Electric scooters have recently become a popular option of transportation. Many riders said since they got an electric scooter, their life has been greatly improved. Meanwhile, some people don't understand why people spend hundreds of dollars or even more than
1,000 dollars on an electric scooter, which is just like a toy as they see! Is it worth it? Let’s find out the answer together! We'll first start with the reasons for the popularity of riding electric scooters!
CONTENTS
Why e-scooter is the new trend?
- More convenient for short commutes
- Green lifestyle
- More fun to ride a scooter
- Perfect for discovering the city on a short weekend break
- No need to find a parking spot
How much does it cost to ride an electric scooter?
- Entry-level scooters
- Mid-tier scooters
- High-end scooters
Cost comparison of other transport modes
- Car
- Ride share
- Public transport
- Scooter hire
Why e-scooter is the new trend?
Why do scooter riders say that electric scooters have changed their lives? The most outstanding aspect is that electric scooters help people move from A to B more freely, especially for people with strong demand for short distances.
More convenient for short commutes
According to a survey, more than 50% of people drive less than 20 miles for their daily commute. With a scooter’s company, you don’t need to spend a long time waiting for the bus to arrive or have to worry about being late if there’s a traffic jam! Once you have a scooter, it’s fine to leave home at your time without worrying about missing the bus or subway!
At present, the mileage of scooters can basically exceed 20 miles in a single charging cycle. For Varla scooters, equipped with 52V/18.2 Ah big capacity battery, it can reach 40 miles on a single charge, fully meeting the daily commuting needs!
Green lifestyle
With cities built with the intention of making them car-centric, there are many cities and towns that have set up bike lanes for those who do not wish to pollute the environment. Electric scooters are completely driven by electricity, without any polluting gas emissions, and are more environmentally friendly.
This is also a good initiative as those who wish to partake in efficiency transportation can utilize these lanes to commute via a light, high powered electric scooter.
More fun to ride a scooter
Electric scooter not only allows you to relive your childhood scooting time but also brings you to explore the city well. For high-end scooters such as
Varla Eagle One, it can also take you to off-road riding and feel the charm of nature!
Perfect for discovering the city on a short weekend break
Have you ever encountered it, taking a bus to explore the city, but you can’t stop and take a look when you see some place you’re interested in? If you are riding an electric scooter, you will not face this trouble! You can go wherever you want without being bothered by fixed routes, and stop to visit shops or attractions freely!
No need to find a parking spot
For drivers, finding a parking space is definitely a nightmare. Whether it is in a town shopping mall or around the company, it is usually difficult to find a parking spot, so that drivers have to take a long time to find or park the car far away from the destination. At this time, if you have an electric scooter, you can put the scooter in the trunk, even if you park in the suburbs, it can take you to arrive at your destination as soon as possible. Or go there directly by electric scooter! Save your time a lot!
How much does an electric scooter cost?
The cost of electric scooters varies greatly, from the cheapest $200 to the best over $4,000. For commuters, the most important performance of the electric scooter should be the range. Therefore, here we classify the scooters based on their the cruising range (know more about scooter's range).
So let's take the
Varla scooter as an example, the price is $1,599, and the cruising range can reach up to 40 miles on a single charge. If your daily commute distance is 20 miles, you'll charge it at least once every 2 days. Although electricity cost varies from state to state, the electricity for each charge basically does not exceed $0.5. If you ride an average of 6 days a week, you will spend $1.50 in electricity cost a week, $78 a year. Even though, the actual electricity costs are definitely far below this amount.
For a year of daily use, the scooter may need to be repaired sometime. Generally speaking, the maintenance cost will account for 15% of the scooter, about $240. But if you buy a Varla scooter, this money is most likely to be saved; Varla has a
2-year warranty policy. If the scooter fails under normal use, Varla will be responsible for helping the customer solve the problem as long as it is within the warranty period.
To sum up:
If you purchase Varla Eagle One, the average weekly cost would look something like this:
(Purchase cost $1,599 + Running & Maintenance $78) / (52*2 weeks) = $32.25 pw (per week)
Please note: this is the cost if you only use your scooter for ONE year.
Scooter cost comparison of other transport modes
Car
According to data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the average car sold in the U.S. market can drive about 40 kilometers (24.9 miles) per gallon of gasoline. Based on this calculation, if a person commutes 20 miles a day, driving 100 miles a week will cost 4 gallons of gasoline. According to statistics from the American Automobile Association (AAA), the current average gasoline price in the US market is $2.7 per gallon, it would cost at least $10.8 per week for gas to commute.
However, this price does not add the cost of the car, insurance, driving license, maintenance, etc. If all are calculated according to the minimum cost, then it will cost at least
$70 a week.
Ride Share
Let’s take the price of a Uber ride in California as an example.
| State |
Uber |
Minimum Fare |
Base Fare |
Per KM |
Per Minute |
| UberX, California, United States |
UBERX |
$8 |
$2.55 |
$1.75 |
$0.35 |
If you take Uber to go on and off work every day and it’s about a 20-mile(32.2 km) ride, you would expect to pay on average more than
$280 per week in California. Remember this is a cost that can’t be generally claimed as a tax deduction! It could be the best expensive way to work!
Public Transport
A one-way ticket for the subway/light rail/bus on Los Angeles, California is $1.50, a regular full-day ticket is $5, and unlimited transfers are possible. The price of a 7-day weekly ticket is $20, and a 30-day ticket is $75. It seems to be the cheapest mode of transportation, but it will cost people more time and energy.
Scooter Hire
The price of a shared scooter is about $0.15/ min, and the speed is generally between 15-20 mph. If you want to complete a 20-mile commute, it may take about 80 minutes, then the daily commuting cost is about $12, so $60 for a week. Of course, if you have a discount price, it may be reduced, but you may encounter a situation where you need a scooter but can't find it, which will be very annoying!
| Transport Mode |
Electric Scooter |
Car |
Ride Share |
Public Transport |
Scooter Hire |
| Average Weekly Cost |
$32.25 |
$70 |
$280 |
$20 |
$60 |
Conclusion
Although the cost difference between riding electric scooters and public transportation is not that big, it should be noted that you might frequently be stuck in traffic and be late for work if you take the public transportation. Meanwhile as COVID-19 is still here, it’s necessary to keep a social distance, so electric scooter as a safe and convenient transportation method tends to be the best choice. All in all, riding an electric scooter to commute is relatively cost-effective, but it’s not just about the cost difference, it’s more about your travel and life attitude.
