You might be in a position at the moment where you made up your mind and decided that you want to buy an electric scooter. After all, they are becoming increasingly popular, and you can hardly go out anymore without seeing someone zoom past you on one of them. But, have you actually considered how to buy an electric scooter? Where would you start? And how do you make sure that you find the perfect electric scooter for you and your needs?
This is the reason I decided to put together a list of things to consider in order to ensure you buy the perfect electric scooter for yourself.
1. Do Your Online Research
When I first ventured into the online world of electric scooters, I was absolutely overwhelmed, and in some ways discouraged from the whole process. I could not get my head around how many makes and models are available. I was reading articles and watching videos for three months before I actually purchased my scooter. During that time, I was becoming increasingly irritated about the fact that I wasn’t getting any closer to buying anything.
By all means do your online research, but don’t get caught up in an endless loop like myself. There is a wealth of information out there just about any electric scooter you set your mind to. In order to make the process easier, look at some features and qualities you would like your electric scooter to have – such as speed, range and battery life, so that you can narrow down your search, and as soon as you’re ready to make a purchase, just go for it.
2. Talk to People Who Own One
Personally, I didn’t know any people who owned an electric scooter before I purchased mine. However, I would always see the same guy zoom past me in the morning on an electric scooter on his way to work. Eventually, I decided to just stop him one morning and ask a couple of questions. He was really nice and even offered me to have a little spin on his scooter. He told me the name of the model, where he bought it, and how it improved his commute.
The general advice of people who already own an electric scooter can be really useful, as it will provide you with some insight into owning one yourself. Once I became the first person in my office to have one, I had numerous colleagues and even people from other departments approach me with questions about it and asking if they can try it. I really like helping them out, giving them my tips and sharing what I have learned whilst using my electric scooter – so don’t be afraid to ask.
3. Does Your Budget Cover It ?
Set aside a budget and don’t exceed it, as you know best how comfortable you are with spending a certain amount. When I started looking into buying a scooter for my daily commute, I soon realised that there are plenty of models out there that cost a lot more than what I really wanted to spend. It made me question if I should really go for the cheaper makes, as I thought a higher price tag meant that the scooter is of a much better quality. This is not necessarily the case. Oftentimes the higher price tag attached has to do with the battery life, range and speed that the particular model can perform. You will come across expensive scooters with a price tag in excess of $1000, but if you only need to use it for a 5-mile city commute, there is no need to be spending that much money. It’s best to choose your budget and stick to it.
4. Are You a Solid or Air Tyre Person ?
This is actually really important for a couple of reasons. The first one is that you really don’t want to get a scooter with air-filled tyres if you can’t be bothered to change them yourself. Think of it this way – on your bicycle, do you change it yourself or do you pay someone to fix it for you? Or do you get your friends and family members to do it instead? In that case, you might want to consider getting solid tyres, so your mind is at rest and you never have to worry about getting a flat.
The second reason is that comfort is a matter of personal preference. Some people don’t mind solid tyres and even prefer them to air-filled ones and vice versa. There are a lot of reviews out there about scooters with air-filled tyres where people are saying it’s a pain in the butt because they got a flat and had to change it. Likewise, there are plenty of reviews of scooters with solid tyres where people don’t think it makes for a comfortable ride. There are also people who say it’s not comfortable to ride with air-filled tyres. Ultimately, what you have to bear in mind is people are different and they will always have conflicting preferences, so think about what you’d like and what would suit you best in this situation.
5. What Will You Primarily Be Using the Scooter For ?
Commuting? Fun days out? Exploring? Are you the type of person who goes away on holiday and books abseiling as the main activity? That might be an indicator that you’re also the type of person who would like to explore the places you go to on your extreme (all terrain equipped) electric scooter. Or do you just require one to get to work with, as you no longer want to drive? Or maybe you live close enough to work to use an electric scooter but far enough to have to use public transport and you absolutely despise crowded buses. I suggest you think about this long and hard, because it will help you immensely with choosing the perfect electric scooter model for yourself.
6. Is Speed a Deal-Breaker ?
Is speed important to you? Do you want to be charging down the road on your 25 mph electric scooter with the wind blowing through your hair, or are you quite content doing 15 mph in a busy road on your daily commute to work? It’s advisable you consider this as it will also determine how much money you end up spending on your new gadget. Electric scooters tend to come with a higher price tag if they can do some serious speeds – so first and foremost consider if you are comfortable riding at those speeds, and ultimately decide if this is a deal-breaker for you.
7. Sufficient Range
Have you got enough juice to last you long enough, without constantly having to worry if the battery will be able to get you to your destination? You really want to make sure that the scooter you ultimately buy will have enough range to get you where you need to be. You don’t want to find yourself in a situation where you purchased a scooter with a 10-mile range and your daily commute is 15 miles. Therefore, it is very important to consider the actual range of the scooter and make sure it is sufficient for your needs.
Have You Found Your Perfect Match ?
Taking into consideration the above 7 things is likely to help you with purchasing your perfect electric scooter. However, it is also important to remember that you don’t need to have an answer to all the above before making your final decision. Sometimes things just fall into place as and when you start doing your research, and you will know when you are ready to purchase your perfect match.
Please feel free to share any comments, feedback and/or your own suggestions on how to approach buying the perfect electric scooter.