I don’t feel cool riding an electric scooter. I love these things, but standing bolt upright like a meerkat as you cruise across town just doesn’t look great. Evolv’s Terra scooter doesn’t change this immutable fact, but I do feel better riding it.
It might be its angular design or the dual red LED strips that run along the deck. Perhaps it’s the torque that jolts my body as I take off. Or maybe it’s the whisper-quiet motor that doesn’t seem to attract the eyes of everyone on the road. The Terra just feels like it has the right blend of features at a price that makes it quite a sensible machine. I’ve had a ton of fun riding this electric kick scooter these past few weeks.
Terran Ride
Evolv Rides is a Canadian-based electric scooter company, and it doesn’t ship its escooters directly to you—instead, you can search for local dealers nearby that carry its models, or buy them from online retailers like Urban Machina, which is where I got my test unit.
The Terra was dead simple to set up. Once you lift it out of the box, just pop on the axle nut covers, adjust the height of the handlebars, and tighten a few screws to put the brake levers and bell in place. To unfold it, you pull a little lever at the base and push out the stem; there’s a little locking mechanism to keep it in place. Do the opposite to fold it up, and the stem will automatically lock when it’s all the way down—no need to fuss with anything. It’s a much better folding mechanism than what you’d get on, e.g., the Apollo Air or Apollo City.
Photograph: Evolv
Let’s talk about weight. The Terra weighs 53 pounds. However, I actually don’t mind carrying it, even compared to several other escooters I’ve tried that are lighter, like the aforementioned Air and even the 33-pound TurboAnt X7 Pro. That’s because there’s a grab handle at the end of the Terra’s deck, which means you can easily carry it with two hands. The stem is also quite thin, which means I can comfortably wrap my paws around it. It’s little things like this that make a big impact on the everyday experience of the scooter, and the Terra impresses.
In addition to a front light and taillight, there are two red LED strips on the side of the deck that illuminate the ground when you ride at night. Hooray for visibility! They’re not too gaudy, like the rainbow-colored LEDs on some escooters, though they could stand to be brighter. I like the front light, but the LEDs are just a bit too dim. There’s a preinstalled bell, plus an LCD screen on the right handlebar where you can change speed modes and turn the scooter on or off. It’s a little hard to see this screen in direct sunlight.
Rough Terrain
Photograph: Evolv
I’m tall at 6’4″, and the Terra’s stem gets plenty high enough for me to reach. However, the angle of the stem is a little too close to my body for my liking, and it puts my wrists in a slightly awkward position. I wouldn’t mind it as much if it didn’t make my wrists hurt after long rides. The culprit, I think, is the throttle. It’s the kind you pull with your index finger, which forces me to keep my digits in a claw-like position, as I like to have a few fingers near the brake lever too. I’d try and find a better angle for the throttle that’s comfier to your height, though in general, I would’ve much preferred a thumb throttle.
