Segway, the masters of personal transportation devices, have released a new Ninebot series of scooters, as part of its Segway KickScooter arm. There are two scooters in the series; the ES1 and ES2, with the latter offering a higher top speed and a more comfortable ride.

Both models look like your regular scooter, but they have an electric motor built in that enables the ES1 to reach speeds up to 12mph and the ES2 up to 16mph, both have a 15 mile range from the rechargeable battery.

Segway has designed the Ninebot scooters to be hassle-free when taking them on the daily commute, so a one-touch folding system allows them to be folded up, carried around and taken onto trains and buses with ease.

The ES2 has the added benefit of a rear shock absorber, making the overall ride more comfortable and has customisable rear ambient lights to make the scooter more obvious in low light.

As with most modern gadgets, the Segway KickScooter Ninebot scooters can be paired to a companion app, available for Android and iOS. The app lets you lock your scooter, manage the lighting, set a speed limit and adjust cruise control settings.

Cruise control works in the same way it does in a car, simply set a speed and the scooter will stick to it until your brake or turn the function off, it's available on both scooters. 

Both models get an LED digital display to show speed, Bluetooth connection, power mode and battery level. An optional second battery will improve the range of either scooter to 27 miles and will boost the top speed of the ES2 to 19mph.

Dennis Hardholt, President, Segway Europe B.V. said: "Each KickScooter leverages a smartphone app and delivers other convenient features that meet the riding preferences of today’s savvy consumers in distinct target markets,"  

"We’re confident response to our KickScooters will be excellent."

Segway KickScooter says the Ninebot series will be available in Q4 2017, with prices to be revealed nearer the time, although we expect they'll cost considerably less than the £2,600 Brompton Electric