Xiaomi Electric Scooter 4 Pro Review, Specs & Price: At MediaMarkt and Saturn, the VAT campaign runs until Sunday, June 25th, where you can waive the 19% VAT on many products. This means that the Xiaomi Scooter 4 Pro is also available at the best price so far of €629.41.
- Highlights of the Xiaomi Scooter 4 Pro:
- street legal
- up to 55 kilometers range
- the best scooter from Xiaomi so far
There have been three new Xiaomi e-scooters since summer 2022: the Mi Scooter 3, Mi Scooter 3 Lite and the Mi Scooter 4 Pro are all street legal and also available in Germany. We test drove the top model, the Xiaomi Scooter 4 Pro, and tell you in this test report what makes it special, where its strengths lie and what its biggest disadvantage is.
Xiaomi Electric Scooter 4 Pro Review, Specs & Price
Xiaomi Electric Scooter 4 Pro Review, Specs & Price below:
- Xiaomi Scooter 4 Pro
- at MediaMarkt for €629.41 (VAT campaign until June 25) | Saturn for €629.41 (VAT campaign until June 25) | Amazon for €639
- Background: Mi Scooter 1S to 4 Pro
In order to understand what selection you have at Xiaomi and how this comes about, I would like to briefly go into the current and past e-scooter models of the brand. If you are only interested in the Xiaomi Scooter 4 Pro and want to know what speaks for and against the scooter, you can also skip this section. But I think it’s important to see the scooter in relation to the previous models.
Xiaomi launched the M365 at the end of 2016 – the first “Xiaomi E-Scooter”. Since there was still no legal regulation for e-scooters in Germany, it was not approved here, but still found many buyers thanks to its price of sometimes less than €300. When e-scooters were finally allowed in Germany in 2019, the M365 was not among the approved models. Since then, many fans of the Xiaomi brand have been waiting for an officially approved model. That appeared a year later (2020) with the Mi Scooter 1S.
The model was cheaper than expected and, at around €400, it was just as cheap as the M365 originally – despite the fact that it was now approved. In my opinion, the 1S is one of the flagship models for e-scooters. With the Mi Scooter Pro 2, a model with a longer range appeared at the same time, which was available for just under €550 (also much cheaper on offer). With both scooters, Xiaomi stayed true to its reputation of offering good technology at low prices, at least in the e-scooter sector.
Now (2022) the successor models to the 1S and Pro 2 have appeared. They are now called Xiaomi Scooter 3 and 4 Pro and are – for the fact that they don’t do that much differently at first glance – now €550 and €800 significantly more expensive. And yes, the naming is a bit confusing, the order is actually 1S – Pro 2 – 3 – 4 Pro. Is the 4 Pro worth the 250€ surcharge compared to the Pro 2? To find out, we tried the scooter ourselves.
Difference 20 and 25 kmh version
And one more brief introduction before we start the actual test. Like all other models, the Xiaomi Scooter 4 Pro appears in an international version with 25 km/h and an adapted version that is throttled to 20 km/h and is sold in markets where more is not allowed – including Germany.
Full transparency: We were mistakenly sent the 25 km/h version. Since both models are identical apart from the electronic throttle, we decided to try the e-scooter anyway. However, our experience relates to the international version.
Average motor power and battery capacity
The Mi Scooter 4 Pro has a 350 watt motor that accelerates it up to 20 km/h . But that depends on the selected mode. There are a total of three to choose from: A “walking” mode at walking speed, which really deserves the name here. The scooter drives fairly constantly at 5 km/h, sometimes less on slight inclines.
Hardly any pedestrian has problems keeping up here. I’ve also experienced e-scooters that were more likely to be traveling at 6-7 km/h, although you often had to slow down so as not to roll away from the pedestrian you were riding with. All in all, it probably remains the mode that you will use by far the least (or not at all).
The second mode brings the scooter up to 20 km/h; It reaches 25 km/h in sport mode, although this is also throttled to 20 km/h in the German version. Incidentally, the 10% leeway that you still have is not exhausted and on level ground the speedometer never shows more than 20, even if you feel like you are scratching the 21.
I don’t notice a big difference between the two modes, both when accelerating and on slopes. In S mode, the scooter pulls up a bit faster, but otherwise I don’t notice anything here. Unfortunately, the 4 Pro doesn’t perform particularly well on slopes either. He manages the promised 20% incline, but is very slow. I cannot necessarily recommend the e-scooter for journeys with large gradients and many inclines.
The battery is specified as 12,400 mAh and should carry the driver up to 55 kilometers. This is already a difference to the Pro 2, which only covers 45 kilometers. Xiaomi is a bit tricky here. According to the data sheet in the enclosed instructions, the Xiaomi Scooter 4 Pro also only manages 45 kilometers, and the batteries in the Pro 2 and 4 are actually Proalso almost identical and the 4 Pro is even almost 3 kg heavier.
So where does the extra 10 kilometers that manufacturers and sellers are talking about come from? The answer can be found on the Xiaomi website: The additional range should only be achieved with a firmware update that optimizes the efficiency of the motor. I can’t download it at the time of testing.
And since you can deduct almost 20% from the value on paper anyway (since it is determined under ideal test conditions), the actual range is even lower and is less than 40 km. In addition, it depends on many factors such as the weight of the driver, the speed and the gradient of the track.
Processing and equipment – nothing to criticize
The scooter is equipped with everything it needs for a general operating permit (ABE) in Germany. Lighting comes in the form of a headlight at the front and a taillight at the rear. Reflectors are also located above the front wheel, in the rear light and on the side of the rear wheel. The rear light also serves as a brake light, which is activated as soon as you apply the brakes.
