The Niu Kqi3 Sport shows many strengths in the test, such as very good workmanship and good handling at a fair price. But he also has a weakness.
In recent years, Niu has made a name for itself primarily with its e-scooters. For example, we like the Niu NGT (test report) very much. It convinces with its great driving characteristics, the good workmanship and battery. Niu now wants to use his experience from the e-scooter sector for e-scooters as well. This test report shows whether this works and how the Niu Kqi3 Sport compares to other good e-scooters (best list) .
Optics & processing
As is usual with e-scooters, after unpacking the buyer has to attach the handlebars to the handlebars with four screws. After that you can start straight away. We really like the look of the Niu Kqi3 Sport. The most striking feature is its curved body, in the middle of which sits the running board, which is very wide at 17 centimeters but only average at 47 centimeters. We have the blue variant. But it is also available with white and red elements and in a completely black version.
Overall it looks massive. Everything about him seems well and thoughtfully integrated. This is how Niu managed to cleverly hide most of the cables. The cables for the brakes and the gas lever do not disappear in the handlebars as with other e-scooters, but in the handlebars themselves. The handlebars are extremely robust, the rear fender is firm and can withstand a kick. Nothing wobbles at all. The Niu Kqi3 Sport is one of the best processed e-scooters that we have been able to test so far.
folding mechanism
Overall, the Niu Kqi3 Sport is particularly suitable for taller drivers. His handlebar is almost 116 centimeters high and fixed in height. The e-scooter is 117 centimeters long and the handlebars are 54 centimeters wide. The folding mechanism is very simple, as you are used to from current e-scooters: loosen the safety lever, fold down the handlebar and lock it in place, done. A small special feature is the locking mechanism, which is released on the Niu Kqi3 Sport via its own mechanical button. The 18.5 kg e-scooter can be lifted using the handlebars. Its folded dimensions are 50 x 117 x 54 centimeters. The maximum payload is 120 kilograms.
brake & handlebar
There is only one brake on the handlebars. It addresses both the electric motor brake on the rear wheel and the mechanical disc brake on the front wheel. Anyone who presses them lightly brakes exclusively electrically. The disc brake only engages when you pull it harder. This is a good solution, so the driver can brake without loss and at the same time use the energy recovery system. The braking distance itself is slightly longer when braking hard than we have seen on many other e-scooters. However, he is still okay.
The throttle lever is on the right side. In our opinion, this is a bit too tight. On longer journeys, it could cause pain in the thumb. On the left sits the attached bell. The handles are relatively small, but well rubberized. A kind of visor sits in front of the handlebars as an optical element.
The display is in the middle of the handlebars, quite large and easy to read even in direct sunlight. In addition to the current speed, it also shows the selected driving mode and the remaining capacity of the battery in bars. The only button on the Niu Kqi3 Sport is below the display.
The front light sits in the middle below the handlebars. It’s exceptionally large for an e-scooter, throwing out a wide and bright cone that can be adjusted in height. The rear light shines a little less brightly, but is still sufficiently easy to see in the dark. It lights up brightly when braking.
apartment
The Niu app first requires registration with an email address. After the first connection, a short tutorial introduces you to the use of the e-scooter. The app itself has only limited added value. You can use it to update the firmware, determine the strength of the energy recovery and limit the maximum speed. It also allows you to record trips including mileage, trip time, average speed and more. The app integrates maps from Google Maps.
Drive
The Niu Kqi3 Sport is fantastic to drive. This is mainly due to the excellent workmanship and its agile handling despite the massive processing. The 9.5-inch pneumatic tires absorb most of the slight bumps. The handlebars are extremely tight and don’t wobble.
Niu specifies the nominal power of the motor as 300 watts and the peak power as 600 watts. That’s less than many other e-scooters offer. For comparison: The motor of the extremely powerful Vmax VX2 e-scooter (test report) has a nominal output of 500 watts and 1300 watts at its peak. The Niu accelerates accordingly leisurely. The scooter is very precise about the top speed and limits it to 20 kilometers per hour. Other e-scooters use the 10 percent tolerance and legally accelerate up to 22 kilometers per hour.
battery pack
The capacity of the battery is 365 watt hours. If you choose the Pro version, you not only get a slightly more powerful motor, but also a larger battery with 486 watt hours. Niu claims that even with the small Sport variant, you can travel up to 40 kilometers.
As always, this value is exaggerated because it was measured under ideal conditions. Factors such as the weight of the driver, the speed driven, the outside temperature, the altitude covered and much more have a significant influence on the real range. We assume that a driver weighing around 90 kilograms in the city with a lot of stop & go can travel around 20 kilometers before the e-scooter has to be used again as the supplied power supply. A full charge takes about six hours.
Price
The Niu Kqi3 Sport comes at an RRP of 700 euros. Many dealers are already selling it for 600 euros. For the Pro version you pay about 100 more.
Conclusion
The Niu Kqi3 Sport is an all-round successful e-scooter. Especially its high processing quality, the well thought-out optics and the very good handling stand out positively. The light is also really good, the display is easy to read and the folding mechanism is well thought out. The brakes are rather average, but still usable. In our opinion, the battery capacity could have been a bit higher. The engine could also be too weak for some, slightly heavier drivers. If you invest around 100 euros more and choose the Pro version of the Niu Kqi3, you will get a slightly more powerful motor and a significantly larger battery. In our opinion, the extra cost is worth it.
If you are looking for alternatives, you should take a closer look at the Segway Ninebot G30D II Max (test report) . The Xiaomi Mi Scooter Pro 2 (test report) is also really good. For an overview of the best e-scooters on the market, we recommend our detailed list of the top 10: The best e-scooters from 300 euros in the test .
