driving experience. It’s also more convenient if you need to carry your scooter in public transport as Xiaomi feels better balanced. On the other hand, you can shift Ninebot around quicker as the footstep is light to move.

The main difference for me is the tire/suspension system. With air tube tires you can get a puncture and you need to change them. You also need to take a look at air pressure from time to time. Despite Ninebot ES2 offer suspension on front and back wheel, Xiaomi M365 feels way smoother to ride. So M365 is my clear winner in terms of driving experience. Not sure if this is only related to tires/suspension or also to center of gravity as already mentioned.

Range & Performance
As already mentioned, the stated 30km on M365 or 25km range on ES2 might be able to achieve when driving in ECO mode on a flat, paved road. under normal conditions (full speed with gradients) you won’t be even close to that values. I was able to achieve 17km on my Xiaomi M365 and about 15km on my Ninebot ES2. On Ninebot ES2 a sudden decrease in performance can be noticed when reaching about 15% battery. Since I ride my scooter of choice, the Xioami M365, more often I can give you a more detailed description:
Until 50% of your battery and about 10 km of your ride there is no noticeable decrease in performance. After that a max. speed of 10 km/h can be reached and it takes a little longer to do so. But when you reach top speed, M365 maintains it without problems. Uphill performance on the other hand is noticeable poorer. Below 20% battery the performance is getting poorer. It’s getting bothersome to ride M365 and you move forward very slowly. After 18km the ride was over and I had to push my Xiaomi. Despite showing some % battery left, I had to push the scooter.
My lesson is clear: up to 10km you can ride both of them with full power and without any problems. Up to 13km are possible if you accept a decrease in performance towards the end. It’s still convenient to ride. When going further it’s getting painstaking abd it sees you have to fight to move on. Therefore I recommend both of them for 10km rides without charge; 13km with restrictions. If you need to go further I highly recommend getting the additional battery for ES2 or take a look at the newer Ninebot MAX or Xiaomi Pro that offer an extended range!

The app is not constantly needed, but essential if you need to change some settings or activate the anti theft system. It was really bothersome to try and fail connecting Xiaomi M365 over and over again on my iPhone. In the end I managed to do so, but having a stabile app is definitely a plus.

Even though I really, really like the superior Ninebot ES2 features such as: brake system, solid tires, display, LED underbody lights, better app & the option for an extra battery. When it comes to the quality of riding pleasure, I go with Xiaomi M365.

Also, check out the new models: Xiaomi Scooter Pro vs Ninebot Max!

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