Our reviewer riding the Techtron Elite 3500

Techtron Elite 3500 review: cheap yet surprising

30 November 2022Tim Fullbrook

Overall rating:

By Tim Fullbrook

 

Buy the Techtron Elite

 

The Techtron Elite 3500 is a compact, practical, and hassle-free electric scooter – but arguably its most attractive feature is the price at just £339.

I'll admit I was initially cautious, thinking that the price tag suggested this wasn’t a quality scooter, but I was surprised and soon began to realise why this is Techtron’s best-selling scooter.

Reviewing the 3500

Good for:

  • Commuters
  • New scooter riders
  • Urban/town rides

Pros

  • Cheap
  • Simple
  • Visible with strong lights
  • Durable and low-maintenance

Cons

  • Narrower footplate
  • Bumpy 

Expert verdict

The Techtron Elite 3500 does exactly what it says on the tin – and I really think that’s where this scooter shines. Uncomplicated, easy to operate, and not too clunky to move around which is great for commuters or A-to-B travellers.

It’s great for riders looking to get their hands on a scooter who don’t want to invest their life savings in a new e-ride. You don’t need a key, apps (although there is one if you fancy), or downloads, just turn it on and off you go. 

Elite handlebars

In its simplicity, however, the Elite 3500 doesn’t offer the same quality ride, or out-and-out riding experience as more expensive, larger scooters. Compared to them, this should be a 3-star scooter - but we bumped it up to four stars because it's such a bargain.

If you’re looking for a scooter to get started, look no further. But if you want riding an e-scooter to be a big part of your lifestyle, or you're an experienced rider, this scooter might leave you wanting more - try the Techtron Ultra 5000 at £439 instead.

Buy the Techtron Elite

Specs

Max speed 25 km/h
Max distance 30 km
Motor power 350W (Avg) 700W (Peak)
Speed modes 3
Cruise control Yes
Charging time 5-6 hours
Battery capacity 37V 10Ah
Hill incline 15%
Weight 14.5kg
Maximum load 120kg / 19st
Foldable Yes
Water resistance IPX4
Suspension Rear
Wheel type Puncture-proof honeycomb, anti-skid
Wheel size 10" / 25.4cm
Drive type Front-wheel drive
Brakes E-ABS front brake / rear Ddisc brake
Kickstand Yes
Accelerator control Thumb press
Brake control Lever
Handlebar grips Rubber
Front light LED
Rear light LED
Reflectors Yes
Bell Mechanical
Mudguards Yes
Glow in the dark Yes
Folded dimensions 535 x 1145 mm
Unfolded dimensions 1185 x 1145 mm 

 

Buy the Techtron Elite 3500 from us

Techtron Elite 3500 in detail

Performance

The Techtron Elite 3500 is not the fastest or most performance focused electric scooter I’ve ridden, but you don’t want a white-knuckle ride every time you pop to the shops. Instead it’s a simple and predictable ride with a respectable amount of power delivery when required.

Display to show speed mode

Three power modes with limited speeds (10/15/25 kmh) mean that there’s a mode to suit the abilities and comfort zone of every rider. You could quite easily give this to your Granny and she wouldn’t have any issues (Grandma consent required).

With 18Mi/30km range, the Elite 3500 will easily cover your daily mileage, and for a scooter with such a low price tag I think it matches, if not beats the competition.

Comfort and handling

I found the Techtron Elite 3500 to be a fairly unsurprising scooter when it comes to handling, which is a great thing for a new or convenience rider. It didn’t wow me, but it doesn’t need to.

It has a handy cruise control feature that allows you to rest your thumb from the throttle, and enjoy carving and weaving, in addition to making sure you can have both hands controlling the scooter at all times – it also automatically deactivates as soon as you touch the brake. 

Left handle

The handlebars are of decent width, and are actually wider than your average e-scooter.

However, the rubber grips themselves feel quite thin, which does detract from the riding comfort – I preferred the grippier and more chunky feel of the more expensive Ultra 5000.

The footplate/deck also felt a bit too narrow for my liking, but for someone who just wants to hop on and ride this wouldn’t be a problem.

Techtron Elite 3500 platform size

My biggest gripe with the comfort of the ride was caused by the Honeycomb puncture resistant tyres.

Honeycomb wheel on Techtron Elite 3500

In the long run, yes, they may be almost completely maintenance free, but over different quality asphalt surfaces I found there was a lot of rattle through the handlebars in comparison to other scooters. The only saving grace being they are 10” in size, an absolute must in my opinion. However, I do worry that longer rides could become wearying.

Brakes

The Elite 3500 features an E-ABS front brake and a disc brake at the rear – the rear brake is activated by a bike-style lever on the left side of the handlebars.

Rear disc brake on Techtron Elite 3500
Elite 3500 brake lever reviewed

I found it has quite a large action, i.e distance to pull/activate, but thanks to the wider handlebars you don’t sacrifice control when you need to grab a bit of stopping power.

Extras

A simple folding mechanism will help you store the Elite 3500 in any home, office, or garage – by hooking onto the rear wheel fender I found it really useful for lifting the scooter.

Our reviewer folds the Elite 3500

One additional feature worth talking about on the Techtron Elite 3500 is the water safety rating. At IPX4 the scooter is safe to ride out in the rain, which really makes a difference if you’re considering buying it for daily riding.

Adding to the ability to be able to ride at any time, are the bright LED lights on the handlebars and a rear light, ensuring you are visible to other riders, road users, or pedestrians.

Front light on Techtron Elite 3500

The front light is a little fiddly to activate with only one button on the display to use – it took me a little while to work out the double-press speed to activate it. The reflective strips on wheel uprights are a great little feature that a lot of e-scooter manufacturers could do with picking up on.

The Elite 3500, like many e-scooters, has a compatible app that allows you to manage settings, tinker with speed modes, and view statistics about the scooter’s range. The addition of total mileage and riding time give it that video game feel which does make you want to get out and ride. The app will also display error or warning codes to help diagnose any issues.

Buy the Techtron Elite

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