Xiaomi M365 Pro electric scooter review: A worthy upgrade

Update: The Xiaomi M365 Pro has been replaced by a new e-scooter this year, called the Xiaomi Pro 2. You’ll notice that the Pro 2 is only a slight upgrade on the M365 Pro and that both e-scooters share the same features in terms of weight, mileage, maximum rider weight, battery capacity and more. The below review is for the Xiaomi M365 Pro, which is currently in limited stock and might be phased out in the near future, so you should consider buying the Pro 2 if you still haven’t placed your order.

Xiaomi is a name you might normally associate with smartphones but, thanks to the success of the Xiaomi M365, it’s now an equally big name in the world of electric scooters. The M365 Pro is a successor to the hugely popular Xiaomi M365 (that now comes in different colours and variants) and, although it’s £120 more expensive, it’s well worth paying extra for. It’s as easy to use as the original but also counts a larger motor and battery range among its selling points, making it a better electric scooter in almost every meaningful way.

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Xiaomi M365 Pro review: What you need to know

Other improvements include the addition of a Sports mode and a dashboard display that lets you check your speed, ride mode and other vital info at a glance. Also worth noting is that the M365 Pro isn’t affected by the fault that resulted in the recall, and subsequent free replacement – of thousands of M365 scooters in mid-2019.

However, being a motor-powered vehicle, the M365 Pro has the same legal status as any other electric scooter. That is to say, it’s currently illegal to use it on roads and pavements in the UK. That will understandably put many people off buying one but many remain undeterred, with e-scooters becoming an increasingly common sight in UK cities.

Xiaomi M365 Pro review: Price and competition

At £599, the M365 Pro is about £100 more than the original M365 electric scooter, which you can now pick up for £489 or slightly higher, depending on whether you want a customised design or pre-inserted puncture-prevention fluid to ensure that you never get a flat tire. The Xiaomi M365 Pro’s biggest competitor at its price range is the new Pure Air Pro electric scooter.

The higher-end model from Pure Electric shares the same motor wattage as the M365 Pro (350W), but it has larger 10in pneumatic wheels that are more comfortable to ride on any surface. The Pure Air Pro can also be ridden in any weather and can accommodate a maximum rider weight of 120kg, whereas the M365 Pro can’t be ridden in heavy rains and can only carry a maximum of 100kg. On the flip side, the M365 Pro is about 3kilograms lighter than the Pure Air Pro at 14.2kg, and it also has slightly more mileage (27 miles) on a single charge, compared to the Pure Air Pro’s 22 miles.

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Xiaomi M365 Pro review: Setup and design

The Xiaomi M365 Pro electric scooter requires some assembly out of the box but it’s quick and easy to put together. Simply slot the handlebars into the steerer tube and use the provided four bolts and Allen key to secure it in place. In the box, you’ll also find a charger, a bike pump adapter, user manual and two spare tyres.

Once assembled, the M365 Pro doesn’t look drastically different from the original Xiaomi M365 scooter, using a predominantly matte black finish with splashes of red on the brake cable housing and front wheel. The main difference from a design point of view is that the M365 Pro has a 50mm longer deck giving you more room to move your feet around during longer rides. At 990mm, its handlebars are also 40mm higher, making it better suited to taller users.

To charge the M365 Pro, you simply connect the supplied charger to its charging port, which is under a small red flap beside the front wheel. Long-pressing the power button in the centre of the handlebar turns the scooter on and enables the display, which shows the battery status and riding mode among other details.

To accelerate, there’s a throttle below the right grip, while braking is activated using the lever on the left side. Conveniently, there’s a bell, too, which doubles up as a latch to lock the scooter in its folded state.

In its upright state, the M365 Pro is easy to push around but, thanks to its substantial 14kg weight, you won’t want to pick it up for very long. I managed about five minutes carrying it to the nearest London Underground station before vowing not to do so again. However, whether it’s folded or not, there’s a handy kickstand that you can use to keep it upright. Measuring just over one metre long, the Xiaomi M365 Pro electric scooter fits perfectly in your car boot.

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Xiaomi M365 Pro review: Features and mobile app

Aside from turning the electric scooter on, the power button below the display serves two other functions. Pressing it once toggles the headlight on and off. This lamp is only bright enough to illuminate a few metres of the road in front of you, but it’s crucial for being seen by other vehicles, especially in low-light conditions.

The other function is to switch riding modes. The scooter is set to Eco mode by default, which reaches a top speed of 10mph, but double-pressing the power button switches you into Drive Mode and doing again, gets you to Sports Mode. These have top speeds of 12mph and 15mph, respectively.

