Weped GT 50E Review: Overview This Weped Review details the GT 50e, which recently arrived in the US and was made available for purchase late last year. We were the first to do a hands-on review of this F1-race-car-like masterpiece. Tech Specs Tested top speed: 45 mph* Tested range: – miles* Weight: 77 lbs Max rider weight: 220 lbs Water resistance: None * Based on our performance tests which may differ from the manufacturer’s claims. Highlights Incredible build quality Fantastic speed and performance Distinct look Deck is small Poor turning performance

Summary The WePed GT50e is one of the most beautiful and best-constructed electric scooters we’ve had the pleasure to test. Machined aluminum and carbon fiber abound on this electric scooter that sits on top of massive 5.5-inch wide kart racing tires. The WePed GT50E is the electric scooter equivalent of an F1 car with the performance and looks to match.

Weped GT 50e Review

Introduction

The Weped GT 50e is a unique scooter that is designed and hand-assembled in Korea. It has superb quality and beautiful craftsmanship. Many components are made of CNC-machined metals. The scooter is austere — yet compelling — and almost sculptural. An interesting differentiator of the GT 50e (and other Weped scooters, in general) is the level of customization available. Everything from a thumb throttle to extra lights to hydraulic brakes to upgraded suspension is available.

Performance Tests

Results below are based on our independent testing and not data provided by the manufacturer. Read about our testing methodology or compare with other scooters on our electric scooter performance testing page.

Acceleration (0 to 15 mph) 2.2 seconds Top speed 45 mph Braking distance (15 to 0 mph) 10.1 ft Range – miles Hill climb test – seconds

Acceleration

Dual 1800-watt front and rear motors make this scooter seriously fast.

It hit 15 miles per hour (24 kmh) in 2.1 seconds and 30 mph (48 kmh) in just over 6 seconds in our acceleration tests with a 165 lb rider.

Top Speed

The GT 50e has a top speed of 45 mph.

Range

The GT 50e has a manufacturer-claimed range of 81 miles and a massive 1800 watt-hour lithium-ion battery pack composed of quality Samsung cells.

Batteries: Samsung INR21700 50E

The GT50E uses Samsung 50E 21700 batteries that store 5 amp-hours of energy each yet can put out 9.8 amps continuously, giving them a C-rate of nearly 2. Their peak current output can go up to 14.7 amp (though not sustained). This makes them perfect for fueling the electric motors during their peak power consumption, which occurs during max acceleration.

Finally, the Samsung 50e batteries are rated to maintain 80% of their capacity, even after 500 charges/discharge cycles. With the rated range, this means you should be able to ride more than 4,000 miles (6,437 km) before losing battery capacity appreciably.

Braking

The WePed has front and rear cable-controlled drum brakes, which are an interesting departure for a high-performance scooter.

Though not our typically preferred braking system, the drum brakes are powerful. They are able to bring the scooter from 15 mph (24 kmh) to zero in 2.1 seconds for a total braking distance of just 10 feet, according to our braking tests.

We suspect this is related to both the braking system and high-performance tires that allow you to decelerate very quickly without losing traction.

Ride quality

The GT 50E has both front and rear suspension. Overall, the suspension is stiff and street performance-oriented. It won’t offer a ton of travel but is designed to keep you stable as you fly over the pavement on this aluminum stallion.

The front suspension is a mechanical masterpiece. It is a coil and has beautifully constructed articulating arms. A disadvantage of this design is that it eats up more of the somewhat already limited deck space.

The rear suspension, consisting of a pivot point and two heavy rubber bumpers, is more spartan. This design helps to keep weight to a minimum, to maximize stiffness for performance, while still being able to dampen imperfections in the road.

Weped Features

Portability

Tipping the scales at 77 lbs, the Weped is not super portable. However, it does have a folding stem that locks into place. Due to the blade-like design of the stem, the Weped is not ergonomically-shaped for lifting.

The folding mechanism is solid and actuated using an overside gold-anodized pin.

Cockpit

The GT 50e has a simple cockpit with trigger-style throttle, brake levers, and some buttons to adjust/limit the motor power. The trigger-style throttle isn’t comfortable for long-term use due to the outstretched position of your finger. Fortunately, Weped sells a thumb-style throttle as an optional accessory.

Lights

The GT50E features serious swag lighting that drips from nearly every facet of this scooter. Multicolored LEDs adorn both sides of both wheels. A red light in the rear, just over the carbon fiber fender, provides tail lighting that shines both directly backward and also to the sides. Even the WePed logo, emblazoned on the side of the chassis, is lit up with multicolored “swag” party lighting.

