Is there any point buying an electric scooter?

09 Apr.,2024

 

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City living has its charms, and as the world’s major cities continue to expand, we need to adapt our habits to make it viable well into the future. Because along with this expansion comes congestion, increased carbon emissions and increased pressure on the grid.

Buying an electric scooter can help you to get the most out of big city living in these changing times. You’ll do your part by getting where you need to be without a single carbon emission, which motor vehicles and public transport are not close to matching. Fully operational on battery power, electric scooters don’t need a drop of fuel. Ultimately, this translates to significant savings on fuel and transportation costs.

But there is of course an upfront cost that needs to be justified. And whilst it’s relatively low compared to other vehicles, as with any investment, you have to consider if it’s for you, and if it’s worth it.

Here we take a look at the initial and ongoing costs of electric scooters, the pros and cons of having your own, how long you can expect them to last and why the savings long term make them worth it.

Are electric scooters worth the money?

Electric scooters range a lot in price, function and quality which of course will largely influence your opinion of its worth. Before investing in an electric scooter, it’s also important to consider if it’s a feasible solution for you and your lifestyle.

Let’s start with the hard costs involved. Electric scooters range in price from a few hundred pounds for a very basic model, to a few thousand for a high-end one. On average, you can expect to pay around £600 for a mid-range e-scooter. The range is pretty broad, so you’ll need to assess exactly what you want out of an e-scooter to establish what a good price point will be, and in turn, whether that makes it worth it.

The main advantage of e-scooters here is that once your initial investment is made, that’s pretty much it. You won’t be tied down by things like parking costs, fuel costs, road tax, congestion charges or breakdown cover. You can also wave goodbye to the high MOT and service charges associated with cars.

E-scooter maintenance is generally very cheap and can mostly be done easily at home. Charging your e-scooter is also incredibly low-cost– more on that below.

Beyond that, many e-scooter riders also find great value in this mode of transport for its ability to get you where you need to be in the city without any hold-ups. It’s often a lot quicker than waiting for multiple train and metro changes, or traffic jams to move when you’re in a rush. For some, this easily makes an electric scooter well worth any investment.

At Nought, we also strongly believe that e-scooters are a means to reimagine the city and experience it in a new, exciting way. It’s a means to say goodbye to long, dreary mornings wasted in bumper-to-bumper traffic, and instead, be fully immersed in the journey. Which some might say is priceless.

How much does it cost to charge an electric scooter?

The short answer is, not much at all. An electric scooter is one of the most cost-efficient modes of transport available today.

Currently in the UK, it costs between 15p to 30p to fully charge an average electric scooter battery from flat. This is based on it taking an average of 5 hours to charge a mid-range e-scooter, but it may even be possible to achieve a slightly cheaper rate if your provider offers off-peak lower cost electricity rates at certain times of the day.  

That works out at around just 1 pence per mile if your scooter has a range of 30 miles, putting e-scooters in a category of their own when it comes to cost-efficient travel.

If we compare this to the cost of fuelling a petrol scooter, which is just over £6 per time, it equates to a huge saving of around 85%. And the savings compared to other traditional methods of transport are just as significant – we've broken down all the costs so you can see how much you can save with an electric scooter in our latest blog here.  

Electricity is a fraction of the price of gasoline or petrol, especially given recent fuel hikes worldwide. Of course, electricity is the same price whether it’s charging a car, a bike or a scooter. But the compact size and weight of an electric scooter make it much more efficient than bigger electric vehicles. This also means you don’t need to charge as frequently, saving you further time and money.

When designing the Nought.One, we wanted to make charging as easy and efficient as possible. The result is a removable battery pack, which means you don’t need to take the entire e-scooter to a charging point to plug it in. It's also possible to buy a spare battery so you always have a backup, increasing your range and reducing your chances of ever being stranded with an exhausted battery.

How long do electric scooters last?

The average electric scooters lasts anywhere between 3 - 6 years. Like most things that come with a price tag, it’s often true that you get what you pay for. If you invest in a high-end eScooter, you can expect it to have a longer lifespan. By the same logic, cheaper models usually won’t usually last as long, some as short as just 2 years.

Many electric scooters last much more than 6 years with the proper care and maintenance. You can do a lot of this maintenance yourself at home and it can go a long way in extending the lifespan of your electric scooter.

