How I Test Products & Review Them
Why Trust EV'sGuide.com?
I know trusting a random blog on the internet is not easy, especially when you’re seeing it for the first time and you’re going to spend your hard-earned money on a product, as the review said.
But you can trust me because I have used 10-15 e-bikes and e-scooters accumulative and still ongoing. I have a good amount of knowledge about electric vehicles. Check out our story page to know my background and how EV’sGuide.com started.
How I Select Products to Review
Selecting a product for the review is a simple process (for me atleast 
). If I’m writing a listicle article, the first thing I do is research the topic and note down all the suitable contenders. After this step, I check what products I have already tested or purchased and which ones I need to buy.
For review articles, I have to be aware of what products are coming to the market so that I can review them first, and also, I have to look at what you guys are demanding. I usually try to cover the most hyped and marketed vehicles because that’s what people gonna search for and I obviously try to cover underrated EVs.
After doing extensive research on the product and reading customer reviews, I make a list of issues that people notice on their unit. I make sure that while reviewing, I keep them in mind and see if I’m facing the same or not.
Note: I don’t ask any company to send me a review unit. I love to purchase it myself and be completely unbiased. I don’t review any product under the influence or pressure of any company. If I do a sponsored post, will clearly mention the word “sponsored”.
How I Test
Now, that I have told you how I select a product for review, let’s understand how I test a product.
So, there are 15 parameters that I looked at while doing a review; what are they?
Testing Condition
All tests are performed under the following conditions:
1. 121 lbs rider
2. The vehicle is fully charged
3. Tires are inflated to the manufacturer’s specifications
4. The scooter is in its maxed-out performance mode
1. Range
The range that manufacturer claims has been decided through many different terms and conditions, and getting that in everyday life is next to impossible.
- To get the actual range numbers, we test the vehicle in performance mode, not battery-saver mode, to see the vehicle’s real power.
- I chose the route that has speed breakers, potholes & some uphills.
- I ride the electric vehicle until the battery reaches 0%, but it varies from vehicle to vehicle.
- I ride electric vehicles as aggressively as possible, maxing out the throttle and then releasing it quickly. After doing some extreme things, I just want to check how the product will act.
2. Top Speed
I do top-speed tests out of curiosity because this thing doesn’t vary from what the manufacturer claims.
This test performs on empty, smooth roads, as we don’t have our own tracks. Plus, we put the vehicle on its high-speed mode to get the actual top speed.
3. Acceleration
I do acceleration tests out of curiosity to check whether the manufacturer’s claims are correct.
This test is performed on an empty plain road and hill. Here, I check how long it takes the vehicle to reach its top speed. Everything is performed in maxed-out mode.
4. Hill Climbing
A hill climb test measures how long it will take to reach the top and how easily it goes to the finishing point. This test helps us determine how much stress a motor can accept and what nominal speed we are getting. I do this every time in my society using the parking ramp and it’s one of the main testing parameters for me at least.
5. Braking
Braking is one of the significant things that a user should know about it.
Braking tests are performed on a flat surface with correct posture. While performing the test, posture and technique should be suitable for getting actual stats.
I accelerate the vehicle at two different speeds: 15 mph and 25mph and then rate the braking system through these measurements: Excellent (less than 2.5 meters), Very Good (2.5 – 3.0 meters), Good (3.0 – 3.5 meters), Fair (3.5 – 4.0 meters), and Poor (more than 4.0 meters).
6. Shock Absorption
Having shockers in electric vehicles provides excellent comfort. But how do I test this parameter? Let’s see. I ride the vehicle on potholed roads, smooth roads, and some off-roading.
You’ll understand, so for that I give a rating from 1 to 10, where 1 is extremely stiff and 10 is extremely soft – I classify how well a scooter absorbs shocks.
7. Tyres
Tyres play a massive role in ride safety and comfort. As you know, different types of tyres are available in the market (e.g., inner-tube, tubeless, self-healing, solid, foam, and honeycomb). Different tyres have different purposes, like some performing better on smooth roads and some on off-road roads.
