Test / e-scooter: At the beginning of the year, the Metz Moover was one of the first e-scooters to be approved in Germany and since June it has also enjoyed all the rights of motor-assisted scooters. We tested the noble scooter, which costs almost 2.000 euros.
Everyone is talking about e-scooters. At least since they were legalized in this country a few weeks ago, they have been an integral part of the headlines - whether in the trade press or in the daily newspapers. In some major cities, various rental scooter providers are already fighting for asphalt supremacy. With the Metz Moover, we tested one of the pioneers of this development. Because quite a while before the "Ordinance on the Participation of Small Electric Vehicles (eKFV) in Road Traffic" came into force, the Moover was already entitled to participate in road traffic in Germany by means of a special permit. Since June 15, i.e. since the adoption of the eKFV, the Metz Moover has been subject to same rules as for other similar scooters.
If you compare the Moover with many of the scooters currently on the market, it quickly becomes clear that this only works to a limited extent. Larger battery, more range, higher weight, Made in Germany and last but not least the price of almost 2.000 euros show - compared to the Metz Moover, many of the competitors seem like toys. In this case, that is not meant to be judgmental at all, but it does make it clear how big the difference between e-scooters can be.
At just over 16kg, the Moover is anything but lightweight. So it can still be transported when folded up, but longer carrying distances quickly turn into an unwanted training session. On the other hand, the high weight is no coincidence. First there is the generously dimensioned battery with a whopping 210Wh, which was able to supply the scooter with energy for an average of approx. 20km during our test period. The pleasantly wide tread also has its share of the weight, but in practice it provides a lot of (standing) comfort while driving and is on a different level than the narrow treads of many China scooters.
Metz Moover: Sophisticated folding mechanism and compact dimensions
Before we come to driving behavior, first a few words about the folding mechanism and the portability of the Made in Germany e-scooter. At first glance, the mechanism is similar to that of many other scooters - the handlebars are folded backwards, but there is one very important difference: when folding, not only the handlebars move backwards, but also the front wheel. This makes the folded scooter nice and short and it also fits easily into the trunk of many small cars. The e-scooter also takes up so little space in public transport. The folding itself is quite easy: There is a safety lever at the transition from the footboard to the handlebars, which has to be released and the Moover folds up in itself. The whole thing is then locked with a tension belt at the rear end of the scooter. So it can then also be carried comfortably on the head tube. The opening is done - logically - in reverse order; but some caution is required here. If you are not careful, the handlebars will shoot up under the scooter's own weight.
With a final touch, the unfolded scooter can then be adjusted to the size of the driver. The handlebar height can be infinitely adjusted by loosening a quick release. In practice, it was a bit tricky from time to time, and the extended head tube always had a little play and tended to rattle. The function was never impaired, but there was no premium feeling either - but we had hoped for that in view of the steep price.
Metz Moover: Extremely fun after a short period of getting used to it
The functionality of the scooter itself is intuitive: the on/off switch that starts the boot process is located on the frame. The Moover takes a second or two for this. Once the functional monochrome display on the handlebars has come to life, you're good to go; to bring the scooter up to speed, you need a short push to approx. 3km/h, then it is sufficient to press the plastic lever on the handlebars, which gives the brushless hub motor in the rear the spurs. Depending on the selected support level, you can progress quickly at up to 20km/h. Standing on the running board with non-slip grip tape is very good, and the handlebars and grips are ergonomically successful. When it came to the handlebar height, our testers tended to feel comfortable with a rather low height. In any case, you have to get used to the driving experience first: An e-scooter cannot offer the stability that you are used to from a bicycle. However, that is in the nature of things and certainly not a criticism of the Moover.
The Metz scooter gets full marks in the areas of comfort, safety and ground clearance: Thanks to the Schwalbe tires, which are extremely large for its size, and the generous ground clearance, the Moover can also cope with somewhat impassable terrain such as cobbled streets, and even low curbs are not an insurmountable obstacle. An additional safety plus is the very good lighting system, with which driving on unlit paths should not be a problem. A small downer: The Moover is not intended for driving in the pouring rain, and the operating instructions also advise against driving through deep puddles. The mechanical disc brakes do their job reliably and have more than enough power. The mentioned display is functional and easy to read, but almost seems a bit outdated; so without any "smart" functions and without connection options to the smartphone.
