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How e-scooters perform depends on many factors. The most important factors are listed here with the (generally speaking) most important at the top:

1. terrain (number and incline of hills)
2. battery size (measured in volt-amp-hours)
3. e-scooter speed (range at 10 mph is 4 times as far as at 20 mph)
4. wind conditions (going 10 mph against a 10 mph headwind feels like 20 mph to the scooter)
5. correct tire inflation (under-inflated tires slow you down)
6. weight of rider
7. motor/controller/drive system efficiency

As you can see, rider weight and system efficiency rank near the bottom. The size of your battery pack and the speed you go both make a big difference in how far you go.

All else being equal, range is a function of either 1) battery capacity (amp-hours X volts) or 2) speed and ease of recharging (high-power chargers provide lots of miles in less than one hour). There is a close relationship between battery capacity (A/hrs) and both weight and physical size (total volume). Generally speaking, the bigger the battery, the greater its capacity. For hill-climbing, expect about 3 feet of elevation gain for every volt-amp-hour. For example, a Currie Flyer with a 24-volt, 10 amp-hour battery pack will take you up about 720 feet (3 feet X (24 X 10)).

All else being equal, speed is a function of motor (watt rating) and controller. Most scooter motors are capable of higher performance characteristics than the controller allows. [Beware: Some scooter advertising touts their high-power motors (e.g. 600 watts), but only deliver 400 watts through the controller.]

Regenerative braking doesn't yield much "juice" back into the battery. Even hi-tech regen on electric automobiles regains less than 10% of the original charge. Therefore, given a choice of either regen or freewheeling, you will get more range with freewheeling - unless you have a very hilly route. Some scooter designs, however, effectively use regen for slowing/braking.

Due to the nature of batteries, you can double the battery life expectancy by discharging only 50% of capacity instead of 75%; you get 6 times the battery life at 30% capacity usage per cycle. Think of battery lifetime as having $1000 in the bank and withdrawing a dollar with each 50% disharge cycle -- and withdrawing $10 every time you deeply discharge the battery.

Rules of Thumb:

• Get a scooter with at least twice the range you usually expect to ride.
• Range is proportional to battery size; twice the battery size = twice the range.
• When speed increases, range decreases even faster; 1/3 faster = 1/2 the range.
• For every two miles you go, plan on about one hour of charging and about one cent of electricity.
• A 400-watt motor takes an average rider up all but the steepest hills (but weak controllers can limit performance).
• Two 12-volt, 12 amp-hour batteries will take an average rider 10 miles at 15 mph or up a hill that's 800 feet tall.

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