There are so many good reasons to purchase an electric scooter, it seems almost inevitable that most households will own at least one in the not too distant future. But in case you’re not convinced we’ll outline good reasons to get one below. And just for balance, we’ll try to address some reasons why you may still have reservations!
Reasons to buy an electric scooter
- Reasons to buy an electric scoote
- It saves you money when used instead of a car or taxi
- Avoids arriving tired and sweaty
- They’re are small and light so you can take them.. almost anywhere!
- Electric scooters help you avoid traffic!
- Electric scooters are usually quicker on a journey than a bike
- Electric scooters are very easy to use
- Electric scooters help you get more fresh air
- They are environmentally friendly
- Electric scooters really are fun!!
- Reasons not to buy an electric scooter
It saves you money when used instead of a car or taxi
There are so many scenarios where an electric scooter is a better option than a car or tax (and when you prefer not to cycle). Short trips to shops, commutes into work, to the train station etc. I live just over a mile from a mainline train station which I only use a couple of times a month, but I would often use a taxi. Now I use an electric scooter and this alone has saved £150 in the last year. Combine this with all the times it has been substituted for a car for local trips and it has saved me more than double this. Regular commuting on an electric scooter instead of a car or bus could pay for itself in a matter of months!
Avoids arriving tired and sweaty
An electric scooter is not meant to be a bike replacement. But there are many circumstances where you simply can’t or don’t want to cycle. To avoiding arriving tired and sweaty at work, at the shops or even a the pub is one example. There are also journeys that may just seem to far for a bike, but an electric scooter can still help you avoid traffic, often cutting journey times down.
They’re are small and light so you can take them.. almost anywhere!
The compact size and light weight of most electric scooters means they are portable enough to open up possibilities that you may not have even considered. Here are just some of them.
- Easily put into the boot of the car, take on the bus on the train, even take on the planes
- There are plenty of ways to secure your electric scooter if you do need to lock it up – but they are easily small enough to store in your house, flat or office without taking up much space
- Avoid faffing with bike sheds and locks and keeping them indoors means you can take one step out the front door and jump straight onto your scooter
- Arrive home or at the office and go straight to the door – this extra convenience is really noticeable if you are used to having to lock a bike up before going indoors
- Take the scooter into shops or cafes – I’ve even seen electric scooters taken into the cinema!
Electric scooters help you avoid traffic!
In cities, just as with the bike, you get to dive past traffic jams and can often take short cuts. The satisfaction of zooming past slow moving traffic is hard to quantify and you will arrive at home or at your destination feeling much more energised!
Electric scooters are usually quicker on a journey than a bike
It’s true that most cyclists could keep up with a standard speed electric scooter which goes about 15 miles an hour or so. But to maintain that speed over a journey is very tiring for most cyclist. This makes the electric scooter faster overall in most cases. Sure – some cyclists may disagree, but they are no doubt sweaty and smell! If you are using an electric scooter which reaches higher speeds of 20 or 25 mph then it becomes difficult for even the faster cyclists to keep pace.
Electric scooters are very easy to use
It takes anything from 1 minute to 20 minutes to get used to riding an electric scooter. If you’re not confident you can always ride it on a slow mode and just walk in areas where you feel unsafe riding it. One of the main reasons these last mile transport solutions have taken off is because anyone can do it!
Electric scooters help you get more fresh air
If you want to get out of your car but don’t want to bike then the electric scooter helps get you out in the open without having to face the effort of biking. It is a little know fact that the air quality inside of a car cockpit is usually much worse than the outside air (even in inner city areas or traffic jams), because the air in the cabin is much more static and takes in air from the outside.
They are environmentally friendly
Did we not mention that already? The impact of people moving on mass to electric scooters to commute and travel locally would truly be a revolution in terms of reduces emissions and improved local air quality. By joining the movement you are helping to normalise the use of electric scooters as an alternative method of transport and encouraging others to lleave their car behind
Electric scooters really are fun!!
There is no escaping it, electric scooters are fun. In fact talk to anyone who owns an electric scooter and they will often tell you is one of the best things they have ever purchased. It’s this enthusiasm that convinces me these are not just a passing fad but will be a part of the transport landscape for a long time to come. You may find yourself looking forward to journeys or fabricating them just to go use it! Suddenly running out of milk will become a good thing!
Reasons not to buy an electric scooter
Fears they are unsafe
Safety is clearly a critical consideration in purchasing an electric scooter and electric scooters can be unsafe (just like a bike or a car). But if they are used sensibly and with care then they truly are a safe, convenient and fun. Wearing protective head gear is a good start.
Fear it is a waste of money
This is a legitimate concern. But you would be surprised at how inexpensive some really high quality electric scooters can be. Take a look at our list of best budget scooters. Plus remember that these scooters very often pay for themselves. If you can afford a car of any kind, then you can certainly afford an electric scooter.
You think you won’t use it enough
Electric scooters are robust enough to use regularly, but some owners only choose to use them on occasions and still find them a worthwhile investment. Many people buy them for occasional use in summer or to take on holidays, it doesn’t take long for electric scooters to pay for themselves in terms of fun, convenience or savings. Plus they last you for years!
It’s just possible you’re stuck in an outdated mindset
“They’re for kids” “I’ll look stupid” “why wouldn’t I just cycle” “it’s just lazy, just walk or cycle”. If these are really your reasons not to buy an electric scooter (and these are common reasons people give), then that’s a real shame. We suggest you re-evaluate your attitude towards….everything! But for now lets cover each one of these briefly:
“They’re just for kids” – This attitude was prevalent in the very early days of electric scooters and still exists to some extent today. But as adoption of electric scooters by adults becomes increasingly widespread it is inevitable that this view will soon disappear completely.
“I’ll look stupid” – Back in 2017 getting strange looks on an electric scooter was common for sure. But now most people who do bother looking tend to just think how useful it would be to have one. If you’re still hung up on what you’ll look like then we’d just have to say get over it! Because nobody else is paying any attention to it.
“Why wouldn’t I just cycle” – Well you can and should cycle! An electric scooter is not a replacement to a bike in all scenarios. And it isn’t extravagant to have both, anymore than owning an oven and a microwave isn’t extravagant!
“It’s just lazy – you should just walk or cycle” – An electric scooter doesn’t stop you walking or cycling. It gives you more options and very often that option is to drive less, or get rid of your car altogether!