Zinc Velocity Plus review

As we eek closer to the possibility of the legalisation of privately-owned electric scooters on UK streets, British brands are starting to take the e-Scooter revolution seriously. One such manufacturer is Zinc, with a range of electric scooters tailored to potential UK regulations.

The king of the collection is the 500W Zinc Velocity Plus, a £700 electric scooter that not only delivers impressive performance, but a few security-focused features not present on many cheaper electric scooters. The question is, does that justify the expensive price tag? Well…

Design & features

• Fairly heavy at 22kg
• Built-in cable lock
• Unique NFC-based locking system

The Zinc Velocity Plus is a good-looking electric scooter with a largely clean design, lacking visible brake cables that run down the stem. Where cables are visible, the black colouring helps them disappear into the largely black body of the scooter. The design is complete with silver Zinc branding on the stem, adding to the overall premium look of the scooter.

Lewis Painter / Foundry

The deck is fairly long and wide, and the grippy textured pattern helps you stay securely on the scooter even when riding in damp conditions. It’s not the largest around – that title goes to the Inokim Ox Super in my experience – but it’s still easy enough for me and my UK size 11s to stand with one foot in front of the other.

One thing to note is that it doesn’t officially boast any kind of water resistance. I’ve ridden the scooter in damp conditions with no adverse effects, but I’d steer clear of puddles and riding while it’s actually raining to be on the safe side.  

As with most scooters, the Zinc Velocity Plus can be folded down in a few seconds, ideal for transport and storage. While it measures in at 1164 x 550 x 1185mm unfolded, it can fold down to a more compact 1164 x 550 x 575mm with ease. The folded stem attaches to the board via a small latch, allowing you to carry the folded scooter by the stem.

Lewis Painter / Foundry

Bear in mind that at 22kg, it’s certainly not one of the most lightweight scooters to lug around by hand, but it’s still manageable.  

The handlebars are comfortable to hold, sporting dual brakes (which I’ll discuss later), a thumb throttle, indicator controls, a bell and a centrally mounted display. The display is plenty bright for use in outdoor conditions, displaying key information including current speed, battery life and the mode you’re currently using.

Lewis Painter / Foundry

See also  Microsoft Surface Duo 2 review

The power button also controls the built-in LED light which helps illuminate the floor ahead of you when riding in dark conditions, and there are reflectors on the front and sides as well as a brake light to make you more visible at night.

While that’s all fairly standard for an electric scooter, where the Zinc Velocity Plus really stands out is in the security department.

First up is a built-in safety lock, found nestled within the stem of the scooter, allowing you to quickly lock it up without the need to carry a separate lock. It’s certainly convenient when you’re quickly nipping to the shop, though with a relatively thin cable, it wouldn’t take too long for a determined thief to break.

Lewis Painter / Foundry

Equally as impressive is an NFC-based locking feature that requires you to either tap an NFC card or key chain accessory onto the display to unlock the scooter. If you don’t, you’ll find that the scooter won’t provide any acceleration and it’ll constantly beep to draw attention to itself.

The latter is particularly interesting, though I’d have liked the beep to be a little louder – it’s barely audible on a busy road. An automated brake lock would’ve also been a nice touch as you can still push the scooter without any resistance when locked.

Lewis Painter / Foundry

Still, it’s a nice idea that I’d love to see developed further.

Performance

• Rapid performance from 500W motor
• Dual brakes provide great control over deceleration
• Bumpy on uneven surfaces

Within the Zinc Velocity Plus is a powerful 500W motor – more than the popular Turboant V8 and Xiaomi’s Mi Scooter Pro 2 – that, as you might expect, translates to a rather rapid riding experience.

In fact, it’s clear in use that the Zinc Velocity Plus is capable of blasting past the top speed of 15.5mph, with rapid acceleration taking you up to the top speed before you feel the scooter slowing itself down, possibly with an automated braking system. It would’ve been nice to remove the limiter for use on private land to see just how fast the Velocity Plus can go, but that’s not possible.  

Lewis Painter / Foundry

That’s down to UK law, with rental electric scooters and electric bikes limited to 15.5mph, and it’s widely believed that it’ll also be the case with private scooters if/when they’re legalised.

