Airwheel has been dominating the self-balancing electric scooter/Segway-styled transportation machine market for the past few years. Today we’re going to look at one of their sportiest (and most safety-packed) Scooters they ever produced.
Let’s talk, first, about what the Airwheel A3 has in common with previous Scooters in Airwheel’s line-up:
- Bluetooth-compatible
- 16” tires
- Aluminum alloy frame (lightweight yet sturdy)
- Leather-woven bicycle seat (so you can sit down while you ride) *
- Battery protection redundancy system (so even while one component fails, the other still runs while the malfunctioning component automatically repairs itself)
- State-of-the-art Lithium-ion battery
Looks
Quite simply, this thing looks like a sexy, jaw-dropping and sleek beast. The fact that you can sit comfortably on the genuine leather seat/saddle and steer with the steering column makes the S3 a Segway-inspired scooter I’ve yet to see. (While also being tremendously comfortable.)
The A3 is a sporty (thanks to the orange colours) hybrid between conventional scooters and Segways. The magnesium alloy frame (made from nano-mixed materials) makes the ride durable yet lightweight, and is designed to be as ergonomic as possible.
Plus, there’s an LED light smack-dab in the middle of the steering column. This LED displays the speed, temperature, and total distance travelled. It’s no exaggeration to say that the A3 is stylish for the 21st century.
Difference
Under the A3’s “hood” you’ll see a Maglev motor. This latest technology ensures a non-bearing and non-radial design, so that the inner-parts never wear or tear; this endurability means the A3 can last for years. (Plus, the motor is designed to be quiet.)
The iridescent turning light in the back lets drivers behind you know when you plan to turn and which direction you’re going to. (I’m not sure if Airwheel was the first to think of this, but I’m glad they equipped the A3 with it.)
The frame the seat is attached to doubles as a hydraulic shock absorber, minimising impacts whenever you accidentally bounce around or unexpectedly hit any “bumps” in the road or rocky paths.
Size
At 3 feet high, 2 feet long and 1 foot wide, the A3 is a “compact” Segway Clone that is just large enough for you to mount – without being large enough to get you stuck in hallways or cause any maneuverability issues.
Battery
Aside from having a Lithium-ion battery (a premium battery that’s industry-standard by now), the A3 comes equipped with these safety protection features:
- Over-discharge protection keeps you from overcharging your battery past maximum capacity
- Over-charge protection is a second layer of battery-overcharge protection
- Short-circuit protection prevents the mainboard (and battery) from short circuiting caused by crashes
- Overcurrent protection (in real time) cuts the machine’s power when it gets too hot or faulty
- Temperature protection monitors (and controls) the battery temp.
- Battery equalisation adjusts (in real time) the battery’s efficiency
The battery lasts 3.8x longer than batteries in rival products, has an almost 3x working life, and is non-explosive (thanks to hundreds of safety and electrical tests).
However, a major downside to the battery is that—once depleted and requires recharging—you can expect to wait 3 hours for it to fully charge.
Weight
The A3 can efficiently carry people up to 264 lbs. (120 kgs.) without a problem. Any more, however, and you’ll notice the A3 has difficulty moving at optimum speed. This is a remarkable feat considering the machine weighs 74 lbs. (34 kgs.), which means that although it is a heavy piece of machinery, it’s considerably light if you can lift that much. Not to mention the fact it’s carrying 3x its weight.
Speed
The A3 reaches a top speed of 11 mph (19 km/h) – which is nearly the average speed for Airwheel’s electric scooter, Segway-style machines. However, 11 mph certainly feels fast when you’re on your riding journey.
Total Distance
Depending on how fast you’re traveling and how much you weigh, the A3 can take you as far as 40 miles (65 km) – on one battery charge. This, personally, is mind-blowing, as 40 miles is an incredibly long distance for any vehicle to travel. This would make it easy for you to go on a spontaneous joy-ride to an isolated park a fair distance away, without the hassle of wasting your car’s gas or bugging anybody for rides; it’s just you, your A3, and wherever you want to go to get back in touch with nature or visit friends.
Price
Airwheel’s website doesn’t list the sale price for the A3, but you can find it on Amazon for $1,399.00.
Conclusion
Considering how “jam-packed with safety” Airwheel made the A3, you can see for yourself that this is a tremendously wise investment. While it’s true that a lot of these features are available in previous editions, it’s evident that they upgraded their safety mechanisms wherever they could, truly putting the safety of their customers in at the forefront of their business model/mission. (Just between us, if I had the money to spend, this is the Scooter I would choose. It just looks so awesome.)
Checkout The Following Segway Scooters As Well: