Scooter Dance Test 2022: a Niu with or without commitment

Manageable, easy with its reasonable seat height of 760 mm, its light weight of 89 kg, and a low center of gravity helped by the battery placement under the footboard, the Niu is comfortable in the city. The non-linked brakes and lack of ABS will probably require extra caution on rainy days with the supplied Kenda tires.

In terms of comfort, we noted that the seat is a bit soft. The basic suspension is slightly bouncy but overall, the Niu Dance remains at a very acceptable level for daily use. It benefits from a completely silent motor, which will be gentle on everyone’s ears.

The rearview mirrors are very adequate and help you stay aware of traffic, making this nimble and agile scooter perfect for city riding. Of course, its limited top speed of 45 km/h restricts its range of action, but that’s the case for all vehicles in this category without a license.

Battery, range, and charging of the Dance scooter: 4/5

The included battery (1,560 Wh) is housed under the footboard and weighs about ten kilos. It provides an estimated range of around 50 km. Upgrading to the long-range battery (+ €11.99/month, 2,100 Wh) can extend the range to 65/70 km.

Recharge time is between 6 and 8 hours using a standard power socket. This can be done directly from the scooter for those lucky enough to have a parking space with an outlet. Otherwise, it’s done at home if you have access to an elevator…

Price of renting the electric scooter: 2/5

Dance offers two options. The monthly plan without commitment costs a neat €179/month, reduced to €149/month with a one-year commitment.

The service area includes Paris and some neighboring cities in the western suburbs, such as Boulogne-Billancourt, Neuilly-sur-Seine, Levallois-Perret, Clichy, and Saint-Ouen. The contract covers insurance, maintenance, and repairs if needed. Dance guarantees assistance within less than 24 hours through an appointment via the dedicated mobile app, available every day except Sunday. A genuine concierge service that will reassure even the most skeptical about switching to electric scooters—or scooters in general.

This variety of services makes this solution appealing. However, it is not recommended for the long term, as buying is quickly more cost-effective. This model costs €2,599 new… But for a limited time, Dance does everything to facilitate your life and help you get quickly onto a modern, practical ride. It’s a good way to test daily use of an electric scooter before deciding to buy. This can be tempting, especially since in Paris, starting September 1, paid parking will be required for two-wheelers.

Our opinion on the Dance rental scooter: 14/20

Also read: Troopy: scooter rental will go electric in 2022

As with its bikes, Dance now offers an electric scooter for rent, a Niu equivalent 50, with or without a Netflix-style commitment.

Between dockless scooters, purchase, or leasing, another option is available for riding an urban electric two-wheeler. Because monthly rental without commitment (or yearly) exists. It offers an easy way to test this type of transportation, especially with the arrival of paid parking for thermal two-wheelers in Paris. This is what Germans from Dance propose with their 50 scooter. It is accompanied by a high level of service with the concierge service included in their package. We tested it for you.

Registration and presentation of the Dance scooter: 4/5

Just reserve your scooter by providing your bank details and a license (A, B, or BSR) to start the rental of your Dance scooter. An appointment is scheduled for delivery. At the time of writing this article at the end of August, the delay was 9 days. The person provides explanations on how to handle it, along with a helmet (for an additional €9.99/month), a lock, and a practical smartphone holder. The essential charger is naturally included as well. An optional 33L top-case is offered for €9.99/month.

Note that the Dutch company Swapfiets offered a similar service with the same type of Niu scooters. But it is no longer in their catalog. Providers like Fledger or Cooltra offer similar services for monthly or yearly rentals with different models. Likewise for Zeway with their scooters that benefit from battery exchange at brand distributors in Paris.

A well-known scooter

The Dance scooter is a classic model from the Chinese giant Niu, the NQi Sport (50 cc equivalent). It sports Dance’s colors with the beautiful iridescent gray paint characteristic of the brand, along with its logo naturally. Notably, it has a Berlin registration plate, which is original on Parisian streets! Its distinctive silhouette reflects the personality that Niu has found in the design of its scooters, which stand out by not trying to mimic Vespa nor to be original at all costs. It features a round headlight encircled by a daytime LED ring, a very square rear panel, a bare handlebar, and a small flyscreen—more symbolic than functional. Also notable are the two kickstands: the side one, easier for quick stops, and the central one, offering more stability for parking.

The dashboard is particularly simple, with a traditional but effective LCD display. It naturally shows the speed with very large and readable numbers. It also indicates the engaged riding mode (we will revisit that), the mileage, and the scooter’s GPS and GSM connection, with battery percentage displayed numerically and also symbolized by a graph. Unfortunately, it lacks an indication of remaining mileage. This would be more intuitive than the battery percentage, though after some use, users will likely get used to this measure, similar to a fuel gauge. With the original battery, the scooter is rated for about fifty kilometers of range. This should be sufficient for most uses (excluding deliveries, which are not the service’s purpose).

