This new electric scooter hits 45 miles per hour — seriously

Scotsman electric scooter
(Image credit: Scotsman)

I've ridden on scooters that get up to around 35 miles per hour — and that's fast enough for me. The new custom-fit 3D-printed carbon-fiber Scotsman electric scooter, which is available for pre-order and starts at $2,000 — can hit a scary fast 45 MPH. Do you dare ride it when it's available this December?

The Scotsman electric scooter is being made by the same company that produced the Superstrata electric bike, which has a 3D-printed carbon fiber frame that's custom fit to every rider. While not as customizable as the bike, shoppers will be able to choose from five color options for the Scotsman scooter.

The Scotsman electric scooter will be offered in three versions. All three weigh around 40 pounds, can carry up to 350 pounds of weight, and have an estimated 70-mile range.

The main difference between the three models will be the motors in each. As the price goes up, so to do the power of the motors. The top model, the Scotsman 2000, will get up to an absurd 45 MPH, which sounds downright dangerous to me.

  • Scotsman 500 ($2,999): Dual 250-Watt motors. Max speed: 19 MPH
  • Scotsman 1000 ($3,499): Dual 500W motors. Max speed: 31 MPH
  • Scotsman 2000 ($4,499): Dual 1000W motors.  Max speed: 45 MPH

Scotsman electric scooter

(Image credit: Scotsman)

Aside from speed, the increased power means you'll be able to scale ever-steeper hills. The company says that the Scotsman 500 can handle 17% grades; the Scotsman 1000 can take on 20% grades, and the Scotsman 2000 can drive up 27% road grades. 

Rather than a traditional shock absorber-style suspension system, the Scotsman uses a so-called "proprietary composite suspension system" made of carbon fiber. The company says it's comparable to a leaf spring in a car — we hope so, because hitting a pothole at speed is a recipe for disaster.

Other features of the Scotsman include a removable battery (which can double as a charger for your smartphone), built-in GPS and Bluetooth, a front-facing camera, and an LCD display. 

The scooter also has 10-inch pneumatic tires, regenerative braking, and head- and tail lights. 

The Scotsman is available for preorder starting today, and will ship in December. 

With a starting price of $2,000, it's much more expensive than a typical electric scooter, or even something like the $1,500 Apollo Ghost, which has dual 800-Watt motors and can top out at around 35 MPH.  But then again, you're getting a custom-fit scooter made of carbon fiber, a passel of other features, and an estimated 70-mile range. 

It's definitely an electric scooter for the elite, but is there as a big a market for custom electric scooters as there is for electric bikes? And, you'll have to be prepared to wait: While the Superstrata bike was originally scheduled to start shipping in December of 2020, based on the company's Indiegogo page, it won't start shipping until later this summer. Even though the Scotsman scooter is scheduled to ship this December, we're betting it will be delayed a bit longer than that.

Mike Prospero
U.S. Editor-in-Chief, Tom's Guide

Michael A. Prospero is the U.S. Editor-in-Chief for Tom’s Guide. He oversees all evergreen content and oversees the Homes, Smart Home, and Fitness/Wearables categories for the site. In his spare time, he also tests out the latest drones, electric scooters, and smart home gadgets, such as video doorbells. Before his tenure at Tom's Guide, he was the Reviews Editor for Laptop Magazine, a reporter at Fast Company, the Times of Trenton, and, many eons back, an intern at George magazine. He received his undergraduate degree from Boston College, where he worked on the campus newspaper The Heights, and then attended the Columbia University school of Journalism. When he’s not testing out the latest running watch, electric scooter, or skiing or training for a marathon, he’s probably using the latest sous vide machine, smoker, or pizza oven, to the delight — or chagrin — of his family.