While some of these improvements are minor or aesthetic, others are quite substantial, like the new hydraulic braking system, which replaced the cable/mechanical system on the Ultra. The cumulative effect of all the new 2018 improvements, is a scooter that not only performs like no other, but is also one of the most safe, comfortable & practical for long distance travel under a variety of conditions & road surfaces.

The Thunder is already a visually striking machine, with the mood lighting enabled, the wow factor is cranked up to level 11. On the handlebar column, the illuminated Dualtron logo colors can be set with a touch of a button, with the included remote control.
There are also two pairs, a total of four, embedded front deck light & a further two pairs of rear braking/awareness lights.
Note: if riding at night, it is advisable to fit an additional handlebar mounted light to throw a beam further than the effective 20-30 foot beam from lower level deck floodlights.

While on the previous generation, there was just a single option available, with the introduction of this 3rd Generation, Dualtron now offer five different compounds range from soft (for lighter Riders) to hard,

With the Thunder, the handlebars can now fold down against the stem for a smaller footprint during transporting or storage. There is also an upper latch, which can be used to support small bags. On the opposing deck side, there is a bracket that the latch locks into to secure it into position.

With the additional weight of the Thunder, some of the structural elements on the Thunder that are prone to wear-and-tear have been beefed up with stronger joints & screws, reducing the interval between servicing & lower the cost of ownership. Please refer to the online manual for an estimated component lifespan schedule for these.

Dualtron/Speedway—a division of Minimotors—have been making advanced state-of-the-art scooter designs since 1999. In the performance class, there is no serious equivalent contender in this space; Dualtron are the globally recognized as being the unrivaled market leader, with a reputation for quality & blistering performance across all their Electric kick-scooter range.

Minimotors, the parent Company, designs the scooters from their Korean offices. They are also concerned with all aspects of the R&D & most of the parts production—nearly everything is produced in-house, including controller, dashboard, frame, molding, handlebars, even the motors. Speedway & Dualtron Scooters are differentiated by the performance class of scooter they make, & the types of battery packs that are used. In a high-performance Scooter, these larger >750Wh batteries constitute more than half of the input costs of the finished product; to keep the Speedway scooter costs down, these use the cheaper Lithium polymer packs, that have a higher probability of failure & degradation over time. On the Dualtron line, premium grade LG Li-ion cells are selected for greater reliability & predictable performance. 

Disadvantages:

• At 95lb, the Thunder Heavy: if you’ve used a typical ~30lb typical Lime or Bird eScooter, the Thunder is over three times the weight. For many people, lifting it up a flight of stairs, or even a couple steps, is going to require a monumental effort, but what it lacks in portability, is more than offset with its capability.   
• The Thunder is Not a Cheap Scooter: the Ultra has the same basic performance package but is $500 cheaper. If you don’t think you’ll use the new features the Thunder has to offer, you may want to consider the slightly less expensive Ultra, or one of the other Dualtron scooters instead.  
• Fingerprint Scanner is Not a Complete Security System: if planning on leaving the scooter outside for some shopping, then you’ll need to physical secure the scooter with a physical lock to deter someone from carrying it off.