Here’s a few other simple things you can do to increase your chances of enjoying your eScooter for longer:

  • Keep an eye on your charging habits. Don’t ride to zero, and instead recharge when you see the battery at around 30% capacity. At the same time, overcharging should be avoided. Both these habits, over time, will help your battery capacity. Keeping an eye on your battery level couldn’t be easier with Nought.One’s smart integrated LED screen display.
  • Handle your e-scooter with care. Things like sticking to reasonable speed and weight limits, avoiding rough terrains and generally being sensible about the way you handle your e-scooter will help it to stay in top condition.
  • Watch the weather. A lot of e-scooter models are not impervious to water and the moisture will have an effect on the proper functioning of the vehicle, so you should avoid riding in harsh conditions.

You don’t need to worry about this with the Nought.One though. Our IP65 waterproof protection rating means that it’s smooth riding through puddles, sleet and snow, without impacting the lifespan of your e-scooter. We’ll get to the details of that later.

What is the point of an electric scooter?

The point is, many traditional modes of transport are simply not sustainable. As cities grow and carbon emissions increase, urbanites need to do their part to ensure city living is still viable now and into the future. Switching to a zero-emissions mode of transport is one way of doing that.

We believe that the main point of an electric scooter is to make a zero-emission ride through the city possible. And of course, they’re a lot of fun. But there’s much more to it…

What are the pros of electric scooters?

  • Lower carbon footprint compared to other modes of motorised transportation.
  • Cost efficiency. The initial investment pays off fast, and there are no fuel costs to worry about. Battery charging is very low in cost.
  • Easy storage. Most eScooters conveniently fold away, making them easy to store at home and carry as you move through the city. This also means parking space becomes a non-factor.
  • Less traffic jams and more moving. Getting from A to B is generally much quicker on an electric scooter.
  • It’s an easy, effortless ride. One that lets you experience your city in a new way. No need to stop to smell the roses.
  • If adopted en masse, there’d be much, much less congestion and air pollution.

What are the disadvantages of an electric scooter?

  • They aren’t fully legal to ride in public (yet). But this is likely to change very soon under the new Transport Bill as the importance of micro-mobility is recognised.
  • Their maximum speed is slower than traditional modes of transport (but they are often able to whizz past traffic in busier cities).
  • It’s a one-person ride. E-Scooters are built to accommodate one adult only. Any weight pressure can compromise the quality of the ride and potentially the lifespan of the vehicle.
  • An exhausted battery could leave you stranded. It’s important to keep a close eye on energy levels to make sure they don’t ever drop below around 30%. (The Nought.One also comes standard with two batteries to avoid situations like this).
  • They’re not ideal for harsh weather conditions. The Nought.One is one of the only electric scooters to gain IP65 waterproof protection rating, which means it is impervious to rain, snow and sleet. But regardless, the rider is fully exposed on an eScooter, so will be vulnerable on stormy days.
  • Little storage space. We imagine that you won’t have much to store while on the move anyway. The standing position, though, is ideal to carry a backpack as you ride.
  • They can’t ride everywhere. Micro-mobility is ultimately made for short-distance, city riding.

Are electric scooters hard to ride?

Electric scooters aren’t hard to ride at all. Riding an electric scooter is possibly the easiest mode of motorised transport to learn. Some might say it’s even easier than riding a bike. Common sense, a knowledge of the rules of the road and a little balance is all that you need.  

We recommend familiarising yourself with the scooter, its controls and operations before first using it and then practising for your first ride in a safe, hard, dry, open area to get comfortable with the balance, steering, acceleration and braking.

Here’s some simple steps to ensure beginners are good to go:

  • Turn your e-Scooter on (you’d be surprised at how often this step gets by-passed)
  • Set the eScooter’s mode to its slowest
  • Find a comfortable standing position
  • If your model requires a kick to start, kick it
  • Hit accelerate, and go (slowly though if you’re a beginner)
  • Be considerate and watch out for other people that may not see or hear you coming
  • Experience your city with fresh eyes

We'd also recommend wearing a helmet and keeping your things in a backpack to make riding safer and easier.

So why are e-scooters illegal?

As it stands, it’s illegal to ride e-scooters in public places in the UK. This includes public roads, pavements, footpaths, cycle lanes, and pedestrian-only zones. However, it is completely legal to purchase, own and use an electric scooter on private property.

The other good news is that the government has been running trials across the UK to establish the viability and safety of e-scooters as a sustainable mode of transport. So, why are e-scooters illegal in the first place?

Being governed by the same legislation as motor vehicles, to be made legal, e-scooters are subject to the same requirements. This includes insurance, licence and tax. An electric scooter could technically be used in public if you could register it, insure it, and tax it like any other motor vehicle. This isn’t currently possible though.