The Xiaomi M365 Pro doesn’t need the accompanying smartphone app to work but two of the scooter’s standout features can only be enabled after you’ve connected the scooter to your phone via Bluetooth. The first of these – Cruise Control – maintains a constant speed for you automatically when it detects you riding at the same speed for an extended period. This is a lovely addition when you ride longer distances, as you can take your thumb off the throttle.

The other feature is “motor lock”. This lets you lock the scooter’s motor when it’s connected to your phone. When locked, you can’t push the scooter or even turn it off. Should someone try to do so, the scooter makes a beeping sound – a handy theft deterrent but it won’t prevent a thief chucking it in the back of a van and driving off with it.

The mobile app also gives you the option to enable the scooter’s tail light (it flashes when you brake as standard) and to adjust the amount of regenerative braking applied, which is set to Strong by default. Other than this, it’s packed with handy insights including the scooter’s battery temperature, battery level, total mileage and estimated remaining mileage, among other details.

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Xiaomi M365 Pro review: Comfort and performance

After switching on the scooter, you need to kickstart the Xiaomi M365 Pro once or twice until you reach walking speed, then gently press the throttle under the right handle to make use of its 300W motor. Once you get the hang of it the acceleration feels quick and smooth, especially in Sports Mode. Usefully, you shouldn’t need to kick again after this because you can use the throttle to control your speed even when it drops as low as 1mph.

The Xiaomi M365 Pro has same 8.5in pneumatic tyres as its predecessor, which allow for some cushioning but with no suspension, you’ll quickly become aware of any less-than-perfectly-smooth surfaces you ride on. Having said that, I found the scooter handled well on both tarmac and concrete surfaces and although you might curse its weight when carrying it, its rigidity makes for a stable and assured ride.

The main caveat to this is that the small wheels and narrow handlebars make for a very unstable ride should you need to take one of your hands off. This not only makes changing modes while riding difficult, but you’ll be hard pushed to safely indicate to other road or towpath users whether you want to turn left or right without putting your own safety at risk. It’s particularly wise to hold on tight with both hands when braking.

On the subject of stopping, the M365’s 120mm disc brakes worked well, bringing me to a halt from the 15mph top speed in around three seconds. The scooter also has regenerative braking, putting the motor into reverse when you lightly touch the brake lever, slowly putting power back into the motor when as you come to a gradual halt. You should be careful to avoid skidding if the surface you’re riding on is smooth or wet, though, because the scooter’s tyres are slick. In fact, it’s a good idea to start out in the gentler Eco Mode until you’ve mastered the basics of accelerating, stopping and making tight turns.

Having three different riding modes makes a big difference when it comes to finding the right balance between speed and battery performance. I mainly used the Sports mode during the week that I borrowed the M365 Pro, so I can’t confirm Xiaomi’s claimed 28-mile maximum range but I rode the scooter for about four hours across a few days and didn’t need to top it up in all that time.

It’s also worth being mindful that the 36V, 12.8Ah battery takes around 8.5 hours to fully charge, so if you want a full day out with it, you’re best off keeping it in the less exciting Eco mode at all times to maximise range. Drive Mode offers a happy middle ground between the two, providing max speeds of 12mph and, irrespective of which mode you use, the scooter automatically reduces your maximum speed when the battery has drained to just 10% of its capacity. That’s a really nice touch and one that should help to ensure you always get home without having to kick the scooter all the way home.

Another feature we were pleasantly surprised about is the minimal motor sound while riding. Of course, there’s the usual hum, but it soon fades into the background as you get accustomed to the scooter. The Xiaomi M365 Pro is so discreet that I had to use the bell to alert people walking ahead of me a few times. The sound does get a little more noticeable when tackling inclines, but again, it’s not anything you wouldn’t expect apart from the stronger battery pulling its muscle for you.

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Xiaomi M365 Pro review: Verdict

Whether you’re planning to use it for recreation or as a mode of transport, then, there’s no question that the M365 Pro is a better scooter than its hugely popular predecessor. It’s more powerful motor makes it better suited to riding in hilly areas and the larger battery means you’ll get more use out of it on every charge.

It’s a little heavy for our liking and, of course, before you even consider buying one you must remember that scooters aren’t legal to ride on roads, cycle paths or pavements in the UK. If you’re happy to take that risk, the Xiaomi M365 Pro is a great product: it’s easy to ride, packed with features and well made.

Xiaomi M365 Pro Specifications