Cool StuffGotrax GXL v2 Electric Scooter Review

Gotrax GXL v2 Electric Scooter Review

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A Gotrax GXL v2 review unit was provided by Gotrax.

Check out our ultimate guide for the best electric scooters for adults.

I live in a perfect location for using an electric scooter. Just a mile north of me, you’ll find a grocery store, Wendy’s, Dunkin, and a liquor store. Go one and a half miles in the other direction, you’ll find a Walgreens, another grocery store, a CVS, and a couple of restaurants. Less than a mile east, you’ll find a Stewart’s Shop (a big convenience store in New York and surrounding areas), and then a mile west, you’ll find my son’s school, a park, playground, and more. That’s why my location is perfect for an electric scooter, and since getting a GXL v2 electric scooter from Gotrax, I’ve found every excuse to ride it.

In fact, because of its speed, I actually found myself taking this upgraded version of the GXL on joyrides in my neighborhood — even when I don’t have anywhere I need to go, specifically. This thing has hit just over 16mph with me (a 235-pound man) on it, which is slightly surprising given the fact that the box says it only goes 15.5mph and has a weight limit of 225 pounds. Typically speaking, when you’re over the weight limit of an e-scooter or e-bike, they don’t quite hit the top speed listed on the box. That wasn’t the case with the GXL v2; I was quickly able to hit just over 16mph on a flat road and hold that speed.

gotrax gxl v2 review

In fact, its acceleration was surprisingly quick, bringing me to full speed in just under 10 seconds on flat ground. It also has cruise control that allows you to keep the scooter at full throttle without the need to hold your thumb down – so once you hit that top speed and hold it for a few seconds, you can take your thumb off the throttle and your scooter will hold its speed on its own.

As far as the distance of the GXL v2 is concerned, I was able to travel 10 full miles at full speed, and almost 15 miles at 10mph on a single charge. However, that’s a flat 10 and 15 miles, as there aren’t many hills in my area. So, keep in mind, if you live in a hilly area, that will affect your distance and speed. Luckily, if you do run out of juice before making it back home, you can always use it as a normal kick scooter until you reach an outlet.

The GXL v2 was able to handle a couple of different terrain types, from a standard paved road to a clay baseball field to a bumpy dirt road. It handles small bumps, for example, uneven sidewalks and pebbles quite well, but it wouldn’t be able to handle much more than that.

If you’ve already got the original GXL sitting around, there are is one major upgrade here with the v2. It’s the fact that the v2 has a handbrake which is so much better to use than the original footbrake. You can still use the footbrake here if you prefer, but I liked the handbrake much better.

The handbrake is operated with the left hand, while your right thumb controls the throttle. It’s intuitive, and you’ll have no issues learning how to control your speed.

Gotrax GXL v2 folded

We don’t have much to complain about when it comes to the GXL v2, but it does have some minor issues and small improvements we’d like to see for the next iteration. First, it’s a bit heavy for some to be a commuter’s everyday scooter, coming in at 26 pounds – which, admittedly, is average. But, I could easily see a slimmer version of this scooter made that uses less metal and is, therefore, lighter. Secondly, I wish the handles would fold inward to make it a bit less awkward for storage. So, while the scooter folds in half as you’d expect, the handles still stick out. Finally, the LED on the front of the scooter isn’t as bright as it should be, so don’t expect to be able to ride at night without having visibility issues (unless, of course, you find other LEDs to add to it).

Even with those minor complaints, the GXL v2 is the best electric scooter for commuters under $300. Its motor is powerful enough to get a big man like me to top speed, it has a longlasting battery that recharges quickly, and it has great build quality. If you’re looking for a no-frills-needed e-scooter to get you from A to B, or if you’re looking for something lightweight and fun to cruise the neighborhood on, you’ll likely love the GXL v2.

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Bobby Bernstein
Bobby is the Co-Owner of Nerd Much?. He's the former Games Editor and current Shopping Editor at Heavy.com, former Editor in Chief of Den of Geek, and former bylines at HiConsumption, Slickdeals, Gamedeveloper.com, and more! He is also on Opencritic. He has been writing about nerdy stuff on the web for over 10 years. The best way to reach him is on Twitter.

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