Varla Eagle One V2.0 Electric Scooter Review, 2024 | The Fastest Hill Test EVER

Varla says on their website that the Eagle One 2.0 will go for 42 mi. before needing a charge. For our range test, we did our best to keep our speed to 20 mph on our local bike paths. The battery surrendered at 32.15 mi. with 600 feet of elevation change along the way.

Before we criticize the Varla Eagle One 2.0 for falling 10 mi. shy of their estimate, let me say I think this is a good result. Every product I’ve tested with dual motors has shown me just how quickly you can drain a battery. And with 2000W on tap needs an enormous amount of capacity to enjoy much range.

The battery in the Varla Eagle One 2.0 is a 52V, 20.8Ah unit, which translates to 1082Wh. The 52V system is noteworthy, as well. The higher the voltage, the faster the charge can be drawn down. Think of electricity like a liquid and the voltage as determining how large a pipe the electricity is moving through. If we equate 36V systems with a cocktail straw, then 52V would be a soda straw.

When we consider our 1;1 ratio rule of thumb of motor wattage to battery watt/hours, well even this 1082Wh battery comes up shy; two 1000W motors and a 1082Wh battery makes for a 2:1 ratio. That’s not a recipe for lots of range.

Also, I need to note that range isn’t just a matter of how much charge is left in the battery. There is a predictive element as well, which is to say that with both motors running I saw the charge level drop by 20 percent only to 18 percent return when I began coasting. I think with experience riders will get a sense of just what the range is even if the numbers say something else.

Bottom line: I’m pleased with this result considering the complications brought by so much power.

I couldn’t wait to see how the Eagle One 2.0 would perform in our hill test. Hell Hole is a ⅓ mi. and climbs at 12 percent, which is steep by any measure. Before I get to the result, let me encourage readers to be sure to click on our video review. This thing is such a rocket ship that you can hear giddiness in Justin’s voice. And this is a guy who has gone up that hill more than anyone else I know.

So what does it take to surprise Justin? How about an ascent in just 47 seconds? That makes for an average speed of 23.1 mph.

In a word: damn!

Not only was this the fastest e-scooter we have tested on Hell Hole, it’s the fastest anything we’ve ever tested. In breaking the record up Hell Hole, it bested our previous record-holder, the Eunorau Defender S, which made the climb in 55 seconds, which makes the Varla Eagle One 2.0 a whopping 8 seconds faster. In third place is the Himiway Cobra Pro at 61 seconds. That’s right, of all the e-bikes and e-scooters we’ve ever tested, only two have beaten a minute.

We performed our standard brake test of accelerating to 20 mph and then braking to a full stop. We performed the test three times and then averaged those three distances to arrive at our result.

The Varla Eagle One 2.0 stopped in an average of 19.2 ft.

To frame this, I should explain that what we want to see is a stopping distance of less than 25 ft. Any time our result is longer than 25 ft., we worry about whether riders will be able to stop in time should a car or pedestrian interrupt their path. The closer an e-bike comes to 20 ft., the bigger our thumbs-up. So, 19.2 ft. is a great result, but this is just a glorified razor scooter, right?

Not so fast.

This is where I mention that the Varla Eagle One 2.0 weighs a beastly 83 lbs. Not the belle of the ball. So hydraulic disc brakes were a smart call. If you’re wondering how something so heave can stop in such a short distance, that owes to two features in addition to the hydraulic disc brakes. First, the knobby, 3.5-in.-wide tubeless tires offer great traction. Second, on a 10-in.-diameter wheel, a 160mm rotor enjoys terrific leverage, comparable to putting a 203mm rotor on a 20-in. wheel.

The trick here is learning how to shift your weight under hard braking, so some practice of accelerating up to 30 mph and then stopping might be an appropriate call.

The Varla Eagle One 2.0 comes with a 9.1-in.-wide deck, which is wider than we typically see on e-scooters. Buyers can order an even wider, 13.8-in. deck in case they want a little added stability.

And while this doesn’t really speak to ride quality—I’d call it ride experience—the Eagle One 2.0 has ambient lights—like the ground effects on some cars. Riders can choose between three modes, which they call “breathing,” “flash” and “streamer.” The effect is as fun as it is attention-grabbing.

In the quest to make e-mobility devices ever more affordable, we often see stuff that doesn’t just cut quality corners, they look shoddy even at a dozen feet. That’s not the case with the Eagle One 2.0. Everything about this e-scooter looks sophisticated and stylish, which is to say that I got a sense of quality underlying everything about it.

Varla suggests that the Eagle One 2.0 can accommodate riders as petite as 4 feet 5 all the way up to an NBA-recruited 6 feet 11. Claims like this are usually an exaggeration, but because the rider doesn’t need to pedal, the only real limit on sizing is for the tall rider and their willingness to bend down to reach the bar. It might look a little clown car, but that might be part of the fun.

I need to take a moment to discuss charging. The Varla Eagle One 2.0 comes with a 2A charger, which is modest. With a 1082Wh battery that means achieving a full charge will take nine to 10 hours. Varla did something interesting to help reduce this; they included a second charging port. You can order a second charger and cut the charging time to 5-6 hours.

When we consider our reservations about this e-scooter, our greatest is its ability to ride over bumps in the road; these wheels are pretty small and riders on the Varla Eagle One 2.0 won’t enjoy the same level of stability that comes with bigger wheels, a longer wheelbase and a lower center of gravity. I think the suspension isn’t just helpful here, it’s an important ingredient in what makes this scooter road-worthy. For those who want to rest more and lower their center of gravity, Varla offers an accessory seat that can be added.

At 82 lbs., this isn’t a scooter we would want to carry upstairs. The good news here is that once folded, the weight is considerably easier to manage than an e-bike weighing the same amount.

Varla presents the extra lighting as an expression of personal style, and it definitely turns heads. I think it adds a handy safety component as well. And while that extra lighting cuts into the battery’s life, it doesn’t do so in a big way. That’s a smaller concern than the need to pick up a second charger to shorten the charging time.

We have reviewed e-bikes that perform well enough on flat ground, but struggle to ascend a hill. That’s a relevant detail for buyers, which is why we test each e-bike and e-scooter’s performance. In places known for their hills, like Seattle and San Francisco, this consideration may be more important than even range, though braking performance grows in importance when going down the other side. The Varla Eagle One 2.0 delivered a performance that impressed us in a way we simply didn’t anticipate.

With such a short wheelbase, the Varla Eagle One 2.0 is an exceptionally nimble ride. Anyone looking for crisp handling and an ability to thread through traffic, scampering kids on bike paths or a parking lot full of shopping carts, will enjoy its handling. This e-scooter has been a terrific surprise.

Happy Riding! Make sure to let us know if you have any questions or if you think we left anything out in this review of the Varla Eagle One 2.0 down in our comments section.