The results of the trial are promising, with the government announcing that new legislation will be introduced to fully legalise riding e-scooters in public places. The new Transport Bill will factor in a new vehicle category entirely: 'low-speed zero-emission vehicles'.

We know the current legislation is confusing so we've written a blog all about the legality of e-scooters in the UK here. We’ll also be keeping you up to date with any changes to the law on electric scooters as and when it happens- watch this space.

Are electric scooters safe in rain?

Electric scooters are not always safe to ride in rain. Being an exposed, electric vehicle, the risks are obvious. However, there are a number of models that are made to withstand wet conditions. The Nought.One is one of them.

If you are sure you’re going to be riding in rain, it’s recommended that you get the best electric scooter for wet conditions. These can be on the higher end of the price scale, but it’s true that you get what you pay for.

An eScooter’s IP rating gives you an indication of its water-resistant levels. Voltage Rider does a good, simple explanation of how this rating works. The first number following ‘IP’ refers to solid object resistance, while the second number refers to water resistance.

Here’s what those numbers mean for solid resistance:

4 - Protected from solid objects over 1mm

5 - Limited protection from dust

6 - Totally protected from dust

Here’s what they mean for water resistance:

4 - Protected from water splashes from all directions

5 - Protected from low-pressure water jets from any direction

6 - Protected from high-pressure water jets from any direction

7 - Protected from short periods of immersion in water

8 - Able to withstand long periods of immersion in water

The Nought.One boasts IP65, which means it is totally protected from dust and low-pressure water jets from any direction. If you’re riding an eScooter rated 3 or lower, it’s safest to stay indoors during rainy weather.

Moisture resistance is one factor to consider for eScooters in the rain, but it’s important to consider other safety elements too. This includes a robust braking system, inflatable tyres to decrease traction and slip-proof decks and fenders. These should work together to ensure the rider won’t get caught off-guard riding over wet, slippery terrain.

So ultimately, is it worth getting an electric scooter?

There’s so many reasons why it makes sense to buy an electric scooter to get around the city. But we believe ultimately the planet’s needs trump our own.

With relentless CO2 emissions and the continuous pressures of expanding urban centres globally, eScooters pose a smart, cost-effective alternative to the status quo. There are ways to continue to enjoy city living while lightening our impact on the environment.

Sure, the rider will also save money, time and energy. But what matters most now is the fact that there is a way to move around your city without harming it. That, to us, makes getting an electric scooter well worth it.

The True Cost of Owning an Electric Scooter

If you’ve ever sat in traffic and wondered how much gas money you could save by riding your own electric scooter, then read on.

This article will give you the full breakdown of the cost of owning an electric scooter vs. the cost of owning and maintaining a car.

So you’ll be able to tell how much you would save buying an electric scooter, regardless of whether you ride a little or a lot. We’ll also find out how many car miles/kilometers you’d need to replace with scooter miles/kilometers for the electric scooter to pay for itself.

Plus, we’ll cover everything you need to know to start riding.

Let's dive in.

Why an E-Scooter?

If you’re considering buying an e-scooter, we should point out: that you don’t need to give up your car, train, or bus ride to save money. Adding a scooter to any commute will instantly make it better, faster, and way more fun.

A foldable e-scooter (i.e., most models), when paired with a commute on a bus or train, will expand your mobility, covering the distance between the station stops and where you want to go. An e-scooter makes for the perfect last mile/kilometer solution, reducing the impact of delays or removing the headache. 

Likewise, a scooter folded into the trunk of your car can increase your travel options too.  For example, if you’re driving to a place that has limited or expensive parking, you can park your car several miles (kilometers) out of your destination-a place where the parking situation is perhaps a little more forgiving, and then ride your scooter the final few miles/kilometers.

Charging Cost vs. Gas

Let’s start with the simplest comparison, charging cost vs. gas. It turns out charging electric scooters is shockingly cheap.

How cheap?

Well, to put it into perspective, riding a scooter is about 200 times cheaper than walking….

Walking

One Big Mac: $3.99, 563 Calories

Walking consumes 103 calories per mile or 64 calories per km. Food cost =$0.73 per mi or $0.45per km.

Scooting

Scooter charging cost = $0.0035 per mi= $ 0.00217 per Km

$0.73 /0.0035 or $0.45 /0.00217 = scooting is around 209 times cheaper than walking.

And if you need another incentive, scooters will get you where you need to go five times faster than walking.

Electric Scooter Cost vs. a Car

Mile-for-mile, scooters are a far cheaper means of personal transport than gas-powered automobiles.

Hiboy S2

As an example, let’s use the best-selling entry-level scooter, Hiboy S2, with performance specs representative of most mass-market scooters.

