Electric Scooter Review: How Good Is the Yadea C1S Pro?

Already well established in its domestic market, the Chinese manufacturer Yadea now has ambitions in the Old Continent. In France, it has been selling its small electric scooters since 2018, with the help of Logicom for distribution.

Yadea already offers several models on the French market. The C1S Pro, which interests us today, is a 125 cc equivalent. It features a motor delivering 6000 W peak power and 12.5 Nm of torque.

While some electric scooters clearly lack imagination in terms of aesthetic design, the C1S Pro is quite original. The rounded front contrasts with the slightly more angular lines of the rear. The lighting signature inspired by the Yadea logo gives the scooter character.

Practical Aspects & Ergonomics: 2/4

The seat of the C1S Pro hides a 25-liter storage compartment, which can hold a jet helmet. However, it’s impossible to store a full-face helmet here. A small compartment has been added to the panel, but unfortunately, it does not lock.

The C1S Pro features a hands-free system that allows unlocking and starting the scooter without removing the key from your pocket. This makes daily life easier, but of course, the system does not work when the batteries are removed. In that case, a traditional key must be used, which is cleverly hidden in the scooter’s remote control.

The display unit, while quite readable, unfortunately does not show the time. Moreover, the turn signal controls are not very practical: they are hard to find, and quite often, drivers might honk the horn or turn on the high beams by mistake. This is especially annoying since there is no automatic return. Additionally, the sound of the turn signals seems to come straight out of a toy for children. During our test, passersby sometimes turned around to see where the strange noise was coming from… and frankly, it was a bit ridiculous.

Driving: 3/6

The riding position is quite particular, especially for taller individuals. The main issue: the footboard is a bit too high due to the batteries located just underneath. Nevertheless, you get used to the very upright posture required by the scooter. Regarding comfort, there is nothing to complain about: the many paved roads we traveled on sometimes put the C1S Pro’s suspension to the test, but it always performed well. The seat, which is fairly well padded, is comfortable.

With its motor directly integrated into the rear hub, the Yadea C1S Pro is very quiet. The jerks at startup that affect some competing models are smoothed out here. The scooter gently gets underway at a traffic light, not breaking speed records but still lively enough. The effective braking system inspires confidence, although it lacks a bit of initial bite. Overall, the behavior of the C1S Pro does not surprise negatively: very neutral, it is well suited to urban vehicles.

To unleash the full power of the motor, you need to activate Sport mode, which allows reaching a top speed of 90 km/h. For urban and peri-urban use, Eco mode (the only other available mode) may suffice: it enables speeds of nearly 60 km/h and already offers good acceleration.

Surprisingly, it’s once past a certain speed that the C1S Pro impresses the most. Although acceleration at startup is not spectacular, the scooter then gains speed steadily and quickly reaches the legally required 50 km/h in city driving. Beyond that, the Yadea still performs well and can reach 90 km/h quite rapidly. Additionally, the pick-up is quite good, each twist of the throttle resulting in a noticeable re-acceleration.

However, things worsen as the battery depletes. This is not an unusual phenomenon in the world of small electric scooters, but it remains frustrating. With about 20% of battery charge remaining, reaching 65 km/h in Sport mode becomes difficult. Quick trips on highways become less feasible, especially since acceleration and pick-up are also diminished. And if the road begins to climb, the C1S Pro will struggle to meet expectations: it will have difficulty reaching 50 km/h, even with Sport mode activated.

Range & Charging: 4/6

Now, let’s move on to the crucial question of range. The C1S Pro has two removable batteries stored under the footboard. They operate together, so their charge levels are usually similar. In theory, the range is 77 km, or up to 100 km at a steady 45 km/h.

These figures seem close to reality. To measure the scooter’s actual range, we left limited-zone areas with 50 km/h speed limits several times. The verdict: after a 63 km trip that combined city and Parisian ring road driving, we had 25% battery left.

For recharging, you have two options: either plug the scooter directly into the charger or remove the batteries to charge them at home. The second option is quite practical, but keep in mind that each battery weighs 11.5 kilos. It’s heavy, very heavy even, but this is a common issue with all competitors.

Both batteries can be connected simultaneously to the charger. It offers two advantages: first, it’s effective (allowing about 5 hours for a full charge), and second, it indicates the charge level via a light gauge. But it also has a drawback: it is extremely noisy. When the fan activates—which happens quite often—a noise similar to that of a hairdryer (in both tone and intensity) fills the room.

Price & Equipment: 2/4

Priced at €5,690 (bonus not deducted), the C1S Pro is not particularly cheap. For comparison, a Niu MQi GT Evo, which has a more powerful battery pack (2.78 vs 3.74 kWh), costs €4,999. Less powerful than the Yadea, the Niu is nevertheless faster: it can reach a top speed of 100 km/h.

Regarding the equipment of the C1S Pro, Yadea’s choices are somewhat puzzling. The aforementioned hands-free system and alarm are convenient but not essential. The scooter also has cruise control and reverse gear, which do not seem necessarily vital either, although some users might appreciate them. An app connected to the scooter would have been very useful, but there isn’t one. ABS is also missing. An unusual choice by Yadea, which, on the other hand, did not forget to include a USB port.

Test summary of the Yadea C1S Pro: 11/20

Without considering the price argument, the C1S Pro may struggle a bit to shake up the segment’s star models. Nevertheless, Yadea has done a very good job on the essentials: driving is pleasant, range is sufficient, and charging is fairly quick. However, the C1S Pro also has its little flaws, some of which are bothersome on a daily basis. It’s a shame because most of these could be easily fixed!

Advantages and disadvantages of the Yadea C1S Pro:

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Yadea C1S Pro Technical Sheet