Welcome to this full review and guide of the Segway Z8. We’ll cover everything there is to know about this scooter and let you know whether it’s a good buy or not, and whether it’s safe enough to let your little one loose on it.
What is a Zing E8 Kick Scooter?
The E8 is one of Segway’s electric scooters for children. It has a top speed of just under 9mph. On the right handlebars, you’ve got a simple button to accelerate and on the other a simple brake that children will be familiar with from their bikes.
The on/off buttons are on the side and there’s also a choice of 3
What’s the ‘kickscooter’ bit?
A kick scooter is what most of us just call ‘scooters’. With the Segway kickscooters, it refers to the fact that you still hop on it and push off as you normally would to get it started. You kick-off so to speak.
I haven’t got time – is this scooter any good?
Segway’s E8 is simple, well made and safe. It’s a lot of fun to use and a great first scooter for children over 6 years old.
Z8 Main features
- Come in bright, fun colours
- Safe & high quality
- For ages 6-12
- Can go up to 14km/h (8.7mph)
- 10km / 6.2 mile range
- Front shock absorbers
- Solid tyres
- Hand brake
- Rear fender brake
- Aluminium alloy body
- Splash-proof (but not waterproof)
- Thumbs throttle acceleration
Three types of brakes
The Z8 has 3 ways your child can stop it.
- Bike-style brake – on the handlebars
- Foot brake – like the ones you get on non-electric scooters
- Regenerative brake – a clever bit of tech that re-uses the energy in the e-scooter.
You’ve got a choice of two colours: a pink and a purply sort of blue.
What age range is this scooter for?
The Z8 is recommended for ages 6 to 12 years old.
Safety features
If the idea of letting your little one loose on an electric scooter makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand on end, here are some things that will hopefully put your mind at rest. Let’s take a look at some of the safety features the E8 has in place.
Three different modes make it safe for anyone
The Z8 has three different driving modes that affect how fast it goes and how simple it is to control.
- Safe mode – here, the speed is limited and pressing the throttle makes the scooter slowly build up speed to a top speed of around 6mph. This is ideal for very young children or anyone who’s never ridden an e-scooter before.
- Cruise mode – This mode combines your normal scooting momentum with the powered motion from the electric motor. Here your child can get up to speeds of around 8.7 mph. (still within the running speed of most parents).
- Turbo mode – This is for older or more experienced children. Here, the Z8 can reach speeds of up to 8.7mph using the throttle alone. (Without having to kick start).
Zing E8 FAQs
How do you recharge it?
The E8 scooters are mains rechargeable and come with a charger and a UK plug.
Why do the lights keep flashing on me Z8 when I take it out of the box?
If you’re wondering if your scooter is broken, it’s not. This is an initial setup mode and is normal if a little confusing! Here’s how to fix that problem:
- When you first start the scooter, hold the throttle and the brake for around 5 seconds.
- The lights should stop flashing.
- Then power down the E8
- Start the scooter again and it should work as expected.
References & Further Reading
- Wikipedia – Regenerative brake