The controls remain very traditional. They include a toggle button for driving modes, a hazard lights button, a speed regulator (whose usefulness we question), and the ignition switch, along with turn signals, light controls, and horn. Inside the glove compartment, you’ll find a USB port, a small open storage area (not sheltered), and a bag hook. The footboard is covered with a thick rubber mat, under which is the access hatch to the battery. Finally, a remote control allows activating the scooter’s alarm. The Dance smartphone app can locate your scooter remotely.

The space on the footboard is large enough to hold a small travel bag. As for the seat storage, it can comfortably fit a jet helmet with visor, a pair of gloves, and the small battery charger. A good point.

Riding the Niu NQi Sport from Dance: 4/5

The small Chinese scooter offers a comfortable space, making it easy for riders of any size to handle. The only downside to the riding position is the rather high footboard. It houses the battery, resulting in a leg position that is slightly too bent. Another criticism is the very soft—perhaps too soft—seat, which could benefit from more firmness for improved comfort. The passenger is very well seated with sturdy grab handles and generous retractable footrests.

Three driving modes are available, but mode 1 is automatically selected each time the scooter is restarted. This is likely a good intention to prevent surprises for novice riders, but honestly, this mode is too sluggish to be practically usable. Annoying. Fortunately, in mode 3, the Bosch motor integrated into the 1800-watt rear wheel provides good acceleration. It’s quite lively for a 50cc equivalent, but the power delivery is somewhat sudden, making it difficult to dose—especially if there’s a passenger. It’s a shame that it doesn’t offer regenerative braking when releasing the throttle, which would allow driving without always needing to use the brakes and improve efficiency.

The scooter is maneuverable and easy to handle with its reasonable seat height of 760 mm, a light weight of 89 kg, and a low center of gravity aided by the battery placement under the footboard. The non-linked brake and no ABS will probably require extra caution on rainy days with the supplied Kenda tires.

In terms of comfort, the seat is a bit soft. The basic suspension is somewhat bouncy, but overall, the Niu Dance remains at a very acceptable level for daily use. It benefits from a perfectly quiet motorization, which will be easy on everyone’s ears.

The rearview mirrors are quite effective and help the rider stay aware of the traffic, making this nimble and agile scooter ideal for city riding. Naturally, its limited top speed of 45 km/h restricts its range of action, but this is the case for all vehicles in this category without a license.

Battery, range, and recharging of the Dance scooter: 4/5

The supplied battery (1,560 Wh) is housed under the footboard and weighs about ten kilos. It allows for approximately 50 km of range. It can be upgraded to 65/70 km with the long-range battery option (+ €11.99/month, 2,100 Wh).

It takes between 6 and 8 hours for a full recharge from a standard power outlet. This can be done directly from the scooter for those lucky enough to have a parking space with an outlet. Otherwise, it can be recharged at home if you have access to an elevator…

Price of renting the electric scooter: 2/5

Dance offers two plans. The monthly plan without commitment costs a tidy €179/month, reduced to €149/month with a one-year commitment.

The service area includes Paris and some nearby cities in the western suburbs, like Boulogne-Billancourt, Neuilly-sur-Seine, Levallois-Perret, Clichy, and Saint-Ouen. The contract covers insurance, maintenance, and repairs if needed. Dance guarantees assistance within less than 24 hours through an appointment via the dedicated mobile app, available every day except Sunday. A real concierge service to reassure even the most skeptical about switching to electric scooters—or scooters in general.

This set of services makes this formula an attractive solution. However, it is not recommended in the long term, as purchase options quickly become more advantageous. This model costs €2,599 new… But for a limited period, Dance does everything to make your life easier and allows you to quickly start riding a modern and practical vehicle. A way to test daily use of an electric scooter before buying. This can be tempting, especially since in Paris, from September 1, paid parking for two-wheelers will be implemented.

Our review of the Dance rental scooter: 14/20

Manageable, easy with its reasonable seat height of 760 mm, its light weight of 89 kg, and a low center of gravity helped by the battery placement under the footboard, the Niu is comfortable in the city. The non-linked brakes and lack of ABS will probably require extra caution on rainy days with the supplied Kenda tires.

In terms of comfort, we noted that the seat is a bit soft. The basic suspension is slightly bouncy but overall, the Niu Dance remains at a very acceptable level for daily use. It benefits from a completely silent motor, which will be gentle on everyone’s ears.

The rearview mirrors are very adequate and help you stay aware of traffic, making this nimble and agile scooter perfect for city riding. Of course, its limited top speed of 45 km/h restricts its range of action, but that’s the case for all vehicles in this category without a license.

Battery, range, and charging of the Dance scooter: 4/5

The included battery (1,560 Wh) is housed under the footboard and weighs about ten kilos. It provides an estimated range of around 50 km. Upgrading to the long-range battery (+ €11.99/month, 2,100 Wh) can extend the range to 65/70 km.

