8TEV B10 PROXI vs ISCOOTER i9Ultra - Boutique Beauty Takes On the Budget Brawler

Fast Answer for Busy Riders ⚡ (TL;DR)

If you care about your wallet, your daily commute, and basic common sense, the ISCOOTER i9Ultra is the overall winner here: it delivers stronger performance, more usable range, and far better value for a fraction of the price.

The 8TEV B10 PROXI feels special and is beautifully built, but you pay a premium sports-car price for city-bike performance and a very modest battery. Choose it only if design, steel-frame solidity and wet-weather riding matter more to you than speed, range or value.

Go for the i9Ultra if you want a practical, punchy commuter; pick the B10 PROXI if you're buying with your heart and your eyes, not your calculator.

Still undecided? Stick around - the differences get much clearer once we dig into how they actually ride.

Electric scooters have matured enough that you can now blow more than 1.000 € on something that looks like it belongs in a design museum - or spend a third of that and get a very capable workhorse. The 8TEV B10 PROXI and the ISCOOTER i9Ultra sit at opposite ends of that philosophy, yet they'll attract very similar riders: urban commuters who want a reliable daily escape from buses and traffic.

I've put real kilometres on both of these, from wet British mornings to scruffy city bike lanes and the occasional "shortcut" over tiled plazas and cobbles. One of them feels like a lovingly over-engineered passion project; the other feels like a suspiciously cheap scooter that, annoyingly, does almost everything you actually need.

If you're wondering whether to splash out on the 8TEV's boutique steel-and-maple charm or bank the savings and live with ISCOOTER's more utilitarian approach, read on - the trade-offs are not where you might expect.

Who Are These For, and Why Compare Them?

On paper, these two shouldn't be rivals: the B10 PROXI is priced like a premium EU-designed vehicle, while the i9Ultra is very much a budget darling. But in the real world, both target the same core use case: daily urban commuting, short to medium distances, mostly on tarmac and patchy bike lanes, with the odd hill and a bit of rain thrown in.

The 8TEV is pitched as an "enthusiast's commuter" - think style-conscious rider, shorter trips, year-round use, and a taste for nicely made things. The i9Ultra is the "get me to work and don't argue" option - a straightforward, feature-heavy city tool that feels like it was designed more with spreadsheets than sketchbooks.

So yes, wildly different price tags - but if you just want something to ride to the office and back, these are exactly the two you'll be weighing up: heart vs head.

Design & Build Quality

The first time you unbox the 8TEV B10 PROXI, it's hard not to smile. The wide maple deck looks like it was stolen from a longboard, the one-piece chromoly steel frame could pass as a small custom bike chassis, and the magnesium front wheel screams "engineer with opinions". In the hands, it feels dense and overbuilt - the sort of scooter you'd expect to survive a decade of real commuting abuse.

The ISCOOTER i9Ultra, by contrast, is pure function. Matte aluminium frame, rubberised deck, honeycomb solid tyres and a no-nonsense stem: it looks exactly like what it is - a mass-market commuter. There's nothing here to trigger an emotional response, but there's also nothing particularly cheap-feeling. The stem on my test unit locked in with reassuring crispness and stayed wobble-free, which is more than I can say for many scooters twice its price.

Where the 8TEV wins hands-down is perceived craftsmanship. Welds are neat, the powder-coat feels thick, and small touches - like the sealed battery housing and forged dropouts - are genuinely impressive. The problem is that all this loveliness sits on a very small battery and a modest motor. The i9Ultra, while less charming, feels honest: simple extrusions, solid latch, tyres that shout "we will never puncture, ever". It's not premium, but it's coherent.

If you're buying with your eyes and fingers, the B10 PROXI clearly seduces more. If you're buying with your brain, the i9Ultra's "industrial appliance" vibe is easier to justify.

Ride Comfort & Handling

These two scooters approach comfort from opposite directions. The 8TEV has no mechanical suspension at all - instead it relies on large air-filled tyres and that layered maple deck to take the sting out of the road. On decent tarmac and typical city imperfections - expansion joints, shallow potholes, the odd tram track - it works surprisingly well. The deck has a subtle flex and warm, organic feel underfoot; after several kilometres of mixed surfaces my knees still felt happy. Hit sharp edges or nasty potholes, though, and you're reminded that rubber and wood can only do so much.

The i9Ultra goes the other way: solid honeycomb tyres, but front and rear suspension. On really ugly surfaces - brick paths, worn cobbles, broken asphalt - the springs earn their keep, swallowing the initial hit the solid tyres would otherwise send straight into your spine. There's still a firmness to the ride; you always know what the surface is doing, and long stretches of rough concrete get tiring faster than on big pneumatics. But compared with most solid-tyre scooters, the i9Ultra is on the "surprisingly tolerable" side of harsh.

In corners, the B10 PROXI feels more planted and organic. The steering geometry is slow and reassuring, and the wide deck lets you adopt a natural, almost surf-style stance. You lean into turns rather than steering them, and the rear-drive setup helps the scooter track nicely through sweepers. The i9Ultra is nimbler but a touch more nervous; the shorter wheelbase and narrower deck make it more "scooterish". It darts around obstacles eagerly, but it doesn't invite the same relaxed carving feel the 8TEV does.