This cheap electric scooter costs about $600. It has a top speed of 19 mph and a range of 13 mi, according to our own road tests.

This means that it will haul you 286 mi for $1, (assuming it costs you just $0.04 of electricity to charge it fully.)

ICE Car

By comparison, in California, where the price of gas is around $6/gallon, or $1.59/liter, the average internal combustion engine (ICE) car will only transport you 3 miles per $1 spent at the pump.

Even adjusting for pre-oil shortage prices, a car will generally move you 6 miles per $1 spent.

Not everyone wants to buy a performance scooter; the majority of scooters are used for commuting, after all. But say, hypothetically speaking, you wanted to ride a scooter with a little more gusto than the S2

Kaabo Wolf Warrior GT Pro

Let’s say, you wanted to ride the world’s fastest production scooter, the Kaabo Wolf Warrior GT Pro, for example–a rocket ship of an electric scooter which costs about $3,200 (an expensive electric scooter, but way cheaper than the average car).

Now, we all know that more power means more power consumption. But even at a top speed of 61 mph and an ESG-certified range of 55 mi, the Wolf’s powerful motors will STILL transport you 133 mi for only $1.

Granted, that’s half as efficient as the entry-level Hiboy S2 but still exponentially more cost-efficient than ICE cars.

But, because typical commute scooters are more like the S2 than the big GT Pro, we’ll use the S2’s numbers to calculate how much we save as we go along.

Riding an Electric Scooter Is Cheaper Than Driving a Car

The average car in the US gets 25 miles to the gallon. So with the average US price for gas currently at $4.25/gallon, $1 will buy you 6 miles.

So in terms of fuel cost, dollar for dollar, a scooter will go 49 times further than the average car, but obviously, there’s more to it, including time spent charging/refueling.

Cost of Commuting on a Scooter vs. Driving

The average US driver spends $619 a year on gas (pre-oil price crisis) commuting.

In contrast, the exact same annual commute mileage on an electric scooter would come out at an annual charging cost of only $13.

This net differential alone would be enough to pay off the purchase price of a high-quality electric scooter.

That’s right. You don’t need to buy the cheapest electric scooter, and you’ll still save money scooting your commute rather than driving.

Gas Savings Breakdown

Fuel cost for car: 17 cents per mi or 11 cents per km Electricity for Scooter = 0.35 cents per mi or 0.22 cents per km

Gas savings of riding a scooter = 16.6 cents per mi or 10.31 cents per km

Cost of Depreciation and Repairs

Let’s take a look at the costs of depreciation and repairs for each option:

Cost of Owning a Car

The average depreciation and repair cost for cars in the US is roughly $1,085 per year, just for commuting miles and kilometers.

While you may not necessarily feel that pain every time you fill up, the costs of owning a car are very real.

What types of things do these costs cover? Well, things like oil changes, services, and simple car depreciation (you may not physically spend money on this, but it still costs you).

And that’s before factoring in that spare parts (cars have many) are currently in short supply. A transmission replacement alone costs upwards of $2,000.

Cost of Owning an Electric Scooter

Now, unlike ICE cars, annual depreciation and repairs for the typical electric scooter e.g. the Hiboy S2, only cost $180 for the same number of miles/kilometers.

This figure can go down even further if you do basic repairs like tire changes yourself. And unlike cars, electric scooters are way less complex, so the average Joe with a drill and wrench set can save a lot on repair shop fees by doing DIY repair work and simple scooter troubleshoots.

But what if you don’t ride that much? How many car miles do you need to replace with scooter miles just to make the scooter pay for itself?

You’ll need to ride roughly 1,214 miles to cover the cost of buying an electric scooter. This may sound like a lot, but throughout an E-scooters five-year lifespan, that’s only 5 miles a week which is less than 1.0 mile per workday.

So, if you can replace one car mile every workday, your scooter is paying for itself, and we haven’t even added the cost of parking or parking tickets yet.

Cost Savings Pay for the Scooter:

Depreciation and repairs savings = 24.6 cents/mile or 15.29 cents/km

Fuel savings = 16.6 cents/mile or 10.31 cents/km

Total savings per mile (before parking) = 41.2 cents/mile or 25.60 cents/Km

Cost Savings Pay for the Scooter:41.2 cents/mile( 25.60 cents/km) x 1214 miles = $500 scooter

Cost of Car Insurance

Another additional cost for car owners comes from car insurance, which is required in much of the Western world.

The average American is charged $785 a year for a minimum coverage policy (let alone a comprehensive policy for things like theft), according to LendingTree’s ValuePenguin.