Recharge time is between 6 and 8 hours using a standard power socket. This can be done directly from the scooter for those lucky enough to have a parking space with an outlet. Otherwise, it’s done at home if you have access to an elevator…

Price of renting the electric scooter: 2/5

Dance offers two options. The monthly plan without commitment costs a neat €179/month, reduced to €149/month with a one-year commitment.

The service area includes Paris and some neighboring cities in the western suburbs, such as Boulogne-Billancourt, Neuilly-sur-Seine, Levallois-Perret, Clichy, and Saint-Ouen. The contract covers insurance, maintenance, and repairs if needed. Dance guarantees assistance within less than 24 hours through an appointment via the dedicated mobile app, available every day except Sunday. A genuine concierge service that will reassure even the most skeptical about switching to electric scooters—or scooters in general.

	Model	With commitment	Duration	Without commitment
Dance Scooter	Niu NQi Sport	€149/month	1 year	€179/month
Zeway	SwapperOne	€130/month	3 years	€165/month
Cooltra	Askoll eS 2	€194/month	1 year	–
Fledger	Niu NQi Sport	€99/month	1 year	€149/month
Fledger	Super Soco CPX1	€129/month	1 year	€189/month
Fledger	Silence S02 Low	€159/month	1 year	€239/month

This range of services makes this offer an attractive alternative. However, it is not advisable for long-term use, as purchasing becomes quickly more advantageous. This model costs €2,599 new… But for a certain time, Dance does everything to make your life easier and helps you quickly get started riding a modern and practical vehicle. A way to test daily usage of an electric scooter before making a purchase. It can be tempting, especially since in Paris, starting September 1, paid parking will be implemented for two-wheelers.

Our opinion on the Dance rental scooter: 14/20

• Two plans with/without commitment
• Simple registration
• Nice style
• Easy to handle
• Good agility
• Clear instrumentation

• High price
• Driving position
• Punctures in rainy weather
• Only in Paris…

Manageable, easy with its reasonable seat height of 760 mm, its light weight of 89 kg, and a low center of gravity helped by the battery placement under the footboard, the Niu is comfortable in the city. The non-linked brakes and lack of ABS will probably require extra caution on rainy days with the supplied Kenda tires.

In terms of comfort, we noted that the seat is a bit soft. The basic suspension is slightly bouncy but overall, the Niu Dance remains at a very acceptable level for daily use. It benefits from a completely silent motor, which will be gentle on everyone’s ears.

The rearview mirrors are very adequate and help you stay aware of traffic, making this nimble and agile scooter perfect for city riding. Of course, its limited top speed of 45 km/h restricts its range of action, but that’s the case for all vehicles in this category without a license.

Battery, range, and charging of the Dance scooter: 4/5

The included battery (1,560 Wh) is housed under the footboard and weighs about ten kilos. It provides an estimated range of around 50 km. Upgrading to the long-range battery (+ €11.99/month, 2,100 Wh) can extend the range to 65/70 km.

Recharge time is between 6 and 8 hours using a standard power socket. This can be done directly from the scooter for those lucky enough to have a parking space with an outlet. Otherwise, it’s done at home if you have access to an elevator…

Price of renting the electric scooter: 2/5

Dance offers two options. The monthly plan without commitment costs a neat €179/month, reduced to €149/month with a one-year commitment.

The service area includes Paris and some neighboring cities in the western suburbs, such as Boulogne-Billancourt, Neuilly-sur-Seine, Levallois-Perret, Clichy, and Saint-Ouen. The contract covers insurance, maintenance, and repairs if needed. Dance guarantees assistance within less than 24 hours through an appointment via the dedicated mobile app, available every day except Sunday. A genuine concierge service that will reassure even the most skeptical about switching to electric scooters—or scooters in general.

	Model	With commitment	Duration	Without commitment
Dance Scooter	Niu NQi Sport	€149/month	1 year	€179/month
Zeway	SwapperOne	€130/month	3 years	€165/month
Cooltra	Askoll eS 2	€194/month	1 year	–
Fledger	Niu NQi Sport	€99/month	1 year	€149/month
Fledger	Super Soco CPX1	€129/month	1 year	€189/month
Fledger	Silence S02 Low	€159/month	1 year	€239/month

This variety of services makes this solution appealing. However, it is not recommended for the long term, as buying is quickly more cost-effective. This model costs €2,599 new… But for a limited time, Dance does everything to facilitate your life and help you get quickly onto a modern, practical ride. It’s a good way to test daily use of an electric scooter before deciding to buy. This can be tempting, especially since in Paris, starting September 1, paid parking will be required for two-wheelers.

Our opinion on the Dance rental scooter: 14/20

• Two offers with/without commitment
• Simple registration
• Nice style
• Easy to handle
• Good agility
• Clear instrumentation

• High price
• Driving position
• Punctures in rainy weather
• Only in Paris…

Also read: Troopy: scooter rental will go electric in 2022