It is likely that by now you will have seen one of these around and wondered what exactly are they? They look like your standard kick-scooter, but people just seem to be standing on them and they’re in motion. So, what exactly is an electric scooter?
What is an Electric Scooter?
If you’re anything like me, the first time you laid eyes on one of these you were left wondering “Wow, what is this awesome device?” In fact, the moment I saw it, I knew I wanted it even without trying to ride one first. I spent weeks imagining what it would be like to commute to work on an electric scooter and thinking about which route I would take in order to be safe from traffic and get to work quickly and efficiently.
The main difference between a regular kick-scooter and an electric one, is the fact that an e-scooter is powered by a motor. The electricity is stored in a rechargeable battery, which in return drives one or more electric motors. All electric scooters have at least one motor, while the more powerful and faster models will in some cases have two. So if you’ve been stuck, trying to decide if you should invest in an electric scooter, we’ve put together a list of 7 Reasons You Should Buy One.
1. They’re Cool
Let’s face it – electric scooters are really cool. There are many makes and models out there, with different features and functions, ranges and speeds, but whenever I see someone zipping down the road on any e-scooter, it looks so effortless and cool, I instantly want to get on my own and just ride it for hours. Not only are they cool, but they are incredibly convenient and really easy to ride on. If you’ve never tried one, you might be worried about keeping a steady balance while riding an electric scooter. I’ve had a few friends ask me how to actually ride it and not fall off. This is a reasonable thing to be wondering before you get on one of these, as on a regular kick-scooter one of your feet repeatedly touches the ground and helps with the balance. I myself had the same anxious thoughts the first time I stood on my electric scooter. However, all my fears and doubts were wiped away in a heartbeat as soon as I put both of my feet up on the scooter and pressed down on the accelerator. It just went and kept going, and I never felt unsafe or unbalanced on an e-scooter to date.
2. Commuting in Cities
Electric scooters have several benefits to them, one of which is commuting in busy cites during rush hour. I live in London and the roads are constantly busy, but during rush hour, the traffic is usually in a standstill. Back in the day when I used to rely on public transport to get to work, I would regularly get frustrated and stuck in traffic for ages. Nobody wants to start their day frustrated and upset, and that is exactly how most people who have to commute to work in crowded cities commence the majority of their week days. Since I started commuting to my workplace on an electric scooter, not only am I doing it with a smile on my face every morning, but I genuinely look forward to the journey ahead. Where before it was an ordeal to actually wake up and start getting ready for work, I now have a highly pleasurable activity attached to actually getting to work – an awesome ride on my electric scooter. It’s fun and it’s so efficient in getting me to my office, not to mention the fact that you’ll never have to be sitting in traffic for hours, stuck in an endless queue of cars.
3. A Clean Way of Transportation
Electric Scooters are essential for a greener future in transportation. With a rising pressure on all of us to help towards a greener, more sustainable future, electric scooters could be a major contributor to this. On average, a single battery charge can get you between 12 and 20 miles range, depending on the scooter make and model. When I think about all the colleagues I have, who live within this range to our office and are still using their cars to come to work, I can only imagine the difference they would make to their carbon footprint if they switched to using an e-scooter instead. We all want to do our part for the environment and for the good of our planet, and it is seemingly small changes like this one that really make a lasting impact. Ultimately, I always feel much better knowing that when I get on my scooter to either go to work, or quickly pop to the local shop, I am not harming the environment as I was before when I used my car for these short journeys.
4. Fun Days Out
I never knew until I got my first electric scooter how much fun I could have exploring new places and sightseeing. I usually fold up my Xiaomi M365, put it in the boot of my car when I travel somewhere, such as the countryside or seaside and I have an amazing time using it in these different places around the country. Even if you don’t own an electric scooter at the moment, there are so many companies out there where you can rent one out from. For example, when I went to Los Angeles I was so surprised to see electric scooters just seemingly discarded on the side of the road, and then I found out you can just rent any one of these dockless scooters for any amount of time you want. This is such an exciting and fun way to explore LA, and there are a ton of towns and cities out there that have suppliers of electric scooters for rent, so you’re always guaranteed an amazing day out on one of these.
5. Saving Money on Fuel
This one is a no-brainer. Since I purchased my Xiaomi M365 I hardly spend any money on fuel. In fact, I cannot remember the last time I needed to fill-up my tank, as all the journeys I used to rely on my car for have now been replaced by my electric scooter. Think about how much you could save if you’re not using your car to go to work every day, or even if you’re just not paying public transport in order to get to your workplace. Or every time you are just popping to the shop, gym or library, all of those short journeys you would be saving money on. On average electric scooters take anywhere between 3 and 5 hours from a completely flat battery to a full charge (depending on the scooter make and model). That means that on average, it costs between $ 0.19 (approx. £0.15) to $0.38 (approx. £0.30) to completely charge your electric scooter from a flat battery, depending on which model you have. Bear in mind, that’s from a fully flat battery, with my commute to work I never even use up half my battery life, and that’s including after my journey back home.
6. Leaving Last Minute for Work
Since I bought my electric scooter I know exactly how long it takes me to reach work on it. It’s always exactly the same, and no external factors can impact that. I used to leave extra early when I relied on buses just in case something happened on the road. I always thought about potential accidents that could occur, and I had to make sure I left enough time for unforeseen circumstances. You’ll never have to worry about that again. I’ve used my electric scooter for a year and a half and it has taken me an exact amount of minutes to get to work every single day! This is the reason I know I can leave at the very last minute as I have nothing to worry about on my commute. And this perk is only a part of commuting on an electric scooter. I used to cycle to work, and while you can whizz around cars and don’t have to be stuck in traffic, you still have to leave earlier, because you will arrive at the office sweaty, and you will have to shower and be ready to start work on time. So my money here is 100% on daily commuting on an electric scooter. After all, how many times have you seen people in full office attire on a bicycle?
7. Convenient, Practical and Compact
Electric scooters are incredibly convenient. Most models available on the market have a simple folding mechanism, which allows you to store it easily in a small space at home and at your workplace. I keep mine under my desk at work and nobody would even know that there was an electric scooter there. They are compact as you can also just fold them up and get on public transport if you need to due to the length of your journey or weather conditions. I have carried my Xiaomi M365 folded on the underground, up and down escalators and held it between stations, and it’s really quite effortless. With most models you can also just push them around on one wheel while folded up, so you don’t even need to lift it and carry the full wight for extended periods of time. Everything about their design is made to be practical and convenient for everyday use.
Making a Final Decision
In my opinion, the most important things you should take into consideration when making a final decision on whether to buy an electric scooter are:
- The length of your daily commute to work (if you are buying it for that purpose)
- What route/roads will you be using for your daily commute (make sure you feel safe using it on the roads with other vehicles around you and assess if pavements and/or cycle lanes are available for use)
- Which make and model to buy for your specific needs (there are so many scooters out there, all with slightly different specs, which can be a little overwhelming at first as they also have different price tags attached to them. But if you carefully consider the range you require in order for your journey needs, you can then easily narrow down your search by looking at particular models that have that range capacity first, and then you can look into other things such as quality, price, tyres, battery etc.)
Whichever electric scooter you decide to go for in the end, be it for your daily commute to work or for adventurous days out with your family, rest assured you will be wondering why you waited so long to get one in the first place.