And speaking of the brakes: The scooter has two brakes, although here, too, only one brake lever has been installed. This is located on the left side of the handlebars and is connected to both the disc brake in the rear wheel and an electronic brake in the front wheel. If you brake hard at 20 km/h, the scooter will come to a standstill in just under three metres.
In addition to the brake, there is also a bell on the handlebars. This is also the connection point when folding the scooter and this is where the hook is attached over the rear wheel – but more on that in a moment.
The tires are again pneumatic tires with tubes. This time they even have a “self-repairing coating” and are said to be significantly more robust. In my experience you have to be very unlucky to get a flat tire anyway. The tires can take a beating. They are 10 inches tall, which is another improvement over the previous generation, which featured 8.5-inch tires. Why is that important? Bigger tires mean more stability and safety when driving. The smaller the tires, the more you feel every little pothole or even uneven ground like cobblestones. 10 inches are now standard with many manufacturers and at least offer a little more driving comfort.
The display has been slightly modified compared to previous models. In principle, however, all models do not differ greatly here. The speed in km/h is displayed here and below that the battery status in the form of five bars, each representing around 20%. You can see the current mode you are driving in, whether you are connected to the app via Bluetooth and any warning messages. I can’t say much about the latter, since I’ve never had such a defect on a scooter, but you can see all the symbols light up briefly when you switch the scooter on.
A small but very positive change is the charging port. The is now also on the side of the connection between the footboard and the handlebars and is therefore easier to reach than on the side of the footboard before. Above all, it is now magnetic. No more fiddling with the connector, instead you simply hold the magnetic head of the charging cable against the connector (which is otherwise protected by a silicone cover that is also magnetic) and the two connect immediately. As I said, not a big deal, but a very pleasant feature that you quickly appreciate.
Relatively light for its size
The scooter has gotten a bit bigger than the previous Xiaomi scooters, which has advantages and disadvantages. At 119.8 x 124 x 48.4 cm, it is Xiaomi’s largest e-scooter to date. This is advantageous for taller people, for whom the handlebars of many other scooters are often a bit too low. On the Xiaomi Scooter 4 Pro you can still feel comfortable with 1.90; Xiaomi states a height of up to 2 meters . The running board is also relatively long, although not quite as wide, and there is enough room for your feet.
The closure for the folding mechanism has been slightly modified compared to its predecessors and makes a more stable impression. What hasn’t changed is that the handlebars are attached to the rear wheel with the lever of the bell. But this works as usual and the scooter is easy to carry despite its weight of 17 kg.
A small point of criticism is the stand attached to the side. It is located very far back on the vehicle and is also rather small. Overall, it does not offer the best grip, and as soon as the scooter is not on level ground but slightly on a slope. One is almost always worried that the scooter could tip over at any time. Many e-scooters have this problem, but it is a little more pronounced here.
Finally, there is another problem associated with the size of the scooter: it simply no longer fits in every trunk. Admittedly, this is only a problem if you use the e-scooter like this, for example if you want to cover the last few hundred meters from the parking lot to the office when commuting by car. But then a small e-scooter is more of an advantage.
The Mi Home app also proves its worth here
As usual, the scooter can be integrated into the Mi Home app. You need an account there for this. If you already use other Xiaomi smart home devices, you might already have such an account. The scooter can then be found alongside all other products in the app. You don’t have to use the app, but it is necessary to activate the e-scooter once and you have to register with the app to do so. Until then, the scooter will only drive slowly and a continuous beep will sound.
The Mi Home app is really not new and has been further developed by Xiaomi for years. Therefore, it is also quite clear and you can find your way around quickly. Once you have selected the scooter, you get to a separate view that shows the battery status and the current speed. The latter is only relevant if you ride with a smartphone holder on the handlebars – or hold the cell phone in your hand while driving, which I would not recommend.
Above all, the app gives you a lot of information about the battery , but also about the distances and times traveled. Of course, you can also give the scooter a name – very important.
One feature only available through the app is energy recovery. This can be set in three stages and causes the battery to be supplied with the energy gained from braking. The effect on the battery is almost negligible, but it means that the scooter brakes very quickly when you take your foot off the gas. Not everyone likes that, but with this scooter it also means that you hardly have to use the brakes at all if you drive with foresight and simply take your foot off the gas just before a traffic light.
Conclusion – Good scooter with a bit too high price
The Xiaomi Scooter 4 Pro is a very good e-scooter and quite possibly Xiaomi’s best yet. The workmanship is very good and the handling is really pleasant. But you have to see all of this in relation to the price and the promised and not achieved range of 55 kilometers. Of course, if a firmware update increases the effective range in the end, it is absolutely legitimate to market it that way. But this update was not available at the start of sales and it is cheeky to advertise it anyway.
That being said, the price is my biggest gripe. I would have found 700€ to be much more appropriate, especially since you might have only paid 600€ in the offer. But at €799, the scooter also has to compete with other models in this price range, and here, for example, the Niu KQi3 Pro, which we tested, or the Ninebot G30D 2, of which we tried the first version, offer the better overall package and really more range.
The niche that the Xiaomi Scooter 4 Pro could fill is that it is still comparatively narrow and light compared to its size. If the range is really optimized and there is an offer for the scooter, you can think about buying it, especially if you use the Mi Home app anyway and you want it to be a Xiaomi scooter. Xiaomi Electric Scooter 4 Pro Review, Specs & Price video:
