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Should I buy an electric scooter? Pros and cons
Electric scooters are lightweight, practical, and easy to ride. In some cases, you can work faster than your car. However, even if they sound so perfect, they have some drawbacks, including price. This article should help you decide whether you should buy an electric scooter and tell you about benefits of electric scooter.
Electric scooters are a very effective way to travel through the city. You can avoid traffic jams, cost much less than a car or motorcycle, and it’s fun.
Electric scooters are designed in the same way as motorcycles. They come in different forms: from seated to seatless, and you are standing on it. An electric scooter is just a small motorcycle with a battery and an electric motor.
The first commercial mass-produced electric scooter was manufactured by Peugeot and named Scoot’Elec. The history of electric scooters is longer than you think. Its history can be traced back to 1895, when the first patent for electric scooters was submitted.
Later, in 1919, the first prototype of an electric scooter was built. Now, we have a variety of electric scooters to choose from, some weighing less than 22 pounds, have a range of 5-60 miles, and speeds of up to 50 miles per hour.
How do we get back to electric scooters?
Electric scooters are old, why should we return to them? Are cars and public transportation not fast and cheap enough? Well, they can be in perfect surroundings, but people like to enter crowded places.
Car
Cars are great for long-distance travel, but they are terrible for cities and crowded places. Most cars have only the driver inside, take up a lot of space, and it is difficult to find a parking space. If you have watched the show “Everything in Adam Ruins” (season 1, episode 3), you will know why cars are not so good for this city.
Disadvantages of city cars:
Slow-traffic jam (this reason should be enough)
Pollution
Take up a lot of space
Difficult to find parking space
public transport
In crowded cities, public transportation may be a good choice, and it may be better than the car itself. Most cities have dedicated lanes for buses and street railways, so you can reach your destination faster than using a traditional car.
However, public transportation also has some disadvantages:
You must synchronize your timetable with the city’s traffic timetable
In most cases, you need to walk a little way to get there, and the same is true for commuting to work by bus, train, tram, etc.
Bike
Compared with electric scooters, traditional bicycles have great advantages. Because we sit almost all day, doing a little exercise can improve our health and keep us in a good mood. If you can do some exercise on the way to work, that would be great, right? Well, if you have more than 2 or 3 miles to work, and you don’t have incredible genes, you often get a little sweaty when you go to work.
Electric scooters also solve this problem, because there is hardly any effort. You will arrive at your destination fresh, and in some cases this may be an advantage over bicycles. If your job involves wearing a suit, it will be difficult to move easily by bike.
Solution? Electric scooter
Electric scooters can solve this problem in two ways.
1. Use them as a last mile transportation
Suppose you work in a crowded area of the city. You will spend a lot of time in traffic jams, it will be difficult to find nearby parking spaces, etc. If you have an electric scooter, your problem can be solved. Just drive to a place that is not crowded near the workplace. Then, take the electric scooter out of the trunk and ride for the last 1 or 2 miles.
In this way, you can avoid traffic jams and parking problems.
2. Use throughout
You can also use them for the entire journey to work or school, but there are some restrictions on this. The first limitation is the battery range. If you have a work distance of more than 4-6 miles, you will need a more expensive scooter. The reason is that the battery is the most expensive part of an electric scooter, and you need a good battery to drive more than 12 miles. However, if you can charge the scooter when you go to work or school, you can get 7-8 miles of range.
In the past, scooters have always been gasoline (gasoline) powered, but now they are mainly powered by batteries, which are less noisy, more energy efficient, and require less maintenance than previous products
Benefits of electric scooter
Lightweight and practical
Electric scooters are light and practical. You can get an electric scooter under 22 pounds, but depending on the model and battery size, most average weights are about 20-25 pounds. If you get a foldable electric scooter, you will find it very practical. You can fold and unfold it in 3 seconds, and it can be placed under your desk. You can take it with you at work or school without leaving it outside.
This is the main advantage of foldable electric scooters compared to traditional bicycles or electric bicycles. You can read more about electric scooters and traditional bicycles here.
Does not require much maintenance
Electric scooters do not require much maintenance, in fact, almost no need. You need to ensure that the screws are tightened correctly once a month and lubricated when needed. However, unless some parts are damaged, nothing more. According to my experience, if you invest in a high-quality electric scooter, the parts are reliable. Even if you need to replace wheels, lights, tires, or damaged fenders, this is nothing compared to the cost of owning a car.
Cars require a lot of maintenance, but we usually only calculate gasoline prices. Incorrect! Cars involve replacing engine oil, tires, brake pads, fuel filters and repairing damaged parts. All of this will increase the cost per mile, because car parts are expensive and not easy to replace yourself.
They are not expensive, and the operation is (almost) free. You can buy a scooter suitable for commuting to get off work for $600-700. If you use it instead of driving 5 miles a day for commuting, you can save about $250 on gas for a year. This does not include parking fees, car fees, etc.
Cost per mile
We have an article dedicated to the cost of ownership and cost per mile of electric scooters. In addition to the high purchase price, especially if you already own a car, the cost per mile and cost of ownership of an electric scooter is very low. As we said above, it requires very little maintenance compared to a car.
Quickly
Electric scooters are very fast. You can learn more about the speed of electric scooters in this article. Electric scooters can provide the same speed as traditional bicycles or electric bicycles, but they will not be sold.
Convenient
We discussed the lightness and practical aspects of foldable scooters, but there is a bigger advantage. You can go to work effortlessly. Compared with traditional bicycles, you don’t need to do any peddling, which may make you change your shirt or worse.
Green
It may not directly affect you, but if we all use electric vehicles, it will bring cleaner air and environment. Cars, motorcycles, and non-electric scooters pollute the air, which is obvious in crowded cities. The air quality is very low.
If you don’t have a car, an electric scooter may be a good choice, and you can refuel within the first or last 1-3 miles of public transportation. By choosing environmentally friendly vehicles, you will help keep the air in the city clean.
Pleasure
I haven’t met a person who doesn’t like riding a motorcycle, but there may be some situations. Of course, short-distance riding does not mean that you can easily ride every day, but this is the beginning. Personally, I like to ride an electric scooter to work. The feeling of freedom and fresh air is great.
If you are not suitable to stand up, some models include a seat, so you can commute for a longer time.
Disadvantages of electric scooters
Price
Price is the main obstacle for many of us. Electric scooters are expensive, especially high-quality ones. The reason behind the high price is the battery. Batteries are expensive and difficult to produce, so providing long-distance scooters will be very expensive.
If you don’t have a car yet, the idea of buying an electric scooter seems more logical. If you already own a car and have paid all taxes and maintenance fees, you can get a lot of gallons of gasoline at the price of an electric scooter. However, in the end, if you choose an electric scooter, you will be environmentally friendly.
Depending on your situation, there are many variables, such as how you work and how much money you are willing to spend on electric scooters. If you want to read more about scope and cost of ownership, I have also left links to these articles.
Your work path is short
If your working distance is less than 1 mile, you can always walk that distance, so it doesn’t make much sense to buy an expensive electric scooter. If you really want one, buy a cheaper low-end scooter. Because you only have 1 mile, it will do its job.
You have a long way to work
If your working distance exceeds 5-6 miles, then a car can be a more reliable and faster alternative than an electric scooter. If you have 5 to 6 miles, the drive may be much longer than driving. However, if you work in a crowded place, it might make sense to use an electric scooter as a last-mile vehicle.
Exercise
As mentioned above, riding an electric scooter will not take much effort. If you are going to work short distances, bicycles are a very good and cheaper alternative to electric scooters.
Scope and environment
If you decide to buy an electric scooter, please pay special attention to the specified range. It is always recommended to buy a range that is slightly larger than the range declared by the manufacturer. In this way, even if the battery or temperature outside is not optimal, you can always reach your destination.
So, should you buy an electric scooter?
The following are my criteria:
You will use it as a last mile transportation because you are working in a crowded area
If you want to ride all the way, the distance to work/school is between 2-5 miles
You live in a favorable environment (no long winter, electric scooters are not recommended, a lot of rain, snow, etc.)
If you already own a car, you should think twice, because a good electric scooter is not cheap and can pay a lot of gas bills
You want to quickly cross the city and avoid traffic jams
So, if I need to decide whether I should buy an electric scooter, these are my criteria. Yours can be different. If you don’t believe it, check out the advantages, disadvantages, and cost of ownership articles.
Frequently considered issues
How much will the value of electric scooters depreciate over time?
There are two measurable variables for the depreciation of electric scooters. Electric scooters will depreciate with time and mileage. Since I don’t have a machine learning algorithm to provide you with accurate depreciation forecasts, I searched my electric scooter to see how many second-hand goods it has.
In short, an ordinary scooter depreciates about 30-40% every year or every 600 miles. However, the purchase and maintenance costs are much lower than other means of transportation (cars, gasoline cars, motorcycles, etc.).
Is it worth to but a used one?
Unless the origin of the electric scooter is determined, it is not recommended to buy a second-hand one. Its mileage is low and the seller is trustworthy. The problem is that the purchase cost of an electric scooter is relatively small, so I suggest you buy a “fresh” one. Batteries are expensive, and if the mileage of the scooter is high, then it’s your turn to replace them!
What scooter to buy?
This is a question worthy of a more detailed answer. I might write some in-depth articles that you can read in order to buy the best scooter for you. (I wrote it! This is my list of the best electric scooters for commuting in 2019)
Until then, my advice is to buy high-quality scooters and avoid cheap models. Most cheap scooters are not sturdy enough to be used reliably for daily riding, and there are no spare parts or any service facilities available.
A best electric scooter will be reliable for many years. If you use it every day, this is a good investment.
Where should I ride my scooter?
You can ride electric scooters on roads and bicycle lanes. According to local laws and regulations, there are exceptions to this rule, but in most cases, the sidewalk is too small to be used by pedestrians only. Review the rules and where you can use them in this article. in addition,
In conclusion
Electric scooters have advantages and disadvantages. According to your specific situation, you can decide for yourself whether you should buy an electric scooter. My opinion is that electric scooters are effective for distances of 3-5 miles or as a last mile vehicle.
If you are interested in our electric scooter or electric bikes, you can leave a message. If you have any query please feel free to contact us. We are looking forward to your arrival.