If your commute is mostly smooth cycle paths with the occasional rough patch, the 8TEV is the more pleasant partner. If your city delights in throwing broken pavement and surprise speed bumps at you - and you don't want to think about tyre maintenance - the i9Ultra's compromise actually works out better in the long run.

Performance

Here's where the price gap gets awkward for the 8TEV.

The B10 PROXI runs a modestly rated motor on a higher-voltage system, and you do feel that nice little punch off the line in city speeds. It's quick enough to jump away from traffic lights and feels perfectly adequate up to its upper cruising speed, which is right around where most EU-legal scooters top out anyway. Hill starts in sensible gradients are handled with more dignity than the spec sheet suggests, though on steeper ramps you feel it working hard. There's also that slightly delayed, then eager throttle response in the highest mode - once you're used to it, it's fine, but it never feels truly polished.

The i9Ultra simply has more shove. That bigger rear motor drags you off the line with a confidence the 8TEV can't match, especially if you're a heavier rider or tackling hills. On flat ground in its sportive mode it pulls cleanly up towards its ceiling, and unlike weaker commuters it doesn't feel like it's running out of breath the moment you hit a mild incline or a headwind. On legal 25 km/h limits it happily holds speed rather than hunting around under load.

Braking is another area where the spec sheets tell only half the story. The 8TEV's dual mechanical discs feel predictable and modulate nicely. You get a very analogue, bicycle-like feedback at the lever, and stopping distances are perfectly respectable. The i9Ultra combines a mechanical disc with electronic braking on the motor, and the result is actually stronger initial bite - especially when you really grab a handful. It's a bit less nuanced than the 8TEV's setup, but in emergency stops I consistently shed speed faster on the i9Ultra.

In pure riding experience, the 8TEV feels refined but underpowered for its market positioning. The i9Ultra feels much more eager: not exotic, not thrilling, but much closer to the "modern city pace" you want when mixing with traffic.

Battery & Range

This is the category that quietly decides ownership happiness for most riders - and it's where the B10 PROXI really struggles to justify itself.

The 8TEV carries a smallish battery for its price. Manufacturer numbers talk about distances in the low twenties; in the real world, riding briskly with a few hills and a normal-sized adult on board, I'd plan for a comfortable mid-teens before you start eyeing the display nervously. Used as a pure "across town and back" machine, it works. But any detours, headwinds, or a day of back-to-back errands, and you're having to think about where the charger is.

The i9Ultra, by contrast, has a noticeably more generous reserve. Real-world riders regularly report comfortable daily returns in the mid-twenties without babying the throttle, and even pushing hard you're still generally beating the 8TEV by a decent margin. Light riders in eco modes can stretch it further, but even ridden like a normal impatient commuter, it feels much less constrained.

Charging times are roughly in the same "overnight or office day" ballpark, with the i9Ultra actually refilling a larger tank in a similar window. That's not a great look for the 8TEV: you're waiting just as long to go significantly less far.

In day-to-day terms, the difference is simple: with the i9Ultra, you plug in out of habit; with the B10 PROXI, you plug in because you're already thinking about whether you'll make it home.

Portability & Practicality

On the scales, there's barely anything between them - both sit in that "you can carry me up one or two flights, but don't plan to move house with me" weight class. Where they differ is in shape and user-friendliness once folded.

The B10 PROXI's wide longboard-style deck that feels so fantastic while riding becomes a bit of a liability in cramped corridors and packed trains. Folded, it's still this broad slab of wood and steel that occupies real floor space. The folding mechanism itself is sturdy and confidence-inspiring, but it's clearly optimised for rigidity, not for being dainty. Carrying it by the stem is fine for short hops, though the weight distribution feels more "small motorcycle" than "portable gadget".

The i9Ultra is more conventional: slimmer deck, more compact folded footprint, and that classic hook-to-rear-fender latch which turns the folded scooter into a reasonably manageable package. It's not feather-light, and you won't love lugging it up to a fifth-floor walk-up, but sliding it under a desk or into a boot is significantly easier than with the big-deck 8TEV.

Practical extras are also skewed towards the ISCOOTER. You get app locking, cruise control, indicators, and a lighting package that feels almost overkill at this price. The 8TEV gives you the basics - decent LEDs, mudguards, bell - but that's about it. For a scooter costing several times more, it's very "bring your own tech".

Safety

Both scooters feel safe on the road, but they do so with different emphases.

The 8TEV leans on its geometry, frame material and tyres. The longer wheelbase and calm steering make it wonderfully stable at its top end, and the chromoly frame, combined with those big pneumatic tyres, translates into a sense of "real vehicle" solidity. You feel planted, not perched. Add to that an impressive water protection rating - you can ride through proper British rain without clenching - and there's definite reassurance in knowing the electrics won't throw a tantrum every time the sky leaks.

