The pandemic made cities and commuters realise the convenience of electric scooters. Now that people are returning to the new normal, more people are pushing for e-scooters and micro-mobility devices in city streets.
Moreover, the global demand for e-scooters won’t slow as Grand View Research projects the global e-scooter market to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9.9% until 2030.
However, despite the e-scooter’s popularity, is an electric scooter worth it? Explore the various benefits of using an electric scooter in Australia to help you decide if an e-scooter suits your lifestyle.
Offers a More Cost-Efficient Solution in the Long Run
Electric scooters cost significantly less than cars. New cars in Australia cost around $40,916, while a decent commuter e-scooter can cost from $500 to $2,000.
Besides this, e-scooter owners save more on maintenance and other fees. Owning a car includes other expenses such as fuel costs, maintenance costs, parking fees, and insurance, among others.
Meanwhile, e-scooters have fewer parts that might break down, don’t need fuel to run, are portable enough to be carried and stored inside homes, and don’t require insurance. With all these fees gone, owning a commuter electric scooter offers better cost savings, especially in the long run.
Charging e-scooters also only cost a few cents or bucks, depending on your electricity provider’s rates, and it will not dent your bill.
As a result, riding an e-scooter is an excellent alternative for low-income individuals and families to commute around the city.
Eliminates Waiting In Traffic or for Public Transportation
These micromobility devices provide a point-to-point ride with enough range per charge and a slim size to zip through traffic. As a result, you no longer have to wait for the bus or train and take several trips to get to your destination.
In fact, a study by Georgia Tech’s Data Science and Policy Lab found that e-scooters and other micromobility devices save travel time by an average of 17.4%.
Plus, electric scooters are excellent for short trips and eliminate first and last-mile problems. This problem refers to the first and last distance of a commuter’s journey between their destination and the nearest public transit.
Usually, this distance is too short for car rides and too far for walking. E-scooters fill this gap in the commuter’s journey by providing an efficient and portable ride.
Provides Portable Transportation
Electric scooters allow commuters to bring and park them in most places, thanks to their size. Most commuter e-scooters are designed to be lightweight, foldable, and slim, enabling riders to carry them on stairs, park them under desks, or store them inside car trunks.
Their design is perfect for apartments or small homes with no parking spots. An e-scooter doesn’t take up much space so they can be parked at the corner of your home, inside large cabinets, or under tables.
If you need an extremely portable ride for work or school, look for e-scooters that weigh around 11 kg to 14 kg, have a slim build, and include an easy-folding mechanism.
Most entry-level e-scooters are portable, but they often lack range and performance. If you need a longer range and a slightly more powerful ride without sacrificing portability, consider the EleKtro City, a lightweight ride featuring a 400 W motor, 13 kg weight, and removable grips for extra portability.
Avoids Parking Hassles
As cities become more congested, parking has become limited. For car owners, it’s always a challenge to find a good parking spot near their destination. Plus, they have to deal with increasing parking fees.
Riding electric scooters can help you avoid these parking hassles as you can bring them anywhere, especially indoors. You can park and lock them in free bicycle racks if you need to leave them outside.
Besides this, one of the social benefits of electric scooters is that they reduce parked cars on city streets. A study found that e-scooters displace cars and help reduce city road congestion.
If more people use e-scooters in cities, it can reduce the number of car users, road traffic, and cars parked beside sidewalks.
Reduces Maintenance Concerns
If given proper care, e-scooters don’t break down easily and usually last long without many repairs. So you don’t have to worry about monthly or quarterly maintenance checks.
If your e-scooter is damaged, you don’t have to worry about high repair costs, and the parts don’t cost as much as car parts. Depending on your model, a new e-scooter battery can cost from $50 to $1,000, and it’s the most expensive part to replace in an e-scooter. On the other hand, tyres and tyre parts can cost from $19 to $60, depending on your model.
Meanwhile, the cost of repairs or maintenance depends on your e-scooter provider. At EleKtro, we charge a minimum of $95 per hour. You may book a service or repair on our website if you need help with your EleKtro electric scooter.
Allows Anyone to Ride
Most states don’t require e-scooter riders to register their device or get a licence if their unit meets electric scooter laws in Australia. Moreover, anyone can ride if they meet the requirements of their state or city’s e-scooter law.
Besides this, e-scooters are easier to learn than driving a car. Anyone can pick up an e-scooter and know how to ride it within minutes. While some take time to learn to steer and balance on an e-scooter, it’s still doable for most people.
Also, if you can’t afford an e-scooter, you can hire shared e-scooters instead. Many cities in Australia now operate shared e-scooter schemes, enabling commuters to make quick e-scooter trips whenever they want.
Ultimately, micromobility devices make transportation more accessible and available for commuters by providing a practical and cost-saving alternative to public transport and cars.
Brings a More Eco-Friendly Transport Option to Cities
Finally, electric scooters offer an eco-friendly alternative to current transportation. But why are electric scooters good for the environment?
For one, e-scooters don’t use fuel, so they don’t emit harmful gases, unlike cars and buses. These emissions include carbon dioxide, a notorious greenhouse gas that traps within the atmosphere and causes global warming.
Encouraging the use of e-scooters in cities also reduces car use and further reduces carbon emissions from cars. By implementing shared e-scooter schemes, a Lime study found that the city of Paris avoided producing over 330 tons of carbon emissions after a year of the e-scooter trial.
Aside from this, electric scooters help reduce electronic waste in landfills. Although e-scooters generally have two to three years of lifespan, many e-scooters use recyclable materials to minimise waste. Aluminium alloy is a popular material used in e-scooters that can be broken down, melted, and recycled.
Should You Use an Electric Scooter?
Electric scooters are highly recommended for commuters who need a low-cost, practical, time-efficient, and space-saving alternative to cars and public transport. It’s also an excellent ride for people who want to reduce their carbon footprint.
If you’re unsure of e-scooters, you can try riding a hired e-scooter first and see if it fits your lifestyle. However, buying an electric scooter, in the long run, is cheaper and more convenient since you don’t have to pay for the e-scooter every time you travel.
Meanwhile, if you’re in the market for electric scooters in Australia, explore our range of EleKtro electric scooters, from city commuter e-scooters to compact sport e-scooters. Our e-scooters are designed with the riders in mind, providing practical features to make your trips more safe, enjoyable and convenient.
