Electric Scooter Drive Type: FWD, RWD, or 2WD?

January 18, 2022

Electric scooters have proven to be a viable mode of transportation as more and more people use e-scooters to get around. And it is very environmentally friendly and the price is reasonable, so do you like electric scooters? The design of electric scooters is diverse, which leads us to have a variety of choices when purchasing. Electric scooters come in three different ways of driving: front-wheel drive, rear-wheel drive, and two-wheel drive. This article will explain the advantages and disadvantages of these driving methods for your reference when purchasing an electric scooter.

What is Electric Scooter Front Wheel Drive (FWD)?

Electric scooter front-wheel drive, as the name suggests, means that the motor is installed on the front wheel. When we open the thumb accelerator, the motor drives the front wheel to rotate, thereby driving the electric scooter forward.

FWD Pros

FWD is the lowest manufacturing cost of all options. They offer better overall traction and power efficiency than RWD vehicles and are generally the most compact and lightest systems. They handle wet and slippery roads better than RWD and are less prone to oversteering.

FWD Cons

Front-wheel drive's front-wheel weight distribution means it's more prone to understeer, making it hard to corner at fast speeds. It also makes it harder to get good grip on the road when going uphill and more prone to tipping over when going downhill.

What is Electric Scooter Rear Wheel Drive (RWD)?

Electric scooter rear-wheel drive, like front-wheel drive, means that the motor is installed on the rear wheel of the scooter. When we open the thumb accelerator, the motor drives the rear wheel to rotate, thereby driving the electric scooter forward. Gyroor X8 and Gyroor HR9 are rear-wheel drive electric scooter.

RWD Pros

RWD vehicles are simple to manufacture, and their designs have been around since the advent of autonomous vehicles. This makes them cheaper than the most expensive option, two-wheel drive. Compared to front-wheel drive, the RWD also has a more balanced weight distribution because the motor is located at the rear. This means better grip when going uphill, and the rear brake is safer going downhill and prevents tipping. The RWD is also very good at handling turns and corners and is less prone to understeer.

RWD Cons

RWD is more prone to oversteer than the other two options. This design is also worst for handling wet, slippery surfaces, and you may experience a situation where the front wheels lose traction.

What is Electric Scooter Two Wheel Drive (2WD)?

Like cars, some electric scooters install a motor on each of the front and rear wheels in order to obtain more power. When the thumb accelerator is moved, the front and rear wheel motors start to work at the same time, driving the wheels to rotate, so that the scooter moves forward.

2WD Pros

2WD provides the best weight distribution of all options because your weight comes from the front and rear motors. This provides excellent stability and traction for 2WD vehicles for quick acceleration and handling of slippery surfaces. They are the best choice for handling turns, corners and up and down hills.

2WD Cons

This is the most expensive build option, and also the heaviest, as it comes with twice as many motors and components. It's also prone to understeer like FWD, but to a different degree.

Conclusion

According to budget

On a lower budget, there are options for front-wheel drive electric scooters.
For a medium budget, there is an option for a rear wheel drive electric scooter.
If you have a sufficient budget, you can choose a dual-drive electric scooter.

According to the cycling route

Riding mainly on flat roads, you can buy front-drive, rear-drive and dual-drive electric scooters.
Occasionally going up and down the slope, and the slope is not large, you can choose a rear-drive electric scooter or a dual-drive electric scooter.
If you often go up and down, and the slope is steep, or you need to go off-road often, you can choose a dual-drive electric scooter.