The i9Ultra pushes safety more through features. Dual braking with electronic assist, bright headlight, brakelight that actually reacts, plus handlebar indicators mean you're far more communicative in traffic. The frame is stiff, the deck grippy, and the larger 10-inch wheels roll more confidently than the smaller hoop sizes common at this price. The water protection is more modest: fine for light rain and wet streets, but I wouldn't deliberately go puddle-hunting with it like I would on the 8TEV.

In low-grip conditions, the B10 PROXI's combination of pneumatic tyres and weight distribution inspires a bit more confidence - you can feel the tyres deform and bite. But in dense, mixed traffic situations, the i9Ultra's better signalling and stronger brakes arguably keep you safer day to day.

Community Feedback

Price & Value

This section almost feels unfair.

The 8TEV B10 PROXI lives firmly in premium territory. You're paying a serious chunk of money for boutique construction, European branding and design flair. But when you strip away the emotional gloss and look at what you get in terms of power, battery capacity, features and range, it's hard to escape the feeling that you're being asked to subsidise the artistry. You absolutely can find scooters with more speed, much more range, and richer feature sets for the same or less.

The ISCOOTER i9Ultra, on the other hand, is priced like an impulse buy by comparison. For that modest outlay you get a torquey motor, solid range, dual suspension, app integration, puncture-proof tyres and a full lighting package. Is it perfect? No. Does it feel three or four times worse than the 8TEV on the road? Absolutely not. In fact, for many typical commutes, it feels more capable.

If your goal is extracting maximum real-world transport out of every euro, the i9Ultra isn't just better value than the B10 PROXI - it makes the 8TEV look almost indulgent.

Service & Parts Availability

8TEV's strength is being a small, very engaged British brand. Riders routinely praise direct, human support - the sort where you actually get a name and a conversation, not just a ticket number. The flip side is scale: parts are available, but you're working with a niche marque. You'll likely be sourcing components through them or specialised dealers, not just grabbing generic bits off any marketplace.

ISCOOTER plays in the volume game. They have EU and UK warehouses, and spares for things like tyres, brakes and controllers are fairly straightforward to find, though often through resellers rather than a polished "premium" after-sales experience. Community reports suggest support is responsive enough, but it's as transactional as you'd expect from a value-focused direct-to-consumer brand.

If you like the idea of supporting a smaller engineering-driven company that actually remembers you, 8TEV has clear appeal. If you just want a scooter that uses relatively generic parts that any competent workshop can figure out, the i9Ultra's platform is easier to live with.

Pros & Cons Summary

Parameters Comparison

Final Verdict - Which Should You Choose?

Standing back from the spec sheets and the branding, this is surprisingly simple.

The ISCOOTER i9Ultra is the better scooter for most people. It accelerates harder, climbs hills more convincingly, goes noticeably further on a charge, and comes stuffed with practical features - all for a price that's closer to a reasonable monthly transit pass than a major purchase. It's not glamorous, but it is thoroughly competent and makes daily commuting feel easy rather than precious.

The 8TEV B10 PROXI, meanwhile, is a scooter you buy because you fall for the design and the feel of that wooden deck, because you want a steel frame and serious weather resistance, and because you like the idea of supporting a small, engineering-led brand. It rides nicely within its comfort zone and feels more "special" than the i9Ultra ever will - but you are paying heavily for that feeling, while accepting modest performance and range.

If your scooter is a primary transport tool and your budget has to make sense, go i9Ultra and don't look back. If money is less of a concern, your commute is short, and you're the sort of person who chooses a handmade steel bicycle over a carbon race machine, the B10 PROXI can still make emotional sense - just walk in with your eyes open about what you're (not) getting for the price.

Numbers Freaks Corner

These metrics break down how efficiently each scooter turns money, mass, and electricity into actual performance. Price-per-Wh and price-per-km figures show cost efficiency, weight ratios highlight how much scooter you're hauling around for the performance you get, and Wh-per-km reveals how thirsty each scooter is. Power-to-speed and weight-to-power show how "over-motored" or under-powered a scooter is for its speed, while charging speed indicates how quickly you can get back on the road after running the battery down.

Author's Category Battle

Overall Winner Declaration

In the Numbers Freaks Corner, the 8TEV B10 PROXI scores 1 point against the ISCOOTER i9Ultra's 9. In the Author's Category Battle, the 8TEV B10 PROXI gets 20 ✅ versus 21 ✅ for ISCOOTER i9Ultra.

Totals: 8TEV B10 PROXI scores 21, ISCOOTER i9Ultra scores 30.

Based on the scoring, the ISCOOTER i9Ultra is our overall winner. For me, the ISCOOTER i9Ultra is the scooter that actually fits modern city life: it might not make your heart flutter in the hallway, but once you're out on the road it simply does more, more often, for far less money. It feels like a sensible friend who always shows up on time. The 8TEV B10 PROXI is charming, and on the right short, dry-ish commute it can feel like you're surfing the streets on a piece of industrial art - but that charm fades faster once you start counting kilometres and charging cycles. As a rider, I'd happily admire the B10 PROXI... while I ride away on the i9Ultra.

That's our verdict when we try to stay objective – but hey, riding is mostly about emotions anyway, so pick the one that will make you look forward to your commute every single day.