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MagyarHimo L2 Max electric scooter experience report: Through city and country with 0.47 hp
Himo has now become a relatively well-known manufacturer of e-bikes. The subsidiary of Xiaomi offers interesting bikes with electric drive - especially the folding bikes attracted greater attention for Himo. The Himo L2 Max is an urban electric scooter with a range of up to 30 km (~19 mi). The 350-watt motor in the front wheel accelerates the L2 Max to a maximum of 25 km/h (~15.5 mph).
At the same time, the scooter offers equipment that allows it to be ridden on the road in most EU countries. Among others, Germany and Denmark are an exception here. Front and rear lights as well as reflectors on the sides ensure high visibility. A double braking system allows safe stopping.
Technical data
We tested the Himo L2 Max in the EU version with a 350-watt motor and 25 km/h (~15.5 mph) top speed. The following data refers to the manufacturer's specifications for this version. For the German market, there is a version of the scooter with a 250-watt motor and 20 km/h (~12.4 mph) top speed.
| Himo L2 Max | |
|---|---|
| Battery | 36 V; 10.4 Ah (equivalent to about 380 Wh) 40 18650 Li-ion batteries; end-of-charge voltage 42 V; 4P10S |
| Drive | Front wheel drive with brushless 350-watt motor |
| Top speed | Three-stage adjustable to 6 km/h, 18 km/h, 25 km/h (~3.7. 11.2, 15.5 mph) |
| Range | 30 km (~19 mi) |
| Charger | 42 V 84 watts |
| Payload | 150 kg (~330 lb) |
| Tires | 10-inch pneumatic tires 62 mm (~2.4 in) wide |
| Brake system | Electronic brake (front) + mechanical disc brake (rear) |
| Weight | 18 kg (~40 lb) |
| Other features | Foldable, rubberized footboard, CE certificate according to EU standard EN15194:2017 |
| Manufacturer website | Himo Europe |
Assembly and setup - Five screws and a lot of pumping
The Himo L2 Max comes almost completely pre-assembled. Only the lamp and handlebar must be mounted on the handlebar stem. The five screws required for this are quickly screwed in with the included Allen keys. The tires must then be inflated to their operating pressure of 30 psi (≅ 2 bar). A small air pump is also included for this purpose. However, a compressor makes this work easier. A complete set of Allen wrenches should be available for later maintenance of the electric scooter. Every now and then, some screws need to be tightened.
Design and workmanship - Himo scooter is stable
The Himo L2 Max has a very sturdy frame made of steel tubes, which are connected with quite clean welds. Everything fits here and you trust the scooter has the specified load capacity of 150 kg (~330 lb). The thick maple wood of the running board also looks stable and high quality. In the long term, it is protected by a rubber mat, which also provides secure footing. The design is particularly noticeable in terms of weight. The electric scooter weighs around 18 kg (~40 lb).
Due to the large wheels, the wide handle and the battery box under the footboard, the scooter already looks quite bulky. When it comes to the color selection of the painted parts, you have to choose between gray and white. The lettering "Ride your life" can be found in several places. Handlebar, rear and footboard are decorated with the motto of the Himo L2 Max. The only disappointment is the selection and mounting of the front light. It looks more or less artificial and doesn't really fit in with the rest of the design.
At 49 × 20 cm (~19 x 8 in), the scooter's footboard is quite large. The 49 cm (~19 ib) wide handlebar is about a meter (~3.3 ft) above it. Thus, the Himo L2 Max is an e-scooter that is suitable even for taller people.
Driving characteristics - Air-filled wheels provide comfort
The fairly wide footboard and the pleasantly high and wide handlebars allow a comfortable position for male or female riders. Even without suspension, the wide pneumatic tires ensure that not every bump in the road is immediately noticeable. On the Mur cycle path and in the city, the scooter is quite pleasant to ride. Even though gravel or meadows are no obstacle for the Himo L2 Max, comfort is limited here due to the rigid frame. The 350-watt electric motor accelerates the scooter briskly. At top speed, you don't feel any instability of the ride on smooth surfaces. The three-stage regulation of the top speed makes it possible to build up a feeling for the scooter. Handling of the mechanical and electric brakes in particular requires practice.
