Review: Segway eMoped C80 – The Cute Little Road Warrior

The word “moped” doesn’t exactly elicit adrenaline-packed Hollywood-esque imagery. Instead of a stuntman escaping a huge explosion at harrowing speeds, one might rather imagine Droopy putting ever so gently past a senior citizen jogger. If you agree with this assessment, then it’s obvious that you’ve never driven the new Segway eMoped C80… You’re wrong. So very wrong.

Introducing the Segway eMoped C80

The eMoped C80 is one of Segway’s latest additions to its line of woo-hoo-inducing rides and is the perfect vehicle for those local short commutes. If you have to be bored at work eight or more hours a day and seven days a week, you might as well have a killer time getting there and back home.

Even better, this is the perfect Segway way to celebrate Earth Day all year! This eMoped reduces 3,986 lbs. in carbon footprint. With our gentle and beautiful earth enduring all kinds of ugly things, such as dirty pollution in our skies, land, and seas, it’s certainly refreshing to see a vehicle that can get you from point A to point B without spending a penny on gasoline. That’s right… you can enjoy your fun ride with a guilt-free smile!

…this is the perfect Segway way to celebrate Earth Day all year!

Let’s get to know this cute little road warrior up close and personal, shall we?

First Impressions

Upon opening and lifting the box off, the very sturdy aluminum frame that this vehicle was very solidly packaged gave a good hint as to the lengths Segway will go to ensure that your first impression is a lasting one.

Unboxing the C80 was quite the task. It wasn’t actually that difficult upon retrospection; however, it did take some time to extricate it… and it certainly doesn’t help when you don’t have the correct tools initially. When a product is packaged this methodically tight, it’s a good sign that a very solid, high-quality product lies beneath. Not often is such a strong first impression made before you even get to try the product out.

After disassembling the protective cage and removing any protective wrapping, freshly emerged from this metallic cocoon was this cute, fun yellow-and-gray personal transport, just itching to go as fast as its little wheels will take it. In person, this moped-style eBike is adorable, but don’t be fooled. As we’ll discuss later, it’s just like a Mini Cooper… it might be small, but it has the get-up-and-go that you need. While the design is reminiscent of a scooter, what makes it technically a “moped’ are the bicycle-style pedals. Yes, that’s right… when necessary, you can pedal this around like a bicycle. Take that, Vespa!

A small box accompanied the C80 containing two rear-view mirrors, which were easily fastened on, the charging cord, two physical keys (for opening the trunk where the battery is located), two NFC (Near Field Communication) tag cards, a user manual, and a quick guide. Everything was packed nice and tidy in this unpretentious little box.

Yes, that’s right… when necessary, you can pedal this around like a bicycle. Take that, Vespa!

Overall, A+ on first impressions. Segway makes a great first impression with how carefully this is boxed up. The C80’s design is attractive, inviting, and certainly unintimidating. It is the everyday bike, er, eMoped for the everyday local commuter.

Let’s discuss the Segway eMoped C80 in greater detail now.

The C80 – Segway’s Wonderful Earth Day Gift to You and the Planet

It would behoove this author to bring out one important observation for those of you who may be hesitant to purchase this “moped”: If it weren’t for the pedals, it wouldn’t be a moped, but a scooter. The only time that you will realize that this is actually a moped is when you look down and see the pedals. Then you will quickly shrug your shoulders, think to yourself, “Whatever. Who cares? I LOVE THIS BIKE!”, and twist the throttle. In other words, you’ll quickly forget and simply love this eBike/eMoped/scooter for what it is: a very affordable and fun way to get you to your destination without any drama. And when you need them, you have pedals! Ok? Ok. Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, let’s walk around this baby.

An Overview of the C80’s Features

The Segway eMoped C80 is minimalistic yet elegant in design. The particular subject being reviewed is a gray model with attractive and yellow accents (This particular shade of yellow, called “Illuminating”, by the way, happens to be the winner of Pantone’s highly acclaimed Color of the Year award for 2021). It’s darn cute. It is the scooter equivalent to Herbie, Disney’s famous anthropomorphic Volkswagen beetle. You might even be tempted to give your C80 a name.

Nothing about the C80 feels cheap in any way. It feels solid and sufficiently heavy, even though it weighs in at less than 121 lbs. The seat is very comfortable. The handlebar has a single button on each side – the button on the left is for the horn and the one on the right is an “option” button. There is an easy-to-see digital LCD instrument pod. In the back is a small luggage rack. In addition to the pedals and kickstand are two footrests that pop out with a simple tap of your foot.

Upon starting, the C80 channels a Las Vegas headliner with its light show and sound effects, as if to sing “Ta-daaaa!” while waving its jazz hands. The handlebar has a ring LED light that goes around the side of each handle and shows as red, orange, or green, depending on what it’s trying to tell you. There is a rear brake light as well as a halo-shaped headlight consists of an inner and outer ring light., both of which are sufficiently bright and adjust with ambient light. (The headlight brightness is actually adjustable via the app, which will be discussed soon.) There is a two-stage central shock absorber under the seat and visible through a little port window and has a dual-brake system (front and rear) which is designed to recoup energy to the battery to extend the range of the vehicle. The trunk is just the right size to house the removable battery. It would have been nice if there was enough room for something small at least, such as a wallet. No matter. The good-to-bad ratio was overwhelmingly positive during this walk-around overview.

