KugooKirin S3

Name: Kugoo KugooKirin S3
Brand: Kugoo

scooter

Origin

Kugoo is a budget e-scooter brand from Shenzhen Jilong Technology Co., Ltd. in China, which emerged around 2015-2017 as the personal light-electric-vehicle boom took off. The company built the KUGOO and Kugoo Kirin lines to undercut premium commuters like the Xiaomi M365 while keeping the same basic folding kick-scooter formula. The S-series (S1/S3) sits at the entry point of that range: cheap, light, simple, sold in huge volume across Europe, Russia and the CIS through marketplaces and re-sellers rather than a dealer network. In 2022 the company rebranded from 'Kugoo Kirin' to 'KuKirin' (the Qilin/Kirin being a Chinese good-luck mythical beast), so the same S3 hardware appears under several labels (Kugoo S3, KugooKirin S3, KuKirin S3, and a slightly upgraded S3 Pro) depending on year and market.

Specifications

Frame: Aircraft-grade aluminium alloy frame
Weight: kg
Brakes: Front electronic/magnetic brake + rear manual fender foot brake; ~7-10 m stopping distance

The verdict

+Strengths

Very light and compact - ~11-12 kg with a tidy 96 cm fold, easy to carry onto public transport or up stairs
Cheap to buy and cheap to run; solid honeycomb tyres mean no punctures
Well-built, rugged budget commuter that reviewers rate above its price class (often compared favourably to the Xiaomi M365)

−Weaknesses

Small 36V battery gives only ~25-30 km range and noticeably weaker power/hill performance once charge drops below ~50%
Modest 350W motor and 15-degree hill limit make it a flat-city scooter, not for hills or long trips
Solid tyres plus basic suspension give a harsh ride on rough or cobbled surfaces, and IP54 means it is not built for heavy rain

Generations

Original S3 / S1
- Early lightweight budget commuter; sold under Kugoo / KugooKirin badging.
S3 Pro (post-rebrand)
- Bigger battery and honeycomb tyres, but speed capped to 25 km/h for EU compliance; sold as KuKirin S3 Pro after the 2022 rename.