The speed mode is set by double-clicking the on/off button. The maximum speeds here are 6, 18 and 25 km/h (~3.7. 11.2, 15.5 mph). These are indicated by an LED underneath the display. Depending on the setting, the S lights up white, yellow or red. With a triple click, the speed display can be changed to miles per hour.
As with many electric scooters, the speed is controlled by thumb pressure on the control dial. The speed cannot be controlled particularly finely this way, and often the throttle feels more like a digital all-or-nothing control than a fine control here as well.
Range and maximum speed
The maximum speed and range were determined using a smartphone and the Geo Tracker app. In mountainous Styria, this adds up to about 24 km (~15 mi) of uninterrupted driving. The maximum speed on level ground determined via GPS was a good 23 km/h (~14 mph), which is slightly below the manufacturer's specifications. In return, the scooter manages a gradient of more than 20%, and you only clearly notice how the engine struggles at over 40%. It must be noted here that the manufacturer's range specification of 30 to 35 km (~19 to 22 mi) refers to a ride at 18 km/h (~11 mph). The weight load of the scooter was also possibly higher by the author than that with which Himo tested the range. Only on the last 2 kilometers (~1.2 miles) you notice the significant drop in battery power. Here the electric scooter could no longer maintain its maximum speed. 200 meters (~656 feet/219 yards) before the finish, it finally gave up completely and switched off.
Brakes
The Himo L2 Max has two independent braking systems. The somewhat weaker electronic brake on the front wheel brings the scooter to a halt from top speed within a good 12 meters (~39 ft). If you press the left brake lever, the mechanical brake on the rear wheel is also triggered. The disc brake is so powerful that it locks the rear wheel. This brings the scooter to a halt within around five meters (~16 ft). When braking with the electronic brake, recuperation takes place. This means that the battery can be charged somewhat on longer downhill journeys. A typical feature of electric brakes is that they cannot be used to decelerate a vehicle completely to a standstill. Thus also the electric brake of the Himo L2 Max loses its effectiveness under estimated 3 km/h (~1.9 mph). Then one can easily bring the scooter to a stop using feet.. The rear light also functions as a brake light here and starts flashing as soon as the brake lever is pressed.
Light and vision
Front and rear lights as well as reflectors on the sides ensure that the Himo L2 Max can be seen even in the dark. Even though the light beam of the front light is not particularly large, the luminosity here is sufficient for a fairly good visibility.
While the e-scooter's speed display is bright, it was noticed it cannot compete with the sun in some cases. Thus, it is sometimes difficult to see the LED display in bright sunshine.
Park - Load - Secure
The foldable stand on the Himo L2 Max comes with a large support disc at the base, with which the electric scooter stands securely. Unfortunately, the scooter can only be secured with a lock, as the electric scooter lacks any electronic immobilizer. The Bluetooth functions which the Lenzord X2-Y3-C5-V1 Board apparently offers were probably deliberately saved here. It is not necessarily easy to find a suitable lock apart from disc brake locks. Since the scooter only has the option of pulling a lock through a corresponding eyelet on the frame at the rear.
The electric scooter is charged using the included power supply unit. This charges the 36 V battery with 10.4 Ah within five to six hours at a maximum of 84 watts. The charging port is somewhat awkwardly located. It is located right next to the stand under a red rubber cover. Thus, the charging port is unfortunately quite difficult to reach.
Transport - Collapsed, the Himo L2 Max is compact
The handlebars of the Himo L2 Max can be folded down in just a few steps. This makes the electric scooter relatively easy to transport and it also fits in the trunk of smaller cars or can be taken on the train. This makes the scooter well suited as a means of transport for the last mile to the destination.
