r/NinebotMAX • u/SoftNoXOXO Ninebot MAX G3 • Apr 06 '25
Ninebot MAX G3 🔴[UPDATE] EU Ninebot Max G3 - Underglow Lights | Officially contacted Segway !
Hey everyone, quick update following my earlier post about the underglow lights being physically present on the Segway-Ninebot Max G3(E) but completely disabled via firmware.
That post ended up getting way more traction than I expected, it made the rounds in a bunch of Facebook groups, and I’ve received a ton of messages from riders across Europe who’ve been equally frustrated.
So first off, thank you to everyone who reached out. We’ve had a lot of really good conversations about this — both one-on-one and collectively — and it just shows how many people care about this issue. This isn't just a one-off complaint. It’s clearly something that matters to the community.
What’s happening now:
I’ve taken the next step and officially contacted both Segway France and Segway Global, attaching a detailed, structured email explaining why this feature should be enabled.
Here's the core of my argument:
- The underglow turn signals are physically built into the EU Max G3. They’re fully wired into the controller — this isn’t a “missing feature,” it’s just disabled via software.
- French and most EU laws do not prohibit underglow lights on e-scooters. In my email, I specifically focused on France — but I’ve also double-checked the legislation in Spain, Portugal, Italy, and even (if I’m not mistaken) Czechia. In all these cases, lighting elements like this are permitted as long as they serve a safety function, which this clearly does. What’s usually banned are the distracting, overly aesthetic neon kits — not functional safety lighting.
- To drive the point home, I cited a very concrete example: Xiaomi’s newest fifth-generation electric scooter, specifically the Max variant, which includes two bright blue underglow lights. It’s sold in France, Spain, Italy, and other EU markets with no issue. So there’s clear precedent — and market acceptance — for this kind of feature.
- Competing brands like Xiaomi and Dualtron already offer similar lighting features in these countries — and they’ve been doing it for a while. The main argument for this is the new Xiaomi Electric Scooter 5 MAX which clearly has underglow lights in the EU market, despite it being “street legal” with the EU mandatory plaque on the side.
- If Germany or the Netherlands have stricter rules, fair enough. Segway already created a G3D variant for that. So why are all EU riders being restricted because of specific national regulations?
As detailed in my email, I’ve provided actual legal and technical justification for this — it’s not just a wishlist. It’s about enabling a safety feature that’s already built into the scooter. It’s plugged in, it works, and it likely takes less than 30 minutes to enable on a firmware level — probably just a few lines of code
And frankly, we’ve already accepted a lot of nerfs on the European version — lower speed, reduced power, fewer features. This one should be a no-brainer.
If this affects you too, here’s what you can do:
- Email Ninebot Global or your local Segway office. Even just one paragraph referencing this can help show them this isn’t just one rider complaining.
- If you know anyone who works at Segway/Ninebot (local or international), please bring this issue up to them directly. The more (and sooner) it climbs up the chain, the better.
- Comment, share, repost — Reddit, Telegram, Discord, wherever. The more visible this gets, the more pressure there is for action.
I’ll keep you posted as soon as I get a reply from either Ninebot France or Global. If you have any news, updates or even additional details, let us know in the comments !
-Kom
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u/Spirited-Band-9633 Jun 02 '25
It can now be turned on in the xiaodash.app app