Upon starting, the C80 channels a Las Vegas headliner with its light show and sound effects, as if to sing “Ta-daaaa!” while waving its jazz hands.

Other features are that are not physically visible but really add to the safety, security, and convenience of the C80. In addition to Auto Cruise (yes, you read that right… the C80 has cruise control!) and a GPS-enabled anti-theft system, Segway has features The RideyGo! Intelligent System, which brings an array of new functions such as the Airlock System, use of the NFC Tag, Smart Seat Detection, and Auto-Lock mode.

Oh yeah… did I mention that it’s cute?

A Fun Commute While Saving the Earth – There’s an App for That

After reading the manual (yes, I’m the rare type that reads the entire manual before doing anything) and charging up the C80 (which, by the way, was extremely simple to do), it was finally time to take it for a spin; but first things first. I downloaded the Segway Ninebot mobile app.

Once you register your bike on your app and fill out your profile information, you are introduced to a social community of fellow Segway aficionados. It seems like this is a club of fellow people who have seen the light of Segway and have a burning desire to post pictures of their escapades out on the road. It’s an added bonus that gives a little more depth to your own riding experience if you choose.

This app is sort of a central command center for your C80. Within this app, you are able to make certain customizations (such as how bright you want your headlight to shine) as well as the ability to turn on or off features such as Auto-Cruise and security features. The app also includes a brief animated tutorial, will track your rides for you, and provides other little functions a C80 owner will find helpful. Like the C80, the app is well designed; simple and intimidating, but sufficiently powerful.

How’s the Ride?

To turn the C80 on, simply touch the NFC tag to the instrument pod, which instantly raises the curtains on the enthusiastically happy-to-see-you Ta-da jazz hands show. The headlight, even at the lower setting that I had set it (it was daytime and I wanted to extend the battery life), was nice and bright. You can’t have too much visibility when on the road.

Now, the moment we’ve been waiting for… how does it ride? Oh yeah, does it ever! On the quick twist of the throttle, the C80 lurched forward and was ready to go. While the 20 mph officials max speed (more on this in a moment) doesn’t sound fast, it certainly feels like the right speed for something of this size. The action of the throttle and the brakes were responsive. The ride was quiet and smooth… even on the bumpy brick roads in my neighborhood. My escapades on the road were surprisingly comfortable and easy on my derrière. There’s no doubt that a 10 or 15-mile commute twice a day on this would be anything but a tall order.

This is a beast; truly a little road warrior.

What is interesting is that, often, the official specs are disappointingly optimistic compared to the actual performance. That’s certainly not the case with Segway! This is exactly why this reviewer calls the C80 the “little road warrior”. There is a lot of muscle under this seemingly demure eBike’s hood. You’ll find that, instead of a hamster running in a little wheel, this vehicle has replaced the fluffy hamster with a little tiger. Let’s put it this way, weighing in at the top end of the recommended weight limit, enthralled amazement ensued as I took this up to about 24 to 28 miles per hour! This is a beast; truly a little road warrior.

I wondered how comfortable the ride would be on a bumpy brick road, considering the small size of the wheels. I was pleasantly surprised to enjoy a surprisingly comfortable ride considering, even at higher speeds. Major props to the central shock!

Yes, for kicks, I actually tried out the pedals. Using these is definitely for an emergency… the size of them does not lend to long-distance bicycling. Pedaling, however, is not why you buy this beauty… so it’s not much of a concern.

The C80 struggled at about 5 mph to get me up the steep incline of the parking garage where I live, but it sure got me there. (Did I mention that I’m not a petite individual?) Upon preparing to enter the building where I live, I turned it off and began to push it. Immediately, the brakes locked up, lights began to rapidly flash like crazy, and an alarm began screaming bloody murder. Alarm? Check. A+.

Overall Impression

Nothing says “Happy Earth Day!” quite like the electric-in-more-ways-than-one Segway eMoped C80. It’s adorable, comfortable, exudes quality in design and construction, and has the hustle, muscle, and heart to get you around town (the range is a very generous 52 miles) while getting a little fun wind therapy. True, at a claimed max speed of 20 mph (from my experience, more), this is not a speed demon. However, for someone looking for an entry-level into scooters or motorcycles, this is the best and most inviting first step out there.

Everyone needs a little fun in their lives. Adding an element of this to your daily local commute can certainly add some much-needed spice to an otherwise mundane day-to-day work routine. Do yourself a favor and get the Segway eMoped C80… it’s nice to smile before you get to work.

Retail price of the Segway eMoped C80 starts at $2199 on segway.com. It doesn’t seem to be sold yet on Amazon.com, but keep an eye on the Segway store there for possible deals. Plus, they’ve got tons of other cool Segway products to help you celebrate Earth Day all year.

Do yourself a favor and get the Segway eMoped C80… it’s nice to smile before you get to work.