For extra safety, we always recommend using additional lights. Check out our guide for staying visible while riding at night.

Tires

The GT50E’s tubeless pneumatic tires are impressive, to say the least. Though these are just tires, there is quite a bit to say about them.

The first thing we noticed about them is they are legitimate kart racing tires, and both thickness and construction quality are on the same order as motor vehicle tires. This is far from most electric scooter tires which are thinner and very prone to flats. Like car and motorcycle tires, we expect these to be very flat resistant and durable.

Secondly, the tires provide a smooth and stable ride, even under intense acceleration, where their huge contact patch helps to put the power down onto the pavement. The wide stature of the tires makes the GT50E so stable that the scooter will balance itself without the need to deploy the kickstand (though we were nervous about relying on it fully).

Deck

For such a hefty scooter, the Weped has a rather small deck. Adding insult to injury, the front suspension arm is attached to the top of the deck, further eating up space. The top surface of the deck is covered in a rough-textured grip tape that helps keep your feet planted to the scooter.

Warranty / Post-Purchase Support

The Weped GT 50e has a 6-month warranty.

Build quality

The WePed GT50E has some of the best manufacturing we’ve seen on any scooter period. From the backward-swooping stem to the machined components of the forward suspension arm to the hefty bolts that hold everything together — nothing has been overlooked. The scooter is completely solid all around.

The steering is smooth, and there is no wobble or slop in the stem due to the rock-solid folding mechanism. The folding mechanism consists of an oversized pin with a beautiful anodized aluminum knob.

All cables are neatly routed through hefty flex tubing that is secured with strain-relieving fixtures. This quality feature ensures that important wiring stays intact, and nothing is accidentally snagged or frayed. Plus, it maintains the clean look of the scooter.

Weped GT 50e: Review Conclusions The Weped GT 50e is a beautiful scooter that we think is targeted at a very niche market. Its tires and suspension make this electric scooter optimized for fast on-road riding — preferably in a straight line. The ultra-wide KART tires are super grippy, which is amazing for accelerating or braking hard. Their thick sidewalls and heavy construction make it unlikely that you’ll get flats unless you end up running over nails. All these aspects we really love. However, one very salient feature of the Weped’s ride is how it handles when turning. Due to the very wide and flat profile of its signature tires, turning the Weped is a bit wonky. When you lean to turn sharply, you’ll put the Weped on the sharp edge of the tire where the tread meets the sidewall. This is no good for confidence-inspiring turning. In a straight line, we love the Weped, but it’s not the nimblest of scooters in the turns. If the Weped isn’t appealing, check out our alternative scooters. You can also check out our Editor’s pick of best electric scooters.

Weped GT 50e Comparisons

WePed GT50E vs. Dualtron X

Comparing the WePed GT50E vs. the Dualtron X is a bit like comparing the F1 of electric scooters to the monster truck race car of electric scooters.

In acceleration tests, where the WePed GT50E went head-to-head with the Dualtron X, the Dualtron prevailed. Both scooters are neck-and-neck until about 25 mph, where the Dualtron X starts to break away.

In braking tests, the WePed had the best braking of any electric scooter on the market today, bringing the WePed a halt from 15 mph (24 kmh) in a mere 1.4 seconds for a braking distance of 10 feet (3 meters).

Build quality on the WePed vs. the Dualtron is similar, though we think the WePed is a bit higher quality.

At 77 lbs, the WePed is nearly half the weight of the Dualtron X, making it a much more nimble and agile scooter.

Read more: complete Dualtron X Review.

WePed GT50E vs. Dualtron Thunder

Once the WePed GT50E is released, we think the Thunder vs. GT50E debate will be the most contentious one.

Both scooters will fall in a similar price range and have similar weight and agility. The WePed does have the edge in terms of weight and smaller size. Though the Thunder has better acceleration, the GT 50e has better braking.

Build quality is superior on the GT50E, which is more precise and doesn’t suffer from a wobble in the stem that plagues all Dualtron models (except X).

While the Dualtron Thunder could be taken for an off-road ride, the WePed is much more optimized as a strictly on-road performance machine.

We think that in deciding between a Thunder vs. GT 50e, the key factors are:

Preference on appearance

Preference for strictly road racing machine (WePed)

Minor differences in performance, braking, and quality

Read more: complete Dualtron Thunder Review.

Weped GT 50e Technical Specifications From Manufacturer

Note: This may differ from our tested specifications.