The Navee S65C is undoubtedly one of the most comfortable scooters on the market, with good performance and, above all, pleasant suspension so you don’t feel the roughness of the road too much. With a claimed range of up to 65 km and a 450 W motor, up to 900 W peak, it promises to be a powerful performer. But what is it really worth? Let’s find out in our test of the S65C.
Design and packaging
The Navee S65C is an elegant and attractive scooter, but it is imposing, like many other references in the field. Here, we’re moving away from medium-sized models, and people under 1.60 m tall will have a bit of trouble with this type of device. However, for me and my 1m80, no worries, it’s just the thing.
The scooter arrives folded in its box, so all you have to do is unfold it and start it up. The guards are securely in place, and the Navee S65C is neatly tidied away.
The box contains the handlebar mounting screws, with a tool supplied, and a set of instructions for fitting an inflator to readjust the tire pressure. Gallery size=”large” link=”none” columns=”2″ ids=”116690,116691″] On the front of the scooter, once mounted, you’ll notice the handlebars at the top, with the start button in the throttle trigger. On the left is the bell, with a hook for storing it when folded. Another thing I find a pity on this model is that it is stored with the tube at an angle, and not completely straight as on the Niu KQi3 Max.
Finally, still on the upper part, is the on-board display, indicating any faults, but above all, the speed mode, real-time speed and various other information.
The tray is quite wide, which is a good thing, with a rubber coating that allows it to grip the user’s shoes. On the left-hand side of the tray is the S65C’s kickstand. This is indispensable for storing the scooter in any situation.
Both the front and rear are equipped with headlights. There’s a front light for night-time illumination, and a stop light at the rear that works exactly like a car. The latter lights up and increases in intensity as you brake. The scooter has orange reflective plates on both sides for visibility, but no turn signals, as on the Sharp EM KS4AEU.
Navee S65C features
| Model | Navee S65C |
| Motor power | 450 W |
| Maximum speed | 25 km/h |
| Maximum lift angle | 22% |
| Number of speed modes | 3 |
| LCD display | Yes |
| Brake type | Mechanical + Regenerative braking |
| Suspension | Yes |
| Headlamps | Front and rear |
| Battery type | Lithium ion (Li-ion) |
| Battery capacity | 36V / 15 Ah |
| Charging time | 8 hours |
| Claimed range | 65 km |
| Maximum supported load | 120 kg |
| User height for optimum use | 1,70 m |
| Dimensions – folded (W x H x D in mm) | 1230 x 533 x 1285 mm |
| Dimensions – unfolded (W x H x D in mm) | 1230 x 530 x 570 mm |
| Tires | 10 inches / 25.4 cm |
| Weight | 27 kg |
Riding the Navee S65C
With its 450W motor, this scooter promises great performance. It has a top speed of 25 km/h in France, so it’s a pity that legislation is so strict. However, it’s not advisable to unhook it, if at all possible. In the U.S., on the other hand, the speed limit is 32 km/h, which is already a little better, but we don’t live in the U.S. The 450W motor lags a little behind. It accelerates well, but I had more of a feeling of power with the Niu KQi 3 Max. It’s a bit of a shame, but at least the Navee S65C allows you to reach speeds of over 20 km/h without too much difficulty. Here, there’s no “overspeeding” downhill, as I’ve never been able to exceed 25 km/h.This model offers the possibility of taking slopes up to 22%. It’s certainly feasible, but it remains to be seen in what conditions, with whom on board… Weighing in at 93 kilos, I didn’t manage to take any very steep inclines with it, which is a bit of a shame. What I also find regrettable is the fact that the speed required to start the electric motor is high: you have to push it to at least 6 km/h for it to really start, which I think is a lot, whereas others start before. What I admire most here is the comfort. I’ve never been on such a comfortable electric scooter before. The suspension, both front and rear, is incredibly comfortable, and helps to smooth out some of the little bumps in the road. Even on a speed bump with cobblestones – relatively flat though they are – it’s comfortable. I have no trouble negotiating small sidewalks 1 to 2 cm high, and the suspension does its job to perfection. If acceleration doesn’t seem to live up to my expectations, comfort far exceeds them. So much so that it’s hard to make up your mind. Indeed, the 450W motor doesn’t seem to give the same results as with another identical model, but does that really matter?
Going from 0 to 25 km/h in two seconds more with the Navee S65C doesn’t seem dramatic, which is why I confess to having a preference for this model. When you ride an electric scooter, it’s not to go specifically fast, but above all to have a reliable means of transport, faster than walking, and not too tiring. If, on top of that, you enjoy optimum comfort, then it’s a must. But don’t go crazy with it either, it’s not an all-terrain model, although it is IPX5 certified to withstand the rain.
Navee S65C range
This electric scooter is certified for a range of 65 km, at a speed of 15 km/h. True to my passion for not wasting time, I’ve always opted for sport mode, with a maximum speed of 25 km/h. Inevitably, the range drops here, which makes perfect sense. In the test conditions, which are as follows:
- 93-kilo tester
- Outside temperature 11°C
- A few descents and climbs of 3 to 4%.
- With Sport mode and an almost constant speed of 25 km/h
It lasted a total of 37 kilometers, which isn’t bad, but it’s not 65 km. However, it’s quite logical: the better the conditions, the longer she’ll last. So it’s decent, especially as for subsequent tests, I’ve made sure to put it in normal mode to drive at 15 km/h maximum and gain range. Here, it does indeed offer better durability, since after 37 km, I still had around 20% of the battery left. As far as charging is concerned, the time indicated by the manufacturer is 8 hours, which is quite realistic: almost completely discharged, the Navee S65C took almost 8 hours to reach 100% charge.
Xiaomi Home application
After searching and testing all the Navee apps in the AppStore, I realized one obvious thing: you just have to read the instructions, which I never do. It’s the Xiaomi Home app that’s used to configure the scooter here at home, as Navee is a subsidiary of Xiaomi, so you’d expect. Configuring the scooter on the app is very simple, just follow the steps and scan the QR-Code located on the right-hand edge of the device. The Navee S65C connects via Bluetooth to your smartphone, iPhone or Android.
The connection is fast, however, you’ll have to play with leaving the scooter on for the duration of the obligatory 40-second useless video. It’s a pain, but playing with the headlight keeps the Navee S65C on for that long.
Once you’ve watched the video, you can finally continue to the electric scooter’s settings, with a simple but effective home screen.
However, what I really think is a shame is that it doesn’t display the current mileage directly on the home screen. What is actually displayed is the cycle mileage since you turned it on. This is quite different, as the overall information can be found in the “View more data” section.
These data were taken after 15 days of use, over a one-month test. In the rain for the first 15 days, it wasn’t very pleasant. However, I put it through another 94 km in 2 weeks to test its range. Here you can see the average speed of the last use, the number of kilometers and the driving time.
Another very nice feature is that you can lock the scooter when you go for a quick errand, for example to the local supermarket. This will ensure that it doesn’t get stolen, but you’ll need to use the anti-theft device supplied with it.
You can keep the rear light on at all times, which consumes a bit of energy but isn’t too bad either. Energy recovery is programmable. Like all the others, the Navee S65C recovers energy during regenerative braking. For my part, preferring good inertia, I left this setting on “Low”.
Navee S65C test: Opinion
Power is good, but acceleration is not what I expected. However, it makes up for it in comfort, which is optimal. The Navee S65C is the most pleasant model I’ve tested so far, despite having only one brake, which I find a shame. However, it’s good enough for any kind of road!