If you’re a lucky driver, you won’t need to file a claim, which means that $785 will be going down the toilet.

If you file a successful claim after a crash, your policy will oftentimes still require that you pay hundreds of dollars in deductibles.

While your car is being repaired, renting a car to substitute for it will set you back several hundred dollars more.

In contrast, e-scooter and electric bikes are available to rent in most large and mid-sized cities for a fraction of the cost of car rentals, should something happen to your personal vehicle.

Or, you could just invest in a cheap electric scooter for use on proverbial rainy days.

Car Parking vs. Scooter Parking

One of the greatest benefits of owning a scooter is in terms of free parking.

You can park your scooter on the sidewalk, at a park, in an alleyway, or at your workplace or home. The main impediment will be finding somewhere that has a secure fixture for looping a bike lock.

By contrast, car parking is prohibitively expensive. The average American city-dweller spends $18 per day, $191 per month, or $2,292 a year in parking fees.

But if you own an e-scooter, all you have to do is park your car (for free) in a neighborhood within a few miles/kilometers of work and scoot the last mile/kilometer into the office.

So, now we’ve saved $606 in fuel, $905 in depreciation, and if you work in a big city, $2,292 in parking. So, we’ve just used a $500 scooter to save $3,803 a year.

What Makes Electric Scooters Such Great Value

To recap, e-scooters are fun, safe, super portable, and increasingly trendy. Perhaps most appealingly, they are much cheaper to buy, run, and maintain than gas-powered cars.

If you’re an average US car owner, you should expect to pay $4,789 a year in typical gas consumption and other costs.

In contrast, buying a $600 scooter and typical maintenance expenses and electricity consumption would only cost you $793 in the first year.

So you could expect to save $3,996 in your first year of investing in an entry-level, new scooter.

Electric scooters’ cost impacts are truly a speck compared to the costs of a car.

If one were to cap the lifespan of a scooter at five years, you would save $1,565 over the duration of your scooter ownership, really getting the most of your electric scooters’ worth.

This is, of course, to say nothing of the upfront cost of purchasing a car – tens of thousands of dollars for a typical commuter sedan or SUV.

Finally, with gas imports becoming increasingly expensive due to supply chain bottlenecks and geopolitical instability, this gap will only continue to grow.

In the long term, electric scooters are not only green alternatives that will help to save the environment; they will save you money as well over at least a few years.

How to find a Cheap Electric Scooter

So, if you want to get started, you’ll need a scooter, but there are a ton of scooters out there. The quickest way to find the scooter that’s going to fit you and your commute is to search the ESG database.

Turn on the filters, put in your specs, and then you can sort by price.

You can weigh the pros and cons of expensive scooters versus cheaper models: extra features, more range, IP rating (the degree to which it’s water resistant, invaluable knowledge if you plan on riding in bad weather), disc brakes, etc.

Many scooters listed in the directory have clickable links to our written and YouTube video reviews.

If you click on the dollar-sign symbol, you can find the cheapest place to buy a given scooter, an easy way to save money on even the most expensive scooter.

By toggling on the “Test ESG Performance Data” option, you get access to the world’s most comprehensive set of performance data on many of the most popular electric scooters. Every ESG test was conducted in the exact same way, on the exact same range course.

Did you know: Most scooters will only cover 65 to 80% of the manufacturer’s claimed range before shutting down?

The ESG Performance Data will show you exactly how long a given scooter will last per charge, thus giving you a clearer picture of what you can expect from your scooter before buying it.

Electric Scooter Guide will help you sort through affordable scooters, right up to the most expensive electric scooter. ESG has personally tested many of the most popular scooters, from the premier electric scooter manufacturer NAMI to the more pedestrian Bird Scooter.

Save Money and Rent an E-scooter

If you want to go 100% maintenance-free, some manufacturers even offer monthly scooter subscriptions. If something goes wrong they typically just swap out the scooter for another one and you’re back on the road. Right now Unagi is the only company uniquely offering scooters on a monthly subscription basis in the US.

Aside from not having to worry about maintenance, it’s also a good way to figure out if scooter riding is for you, without spending thousands of bucks.

The Cost of an Electric Scooter Is Worth It

Every day, more and more people are commuting by electric scooters, and it makes total sense. While an electric scooter will cost you initially, the savings it provides most commuters is totally worth it.

Whether it’s a few miles/kilometers a day or completely replacing your car, adding a scooter to your life saves money and time, and more importantly, it can make your commute one of the best parts of your day.

Is there any point buying an electric scooter?

The True Cost of Owning an Electric Scooter

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