So there is no specific tyre to choose from; it’s up to you what purpose you’re buying.
8. Display
In display, I basically see two things: what information it provides and how bright it is. I take the vehicle under the sunlight to see if the display data is visible or not.
9. Light
I tested this part very practically. I took the vehicle in the dark when the sun went down and saw how much this light helped me while riding. Is the headlight seriously helping me see the streets, bumps, or not? This test clarifies everything about the light beam, angle, and lumens.
I look at the safety lights the company has provided and whether there are any extra lights that the company has added for looks.
10. Portability
If you’re buying an E-Scooter or E-Bike, this point is more essential because portability is one the primary reasons you’re considering purchasing this rather than a motorcycle.
Here, I check the weight, folding capability & dimensions after folding.
Weight
Thou manufacturer provides the weight on their specification list, and it’s almost the same, but we check the weight distribution after folding it and see how easy it is to carry and hold.
Folding Capability & Folding Dimensions
If the product has a folding feature, I would like to see how many aspects it can fold and how compact it can become.
11. Ride Quality
Ride quality is one of the major factors that buyers read or watch the review. So, my ride quality factor consists of desk size, grip, design, ground clearance & ergonomics.
Ergonomics
For me, a comfortable grip is necessary for better ride quality. For that, you should consider the handlebar height, the deck size, and the kickplate angle. Your posture must be correct while riding; otherwise, you can have an accident. The product should be designed so that the rider can access every control easily and be able to throttle quickly.
- The handlebar should be adjustable
- The deck size must be big enough to put both feet comfortably.
- Ground clearance: I check, if there is enough gap between the ground and deck size.
BTW, it’s a very subjective point. It varies from person to person. As everyone is different from others.
Design
A buyer always wants their vehicle to have some aesthetic value. So, I must consider this point when reviewing any electric vehicle. This can be a make-or-break deal for someone.
12. Build Quality
If you see product reviews on this website, the product has passed the build quality test. I have always wanted to review well-built products on this blog, and I never wanted my readers to spend money on ridiculous products.
My style of testing products is very rigorous because, ultimately, I buy products with my own money for review purposes. I don’t select products made with cheap materials because it’s my loss. I will not be able to recover my money from a poorly built product.
13. Value for Money
In the end, everybody wants to buy a value-for-money product, and in our conclusion section, we tell our readers whether it’s a value-for-money product or not. From 15 parameters, a product has to clear 12 parameters at least to come in the value-for-money category.
14. Warranty
Warranty is crucial for any technical product because, in the end, it’s a machine, and anything can happen while using it. There is nothing much to check because whatever company claims it remains the same.
I just see the warranty period, is there any warranty extension offer and how much they will charge for the parts if they need to be replaced.
15. Customer Support & Service
You bought the product by reading reviews or watching it, and if you faced some issues while using it, you will definitely need customer support’s help.
To pass this parameter, I read all the reviews about that company on Forums, and then I mail them and call to see how fast they respond, how quickly they resolve my problem, and how they will treat me.
After testing all the factors, I write an overview, Pros and cons, and finally, my verdict on whether you should consider this product or not by considering all the data I have.
Affiliate Disclosure
I would love to be transparent with my readers. So here is what I want my readers to know: whatever products that I have reviewed have an affiliate link. This means whatever product you purchase from my given link, I will get a commission on it as it will help to continue my work and bring new and amazing review/recommendation articles for you (electric vehicle lovers).
Sometimes companies give special discounts/Coupons to people like us who have joined their affiliate program and it’s a win-win situation for both of us.
Blog Policy:
1. I have some ethics around EV’sGuide.com. I will never promote products only for high commissions.
2. This commission won’t influence my reviews/Listicles posts.
3. I promise always to recommend the best product for you, even if that company has no affiliate program.
4. I will always promote reputable and genuine brands.
5. No Ai writer will be used to produce content.
