Okai's $2,500 Off-Road Panther E-Scooter Is Insanely Fast and Ready With a Full Suspension

Folks, Okai is a crew whose work I've covered on several occasions. You may remember the Neon, a city-destined last-mile solution with some rather impressive abilities, but this time, Okai has decided to venture into uncharted territory because the ES800 is an off-road-worthy monster of an e-kickscooter. Hang on to your hats for this one because it's way different than what we may be used to.

To kick things off for the ES800, let me point out that Okai spared no expense whatsoever in building a scooter that isn't just suitable for off-road use, but if you live in a city with messed up streets, the ES800 is just as perfect for you.

Now, everything we see starts off with nothing more than an aluminum framework upon which Okai adds suspension systems, not one but two motors, a massive footboard, and wheels designed to handle rocks and stones as though they don't exist. The frame also folds so you can throw it into your car or RV. But, the real attraction here is the E800's power and speed.

From the first few moments that I ended up on the manufacturer's website, I noticed something that may be of interest to anyone who enjoys a ride on these rather quirky inventions: speed, and lots of it! How much speed? Well, I loved seeing the number 38 with "mph" (61 kph) tagging along behind, telling me that my need for speed on the E800 would surely be met.

Honestly, I'm not even sure that's legal in most places around the world, so you may be able to access this only on private property or where the law dare not follow. If the law does follow you, they'll need to be on dirt bikes or horseback to even catch you.

How is this possible? One of the attractive features of the ES800 is the two motors I mentioned. There's one at the front and one at the rear, and each cranks out a peak of 3,000 W. That's more than most e-bikes on the market! Not to mention 60 Nm (44 lb-ft) of maximum torque output. Stopping power is granted by twin hydraulic brakes, one at the front and one at the rear.

With this setup, the ES800 can clearly boast that it can achieve things other e-scooters cannot. For example, Okai mentions that a 35% hill gradient is possible with this beast, and honestly, I have no reason to doubt their info; they're one of the grandfathers of the e-scooter industry.

But this much spunk does have a downside: the amount of energy it will need to keep you moving along. That said, take note that the ES800 does include a massive 19.2 Ah battery operating at 52 V. While it's big enough to offer up to 31 mi (50 km) of range (in a test setting), it also adds considerable weight to this contraption.

Heck, this thing weighs 97 lbs (44 kg), which is quite a bit even for me, and I partially grew up on a farm; 110 lb (50 kg) bags are in the day's work out there, but I've aged. This weight is bound to be an issue for anyone who doesn't lift things on a daily basis, and in a city setting, you'll have to stick to the streets because jumping curbs is going to be tricky with this much weight.

Weight aside, the rest of the E800 is just as impressive as the level of power that it brings to the table. For example, off-road riding is going to need systems to help soften up whatever you encounter, and the Panther has more than enough goods to make me want to take a test ride, to say the least.

Overall, tires are tubeless and pneumatic, and once mixed with a dual suspension system, we can clearly expect one hell of a smooth ride. At the front, the ES800 has a shock absorber right in front of the fork, and at the rear, another is in place. While I know this has got to be smooth as silk in an urban setting, I'm curious as to how it performs through stones and beaten trails. Then there's the 6.3 in (16 cm) of ground clearance, which is sure to be welcome no matter the terrain.

As for the rest of the Panther, Okai paid special attention to safety. After all, this thing is meant to be ridden through some rather sketchy places. Headlights, taillights, and even turn signals are in place, a larger than average footboard for stability, and an integrated display to help you keep track of range and mess with accent lights, or as I like to call them, swag lights.

Now, I haven't ridden this bugger yet, and maybe the future will change this, but what I can add to this article is the fact that the ES800 even won an If Design Award for Product Design back in 2022, when its plans were first revealed. Hmm, now I'm really curious as to how this thing performs. Just be sure to have $2,500 (€2,360 at current exchange rates) put to the side, just in case it's on anyone's Christmas list.