To fold the scooter, first release the clamping lever and pull the locking pin upwards. The handlebars can then be folded down and fixed to the footboard by means of a hook-and-eye combination. This makes it quite easy to carry the scooter, even though it's not exactly light at 18 kg (~40 lb).
After a short time, we noticed that the tensioning lever no longer provides quite the tensioning force to fix the handlebar without play. However, the clamping force can be easily adjusted at the large hexagon socket screw. Turned clockwise by a few degrees, everything sits perfectly here again.
Another negative point of the folding mechanism is the locking pin. It is spring-loaded and damages the coating of the surrounding components quite heavily over time.
Practice - More mobility
In many situations, the Himo L2 Max was just handy. Be it on the way to work or university, or to the supermarket for a few little things. Since the scooter fits well in small cars, it also drastically shortens the way back from the garage.
In Austria, electric scooters have the same traffic rights as bicycles. This means that the Himo L2 Max can be driven everywhere where bicycles are also allowed. Depending on the traffic situation and road layout, this results in a time advantage over the car despite the low maximum speed.
In fact, we now prefer the scooter more often than the car or bicycle. Simply because it is usually just as fast, but the environmental conscience and convenience no longer fight so hard with each other. Because it's clear: the bicycle would be even more environmentally friendly than the e-scooter, but less comfortable. In contrast to the bicycle, the Himo L2 can be stored in the apartment in a space-saving manner. For the most part, the scooter has to be charged overnight anyway. Out the door and the ride can begin. While both car and bike require a few more steps, at least for us.
The range of the scooter has turned out to be a good compromise between battery weight and battery capacity. 22 kilometers (~14 mi) is usually enough for several days. More battery capacity would drive the already high weight of the scooter even higher. If the battery actually runs out before reaching its destination, the scooter can still be pushed.
Conclusion - A scooter for the city
Himo L2 Max has a fairly high range, good driving characteristics and is stable in all respects. Lighting, reflectors and engine power allow participation in road traffic in many EU countries. The scooter is convenient to cover short distances and can almost completely replace the car in urban areas. At the same time, the scooter offers driving fun thanks to strong acceleration and good tires. Due to the battery life, day trips with the Himo L2 Max are not really conceivable, but a little more than an hour at top speed is possible. If the environment is right, however, the scooter doesn't even have to run at top power all the time. At 23 km/h (~14 mph), the beautiful nature rushes by quite quickly.
The lack of an immobilizer and the practically non-existent stowage options are somewhat impractical here. Smartphone holders and other conveniences are missing. In the long run, there is also the question of spare parts availability after the one-year warranty ends. The market of e-scooters and corresponding parts is now quite large and confusing.
The folding mechanism is quite stable and practical in all respects. Although the scooter is not really light at 18 kg (~40 lb), it can be carried quite well when folded. Especially because it fits in most cars, it can also serve well to bypass traffic in the city when traveling from the surrounding countryside.
In terms of motor power, 350 watts is sufficient in most cases. Acceleration and deceleration are sufficient for agile progress and even driving uphill works when there is half a charge remaining.
The Himo L2 Max is ultimately an interesting means of transportation that can reduce the use of fossil fuels. Even an electric car cannot move a person from A to B as efficiently as the small electric scooter with its 0.47 hp. Moving 1000 kg (~2200 lb) of car + driver definitely costs more energy input than 18 kg (~40 lb) of electric scooter + driver.
Prices and availability
The Himo L2 Max is available from many online retailers, and the prices usually vary between 500 and 600 Euros (~$526 and $631). At TomTop the retail price is currently 542 Euros (~$570). Somewhat cheaper is Cafago at 531.99 Euros (~$560). A small search even reveals the coupon code TTHCLM, which pushes the retail price down to 520 Euros (~$547). Since many other Chinese trading platforms also have the Himo L2 on offer, it is worth comparing the price and shipping options.
