How we score vehicles
Every model gets a score from 0 to 100. Here is exactly how it is calculated, where the data comes from and what the score does not measure.
The short version
- Each vehicle is rated on seven dimensions, from performance to what owners think of it.
- Specs are ranked against similar models, so a commuter scooter is judged against other commuters, not against racing machines.
- The dimensions are combined with weights that differ per vehicle type: portability matters more for a scooter than for a motorcycle.
- Price is kept out of the score. How much score you get for your money is shown separately as Value for Money.
The seven dimensions
A dimension score is built from the specs listed below. Each spec is turned into a 0–100 value, the values are averaged with their own internal weights, and the result becomes the dimension score.
- Performance
- Top speed, motor power, torque, hill climbing and payload.
- Range & Battery
- Real-world range from owner reports (else claimed), battery size, charge time, swappability and regenerative braking.
- Comfort
- Suspension, tire type, wheel size, ground clearance and seat.
- Portability
- Weight, folding and folded size.
- Safety
- Brakes, lights, turn signals, water resistance and traction.
- Smart Features
- App, unlock options, tracking, cruise control and more.
- Owner Rating
- What owners rate it in reviews on this site.
When a spec is missing it is left out rather than counted as zero. A dimension that rests on only a few specs is pulled toward the middle, so a single impressive number can't carry it to the top.
Ranked against similar models
Numbers like top speed or battery size only mean something next to the competition. Each spec is scored by its percentile: where the vehicle sits among its peers, from the lowest (0) to the highest (100). For specs where less is better, such as weight or charging time, the scale is reversed.
Peers are the published vehicles of the same type and subcategory. A subcategory needs at least 5 scored models to form its own group; smaller ones are compared with the whole type. The subcategories are:
- E-scooters: Entry level, Commuter, Performance, Off-road, Kids
- E-bikes: City, Folding, Trekking, Mountain, Fat tire, Road & gravel
- Cargo bikes: Longtail, Front loader, Compact
- Dirt bikes: Youth, Trail, Performance
- Unicycles: Beginner, Commuter, Performance
- Skateboards: Street, All-terrain
- Longboards: Street, All-terrain
Because scores are relative, a model can move a few points when new models are added to its group, even if nothing about it changed. Scores are recomputed every night and whenever vehicle data changes.
How the dimensions are weighted
The overall score is a weighted average of the dimensions. The weights below are each dimension's share of the overall score per vehicle type. Our editors can adjust them as we learn what matters most to riders, and every score is recalculated when they do. When a vehicle has no data for a dimension, the remaining weights are scaled up to fill the gap.
| Type | Performance | Range & Battery | Comfort | Portability | Safety | Smart Features | Owner Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| E-scooters | 24% | 22% | 15% | 12% | 13% | 8% | 6% |
| E-bikes | 18% | 26% | 18% | 8% | 14% | 8% | 8% |
| Cargo bikes | 18% | 26% | 18% | 3% | 18% | 8% | 9% |
| Dirt bikes | 30% | 22% | 18% | 4% | 14% | 6% | 6% |
| Unicycles | 24% | 22% | 15% | 12% | 13% | 8% | 6% |
| Skateboards | 24% | 22% | 15% | 12% | 13% | 8% | 6% |
| Longboards | 24% | 22% | 15% | 12% | 13% | 8% | 6% |
| Mopeds | 30% | 22% | 18% | 4% | 14% | 6% | 6% |
| Motorcycles | 30% | 22% | 18% | 4% | 14% | 6% | 6% |
| Karts | 30% | 22% | 18% | 4% | 14% | 6% | 6% |
| Trikes | 24% | 22% | 15% | 12% | 13% | 8% | 6% |
Reading a score
Scores fall into five bands:
- 85Outstanding (85–100)
- 70Very good (70–84)
- 55Good (55–69)
- 40Fair (40–54)
- 0Weak (0–39)
A grey score is marked Limited data: fewer than 40% of the specs we score on are known for that model. Treat it as a rough indication. Limited-data models are left out of picks such as our Editor's Choice fallback.
Value for money
Value for Money divides the overall score by the lowest current price and shows the points you get per 100 of your currency (for example per 100 USD or per 100 EUR). It is a separate number and never part of the overall score, so a cheap model can't look better built than it is, and a price drop doesn't change how good a vehicle is. See the value for money study and the value rankings.
Real-world range from owners
Claimed range is measured in ideal conditions. Owners can report the range they actually get, along with their weight band and the riding mode they use. Every report is checked before it counts:
- Reports below 1 km or above 500 km are rejected.
- A report the battery can't physically deliver is rejected, with extra allowance for pedal-assisted e-bikes.
- Reports far below or above the claimed range are rejected as likely typos, or flagged and counted at half weight when they are merely unusual.
- With several reports, values far from the median are down-weighted so a single outlier can't swing the average.
The figure per riding mode is averaged, and the overall real-world range is the mean of the modes, so a model mostly reported in eco mode doesn't look better than one mostly ridden in sport mode.
Once at least 3 reports back a model, its real-world range replaces the claimed range in the Range dimension. Models without enough reports use their claimed range scaled by the share of the claim that owners of that vehicle type typically get (about 70% until there are enough reports to measure it), so both groups compare fairly. Read more in our range study.
Prices
We track prices from online shops in several regions and currencies. Prices are refreshed automatically several times a day, and changes are kept as price history so you can see whether a deal is really a deal. You choose your region and currency in the menu, and prices and value figures follow that choice. Shipping costs, taxes and stock can differ from what we show, so always check the shop before buying.
Some shop links are affiliate links. They never influence scores or rankings; see our affiliate disclosure.
Specs and editorial text
Specs come from manufacturers, shops and owners, and are checked by our editors. Some summaries and FAQs on vehicle and brand pages are drafted with the help of AI from the data we hold; an editor reviews and edits every draft before it is published.
Spotted a wrong number? Please tell us. Fixing data fixes the score too.