That said, the performance on offer from the Velocity Plus is impressive. That rapid acceleration means it’s quick to take off on a green light, and the powerful motor makes quick work of inclines of up to 15 degrees. Not once during my testing did I feel the Velocity Plus lacked the power to get me where I was going.

As with most scooters, there are three riding modes to choose from. The Eco mode limits the speed to 6.2mph and slows down the acceleration, but in return offers the best possible range from the scooter. You can ramp it up to 12.4mph in the Drive mode, or if you’re like me and want the very best performance possible at the sacrifice of battery life, the Sport mode provides rapid acceleration and top speeds of 15.5mph.   

In fact, all that’s really missing is cruise control, allowing you to take your finger off the throttle after a few seconds of riding at the same speed. It’s a small omission admittedly, but one that’s noticeable on longer rides.

Equally as important as acceleration is stopping power, and the Velocity Plus doesn’t disappoint there either. Rather than offering a single brake control like many popular options, it sports dual brake controls that you’ll find on standard bikes.

Lewis Painter / Foundry

It’s a much better option than a single brake system which doesn’t really provide much control over the braking, making it harder to come to a stop safely. The dual controls, on the other hand, allow you to control the front and rear brakes independently for better control both during deceleration and emergency stops.

It’s a feature that consumers tend to overlook, but it’s such an important aspect to consider.

Elsewhere, the combination of a 9.3in air-filled front tyre and dual-fork suspension helps reduce the judder from uneven riding surfaces, but with a solid rear wheel that lacks any kind of suspension, it’s still not the smoothest ride ever – especially on the tarmac patchwork that is London’s roads – and the rear mud flap can sometimes rattle on uneven roads.  

Lewis Painter / Foundry

That’s fairly standard among most alternatives out there in its price range though. In fact, you’d have to splash out nearly double on the likes of the $1,650/£1,299 Inokim Ox Super for proper e-scooter suspension and a super-smooth ride.

The powerful motor on offer also allows for heavier riders up to 120kg (around 19 stone) compared to the average of 100kg (around 16 stone) from most competitors.

Battery life & charging

• Up to 31 miles on a charge
• Full charge in around 6 hours

Hidden within the deck of the Zinc Velocity Plus is the 36v 13Ah (468Wh) lithium-ion battery that helps power the responsive performance on offer from the scooter.

When it comes to range, you should expect the battery to provide a maximum of 31 miles on a charge – though expect less if you’re riding around at full speed, as the estimate is based on use of the eco mode. As with all scooters, it’ll also depend on rider weight, the incline of the road and even the temperature, so mileage can – and will – vary.

That said, it’s still more than enough to get around my local area without scrambling for a charger, comfortably managing around 15-20 miles at fairly fast speeds. If you’re looking to get the most range possible, the 50-mile Turboant V8 and its dual battery system might be a better fit.

Lewis Painter / Foundry

Charging is a little slow at around 6 hours on average using the supplied kit, though it should still go from flat to full during a standard workday if you want to use the scooter for commuting. The charging port itself is hidden at the bottom of the stem behind a waterproof cover, keeping it nice and protected when riding in the wet.

Price

Considering the combination of performance and features on offer from the Zinc Velocity Plus, it comes in at a fairly decent $840/£699.99. It’s still expensive, but there’s definitely value to be had here.

If you’re tempted, you can buy the Zinc Velocity Plus directly from Zinc in the US and UK, as well as Currys and Amazon in the UK.

If that’s a little too expensive for your budget, take a look at our selection of the best electric scooters for tempting options at all price ranges.

Lewis Painter / Foundry

Verdict

The Zinc Velocity Plus is an impressive electric scooter that does everything you’d expect from an electric scooter and more. The built-in cable lock is a convenient feature, but the NFC-based locking system is my personal favourite – I just wish the siren was a little louder to deter would-be thieves.

Security features aside, the 500W motor provides rapid acceleration and top speeds of 15.5mph, though I suspect this has been speed limited and it’s capable of higher speeds. The 31-mile range is decent, the ride is consistent and dual brakes mean you’ve got complete control when you want to come to a stop.

It may be more expensive than some popular options on the market, but there’s a lot to like about the Zinc Velocity Plus.