Razor EcoSmart Cargo Electric Scooter Review: 2 Seats, No Pedals

Electric scooters are here to stay and as the user base grows, so do the needs of riders. Enter the $999 Razor EcoSmart cargo electric scooter. (Yes, that’s a mouthful.) The EcoSmart is a versatile sit-down scooter that can carry cargo, as the name suggests, or an extra person, as the removable rear seat allows.

To haul your belongings, the EcoSmart comes with a rear basket. However, the basket can easily be swapped out for a rear seat and has folding footpegs so your passenger doesn’t have to worry about keeping their feet off the ground. For added protection, the rear wheel is covered with a protective cover.

Design and features

The EcoSmart weighs 75 pounds — so it’s not the ideal scooter for people who live on a pedestrian street — but it can carry a total load of 300 pounds. The scooter is powered by a 48-volt battery and a 1000-watt motor that is located towards the center of the scooter. This is nice for weight distribution, but it drives the rear wheel with a chain that can be noisy compared to a more typical hub motor. Some noise is useful for warning cars and pedestrians, but if you want a quieter ride, this isn’t it.

The frame of the scooter is steel and the platform is plastic with a bamboo insert and it definitely has an interesting design. Most people I showed it to – who weren’t scooter fans – actually liked the EcoSmart. However, others jokingly compared it to a Scoundrel mobility scooter.

The scooter rests on a central stand, which makes loading and unloading safer. The main seat has a quick release and is height adjustable. Front and rear fenders help keep any puddles or dirt you roll through away from you. There is also a small storage compartment under the rear passenger seat which is useful for storing the charger. (It takes about eight hours to fully charge.)

The wide 16-inch pneumatic spoked tires can handle typical road bumps well. There’s no front or rear suspension, though — something to keep in mind if you want to use this off-road. Five speed levels are available to you, with a maximum speed of 20 mph. The scooter uses a rotary throttle which is responsive yet easy and the grips are also comfortable.

The scooter has front and rear LED lights. The display is visible in sunlight and shows the battery level, speed level in dashes and current travel speed.

What it’s like to drive

Overall, the ride, chain noise aside, is comfortable. I was very impressed with the low end torque of the scooter. The take-offs were not aggressive, but on inclines they were stable. The EcoSmart is only designed to go 16 miles on a charge, which… isn’t much. When riding alone, you might be able to cover that distance, but with a second passenger it changes dramatically. When riding with my 9-year-old daughter, who weighs about 60 pounds, I noticed a significant drop in performance.

There were also a few things that had me scratching my head about the design. Braking power is provided by a single rear disc brake. That seems dangerous for a scooter designed to tow up to 300 pounds, and I’d be more comfortable with a front and rear brake or some mechanical/regenerative brake combination, especially when carrying a second passenger. In addition, although the chain is free moving when you push the scooter forward, this setup has some motor resistance when you move the scooter backwards, whether it is on or off.

Overall, the Razor EcoSmart Cargo Electric Utility Scooter is a fun ride, and if you don’t live on a pedestrianized street and your commute is short (or you can charge easily on the other side), it’s great for running errands or picking up a friend. There’s enough here to like for the price, although next time around a second brake, signal lights and hub motor would make some nice additions.