Horwin EK3 electric/scooter (2021-) review

In an electric scooter sector increasingly congested with European-designed, Chinese-built, 125cc-equivilent electric scooters, the Austrian-penned EK3 stands out for its smooth, space age design and a number of natty features such as keyless ignition, to back it up. The result is attractive, easy to ride and pleasingly practical.

Although ‘125cc equivalent’, in truth the Horwin is a little less than that both in terms of performance and proportions – try 100cc equivalent instead Though compact and light enough to be easily manageable and with a traditional, upright, scooter posture, taller riders might find it a little cramped, not much by way of pillion provision and zero weather protection apart from the leg shields (although a screen is offered as an optional extra). For a scooter of tis type it’s not bad, but certainly nothing exceptional, either.

For short-hop, urban commuting, electric scooters – and particularly slightly faster, ‘125cc equivalent’ ones like the EK3 – can be brilliantly practical. They’re a doddle to ride, have some luggage space under the seat (although this is sacrificed if you go for the twin battery version for extra range), are fast enough to keep up with town traffic, require only a CBT certificate to ride, can cut through traffic and be parked nearly anywhere and cost mere pennies to run. For anything else, however, or longer rides, forget it. In standard trim its range is only 40 miles and re-charging can be something of a faff. They’re getting there, though…

Although the new breed of Chinese-built, ‘125cc equivalent’, two-battery machines such as the Horwin are all raising the performance bar they’re often not quite as ‘equivalent’ as they make out – and the EK3 is a good example of this. Most petrol 125cc commuters are good for 65mph and 150 mile ranges+. The EK3 tops out at 50-odd in mode 3 (there’s an ‘eco’ 1 capable of 30 and ‘2’ delivers 40mph), in which battery range plummets. My test ride (of a single battery bike) saw batter capacity fall off a cliff from 85% to 11% in just 18 miles in Mode 3, giving somewhere between 30 and 40 miles overall. Not great. Yes, the second optional battery boosts this to a claimed 80 miles but costs all your luggage space and takes its price up to £5300. The EK3’s combined brakes, too, are, OK, but nothing more.

Not bad – but nothing to write home about either. The EK3 is fairly nimble and manageable, it’s 14/13in wheel combo means its more stable than most and there’s no major glitches to complain about. The ride’s reasonable, too, although it has to be said that bumps and potholes quickly reveal the basic spec of its suspension and deliver jars and clunks a machine of this supposed style and quality would be better off without.

Most electric commuter scoots should receive a perfect score here, whichever brand they are. There’s no road tax, recharging costs mere pennies, there’s little demand on consumables such a tyres and brake pads (although it’s worth adding here that the Horwin has chain final drive, unlike most electric scoots) and servicing, with very fee moving parts or fluids, should be cheap, too. That said, the EK3’s initial £4000+ purchase price is higher than some and residual values are still somewhat unknown but we’ll give it the benefit of the doubt, here.

Again, being electric and relatively high quality, the reliability of the Horwin EK3 should be pretty good but we have to be cautious as it’s a new machine from a relatively unproven Chinese manufacturer and with so few examples so far out there there’s no track record to report.

The Horwin EK3 comes with a standard, manufacturer-backed, two-year warranty for all parts and labour while, better still, the battery pack itself comes with a full three-year warranty, which should give a decent amount of peace of mind. Servicing, as with all smaller electric scoots, is little more than an annual check-over so again there’s little to worry about – although it is worth pointing out that Horwin’s dealer network is so far nowhere near as comprehensive as, say, Honda.

One area – along with design – where the EK3 stands out. Although there’s no Smartphone compatibility there’s a smart, sleek-looking LCD didgital dash displaying speed, battery life, mode, trip and more, it has a keyless fob operation making locking and starting a doddle, there’s LED lights all round and generally the bike has an air of style and quality rare in bikes of similar origins. That said, the switchgear is a little clunky with indicators that aren’t self-cancelling, for example, and the mirrors are a little basic, too.

The market for Chinese-built, ‘125cc-equivilent’ electric scooters seems to be getting more competitive by the week. NIU’s recent GT Evo offers slightly better performance, value, features and long-leggedness, for example. Even so, the EK3 is a welcome addition. It’s smart, easy to ride, charming, has some sweet features and if your commute’s short is more than up to the job. In reality, your choice may come down to your preference in style and closeness of dealers. Find a Horwin here.