The year has only just begun and we already know some of the lineups of wheels that are coming to us. Research and development usually take time unless you are Gotway / Begode, in which case you can release a new wheel weekly, which is what they have been doing lately. I am a little confused as to what exactly is being released and when myself so I will attempt to put all the releases that we are aware of so far into this article for my own clarity as well as that of others’. I will aim to update the article as new products are announced throughout the year.
I am personally excited about the KingSong S20 / S22 so that’s what I will begin with. For me the specs are perfect. It has advanced suspension, a smart BMS, a kickstand, the speed indicator screen, a seat and the looks, along with many other things going for it. I trust Kingsong from experience as their wheels have been the most reliable thus far and I don’t like risking it with poor QC / design, especially when I am riding a single-wheeled vehicle such as a EUC. I generally want to get the best I can and the S20 seems to be that for now.
A lot of people love the Kingsong S18 and one of the biggest requests for the company was to release a version two with a bigger battery pack and the S20 seems to be just that and more. The full specs include a max speed of 70km/h, 126V 2,220wh battery (double to the S18), 3300w 20” motor, 240-75 advanced coil suspension, display, spiked pedals with a honeycomb design, angle-adjustable headlights, a replaceable front bumper, angle-adjustable power pads, a kickstand, 6A charger, rear brake light with turn indicators, a trolley handle, adjustable pedal height, a seat all as part of the package and it should weigh under 40kg (no definitive weight data released). The excepted UK arrival date is May at the earliest but with the global demand being as high as it is, most probably in the summer.
Inmotion has also been in the game for some time, they sell more wheels than anyone else and they are on it with new releases too. Their latest one being the Inmotion V12, superseding the V11, their first suspension EUC, and the V13 being in the works, allegedly another suspension wheel, they have their hands full. They have had their share of issues too, with MOSFETs burning up their boards and the bearings rusting away on many of their V11s are being some of the latest quirks, so we will have to wait and see what they come up with next and whether it will be worth our money. There is no official information on when the V13 nor when it will be entering production as of yet.
Gotway or Begode has been on fire lately (both figuratively and literally) with their new releases and they have an interesting idea to combat the latest incidents with a new type of battery that they lustrously punctured and rode the wheel after to indicate the safety of the new battery set. The new battery is not new in that it has been around for years and come with their own drawbacks and it is up to the buyer to decide which batteries to use. eWheels over in the USA are fitting their own battery packs on their wheels to combat the combustive nature of the factory set. The main downside of the new battery from what I understand is their capacity – being half of that of the Li-ion, they may be less appealing to those who would like a bigger range on their EUC however can be great for someone who is safety-conscious.
Battery issues aside, they have been churning out a new EUC almost on a weekly basis for the past few months. Some of the more interesting ones include the Master, the Hero and the EX20S. Begode is one company that has the ability (and audacity?) to announce and even produce a copycat wheel the same week their competitor announces one.
Let’s start with the most interesting one, the Begode Master. This seems to be the S20 lookalike with similar specs in the battery and motor voltage departments as well as the aesthetics, based on the renders. It’s great to see Gotway finally going away from the boxy, black, suitcase-like designs. In terms of specs, it’s 20 inches, has a centralised trolley handle, weighs around 40kg, tail light, 3A charger, 3500W motor, 2400wh battery, an LCD display, 80mm adjustable damping suspension and a 112km/h free spin speed. It’s equipped with 24 standard MOSFETs vs S20s 12 high voltage ones. All in all, the S20 is still by far a more interesting wheel to me.
Next in line is the Begode Hero. This wheel was announced earlier than 2022 but it’s only coming to production now. It’s a suspension wheel with spiked honeycomb pedals, a centralised handle, a 36.5kg weight, tail light, Bluetooth speaker, 2800W motor, 1800wh battery, LCD screen, 104km free spin on the high-speed version and it comes with power pads. It has been taken apart and the build quality is said to be solid, particularly for a Gotway wheel. They also mentioned that the wires are still inappropriately lengthy, with some being just enough to reach the connector while others being double the needed length. In other words, it’s still very much a Gotway wheel. It should be available for purchase in February or March from various dealers.
The EX20S from Gotway / Begode is one of the heaviest yet, with a stated weight of 47kg. Spec-wise, it’s said to be 3600wh/100.8v, has tail lights, another centralised trolley handle, 3A charger, a 3000W motor, 3600wh battery capacity, s20-like power pads, 80mm adjustable dampening suspension and a free spin of 102km/h (on the high-speed version). The release date on it is yet unknown. Can we trust wheels that are coming out that fast while others are taking their time with production? Only time will tell.
One of the more popular companies out there right now is Leaperkim. They have unleashed their highly successful Veteran Sherman wheel not long ago and have taken the year by storm. They then had the Abrams. It came with issues to the great surprise of everyone. Their latest 2022 release is the upgraded Sherman Max, with a larger battery pack. It has a 3600Wh battery, 2800W motor, weighs 35kg, has a 19-inch diameter 3 inch in girth wheel and first batches should land our shores sometime in February.
These are some of the wheels that I find interesting and would like to see in person and I, along with everyone else, look forward to the first batch of the KingSong S20 / S22!
