I’ve been enamored with electric scooters for a while now, as their easy form factor and intuitive design are just perfect for “last-mile” commuting as well as just general getting around. But a common and understandable fear is safety. With the Navee N65i, though, thoughtful design makes it feel safe both on road, and off.
The Navee N65i is described as “the ultimate urban SUV adventure,” alluding to the scooter’s ability to not only work on the road, but to work in rougher off-road situations. I’ve been putting that to the test at USDGC, the United States Disc Golf Championship, which is an event where you can ride around on paths surrounding the course, but also inevitably end up riding through grassy, bumpy fields. It was basically the perfect testing ground.
Starting with the core hardware itself, Navee’s build screams sturdy through and through. The thick metal frame and the tough rubber grip pad feel reassuringly strong. That also means the whole thing is… not light, but it’s also not super heavy. Lifting the scooter from the ground into the back of my car was a breeze thanks to the thoughtful way it folds up. There’s a detachment point for the main stalk, and then a second one to rotate the handlebars into a storage mode. Once folded, there’s a hook that lets you pick up the entire scooter by the main stalk, making it easy to lift. I wish that hook held in place a little better, as it falls off easily when not being lifted, but it works more than well enough.
The controls are very simple and easy to understand, especially if you’ve ever ridden one of the “rideshare” electric scooters available in some cities. Once turned on, the throttle lets you control just how fast you’re going, with brakes up front for both the front and rear tires. Navee touts a “triple braking system” that doesn’t feel quite as aggressive as the scooters you might rent, but still works really well for a quick stop. The rear wheel also features regenerative braking to reclaim a bit of power.
My favorite feature while driving was cruise control, which locks in the throttle setting after five seconds of driving. This is optional, but handy if you’re going to be moving for more than a couple of minutes. On other scooters I’ve ridden in the past, my hand would start to cramp up a little bit from holding down the throttle, so cruise control was a refreshing addition.
That brings us to performance.
Navee says the N65i has a 1000W motor which, in practice, is speedy and responsive even carrying my 225lb~ weight. A quick push off speeds up quickly when on a paved surface, while it runs a bit slower on uneven off-road terrain. In the default “Drive” mode, I was hitting around 12mph on flat, paved ground, and around 20mph when switching to “Sport” mode (using a double-tap of the power button). Off-road on bumpy grass typically drops speeds by around 3-5mph. Those speeds don’t sound crazy fast, but they sure feel fast. Navee advertises up to 25mph speeds, which I’m absolutely sure someone of a lighter weight than myself would be hitting.
The bigger deal to me over speed was simply how safe the whole thing feels while moving, which has been fantastic.
The wider tires on the Navi N65i feel way safer than a traditional street scooter. Hitting bumps on the road and off-road doesn’t feel as impactful or scary. The whole experience is way more stable and smooth. That’s despite the lack of more advanced suspension as is found on the Navee ST3 Pro we reviewed earlier this year. Even without that, the ride generally felt pretty good, and far better than the street scooters you may have tried. You should absolutely still wear protective gear, but I’ve felt far safer on the Navee N65i versus others I’ve tried, especially when it comes to off-roading.
Then, there’s battery life.
The Navee N65i is rated for 40 miles of range, but the app often tells me there’s 45-50 miles available when looking at its general estimate that’s based on the scooter running at around 9mph. You can adjust the app to show a personalized range estimate that’s based on your riding history and preferences. In my lighter use (as my hometown has no safe bike lanes or sidewalks for anything resembling a proper commute), I usually found that a day or two of use was what brought the battery down to the 40-50% range. Standby time is great, and the scooter is very efficient with its power. That’s good especially as charging is not fast. Charging overnight is more than enough to fill it up as long as it’s not fully dead, but the slower speed would make me hesitate from, say, getting a mid-day top up while at a workplace.
Finally, let’s talk about the Navee app. The scooter connects to your phone over Bluetooth, and this is where you’ll be able to access select settings such as cruise control, light settings, and more. There’s also a lock option here, which disables the scooter until you unlock it from your phone. It’s not the most secure lock, but it’s enough to deter someone from just seeing a scooter and running off with it at full speed, as they’d be limited to walking it along. My only complaints about the app are that you are required to have an account, and that the connection doesn’t always work. I never had problems while the scooter was locked, thankfully, but I’d occasionally turn it on to connect only to find that Bluetooth on the scooter wasn’t activating. It was far from a big issue, though.
Also, a pro tip, actually watch all of the tutorials the app provides. The product manual within doesn’t tell you about as many functions as the tutorials will.
So, what about the price?
At $899 retail, the Navee N65i isn’t a cheap option, but it’s also far from the most expensive. It’s also a pretty great deal when on sale. Walmart, for instance, is currently selling the N65i for $629. For what you’re getting, I think that’s a very fair price to pay.
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