If you’ve ever sat in traffic and wondered how much gas money you could save by riding your own electric scooter, then read on.
This article will give you the full breakdown of the cost of owning an electric scooter vs. the cost of owning and maintaining a car.
So you’ll be able to tell how much you would save buying an electric scooter, regardless of whether you ride a little or a lot. We’ll also find out how many car miles/kilometers you’d need to replace with scooter miles/kilometers for the electric scooter to pay for itself.
Plus, we’ll cover everything you need to know to start riding.
Let's dive in.
If you’re considering buying an e-scooter, we should point out: that you don’t need to give up your car, train, or bus ride to save money. Adding a scooter to any commute will instantly make it better, faster, and way more fun.
A foldable e-scooter (i.e., most models), when paired with a commute on a bus or train, will expand your mobility, covering the distance between the station stops and where you want to go. An e-scooter makes for the perfect last mile/kilometer solution, reducing the impact of delays or removing the headache.
Likewise, a scooter folded into the trunk of your car can increase your travel options too. For example, if you’re driving to a place that has limited or expensive parking, you can park your car several miles (kilometers) out of your destination-a place where the parking situation is perhaps a little more forgiving, and then ride your scooter the final few miles/kilometers.
Let’s start with the simplest comparison, charging cost vs. gas. It turns out charging electric scooters is shockingly cheap.
How cheap?
Well, to put it into perspective, riding a scooter is about 200 times cheaper than walking….
One Big Mac: $3.99, 563 Calories
Walking consumes 103 calories per mile or 64 calories per km. Food cost =$0.73 per mi or $0.45per km.
Scooter charging cost = $0.0035 per mi= $ 0.00217 per Km
$0.73 /0.0035 or $0.45 /0.00217 = scooting is around 209 times cheaper than walking.
And if you need another incentive, scooters will get you where you need to go five times faster than walking.
Mile-for-mile, scooters are a far cheaper means of personal transport than gas-powered automobiles.
As an example, let’s use the best-selling entry-level scooter, Hiboy S2, with performance specs representative of most mass-market scooters.
This cheap electric scooter costs about $600. It has a top speed of 19 mph and a range of 13 mi, according to our own road tests.
This means that it will haul you 286 mi for $1, (assuming it costs you just $0.04 of electricity to charge it fully.)
By comparison, in California, where the price of gas is around $6/gallon, or $1.59/liter, the average internal combustion engine (ICE) car will only transport you 3 miles per $1 spent at the pump.
Even adjusting for pre-oil shortage prices, a car will generally move you 6 miles per $1 spent.
Not everyone wants to buy a performance scooter; the majority of scooters are used for commuting, after all. But say, hypothetically speaking, you wanted to ride a scooter with a little more gusto than the S2
Let’s say, you wanted to ride the world’s fastest production scooter, the Kaabo Wolf Warrior GT Pro, for example–a rocket ship of an electric scooter which costs about $3,200 (an expensive electric scooter, but way cheaper than the average car).
Now, we all know that more power means more power consumption. But even at a top speed of 61 mph and an ESG-certified range of 55 mi, the Wolf’s powerful motors will STILL transport you 133 mi for only $1.
Granted, that’s half as efficient as the entry-level Hiboy S2 but still exponentially more cost-efficient than ICE cars.
But, because typical commute scooters are more like the S2 than the big GT Pro, we’ll use the S2’s numbers to calculate how much we save as we go along.
The average car in the US gets 25 miles to the gallon. So with the average US price for gas currently at $4.25/gallon, $1 will buy you 6 miles.
So in terms of fuel cost, dollar for dollar, a scooter will go 49 times further than the average car, but obviously, there’s more to it, including time spent charging/refueling.
The average US driver spends $619 a year on gas (pre-oil price crisis) commuting.
In contrast, the exact same annual commute mileage on an electric scooter would come out at an annual charging cost of only $13.
This net differential alone would be enough to pay off the purchase price of a high-quality electric scooter.
That’s right. You don’t need to buy the cheapest electric scooter, and you’ll still save money scooting your commute rather than driving.
Fuel cost for car: 17 cents per mi or 11 cents per km
Electricity for Scooter = 0.35 cents per mi or 0.22 cents per km
Gas savings of riding a scooter = 16.6 cents per mi or 10.31 cents per km
Let’s take a look at the costs of depreciation and repairs for each option:
The average depreciation and repair cost for cars in the US is roughly $1,085 per year, just for commuting miles and kilometers.
While you may not necessarily feel that pain every time you fill up, the costs of owning a car are very real.
What types of things do these costs cover? Well, things like oil changes, services, and simple car depreciation (you may not physically spend money on this, but it still costs you).
And that’s before factoring in that spare parts (cars have many) are currently in short supply. A transmission replacement alone costs upwards of $2,000.
Now, unlike ICE cars, annual depreciation and repairs for the typical electric scooter e.g. the Hiboy S2, only cost $180 for the same number of miles/kilometers.
This figure can go down even further if you do basic repairs like tire changes yourself. And unlike cars, electric scooters are way less complex, so the average Joe with a drill and wrench set can save a lot on repair shop fees by doing DIY repair work and simple scooter troubleshoots.
But what if you don’t ride that much? How many car miles do you need to replace with scooter miles just to make the scooter pay for itself?
You’ll need to ride roughly 1,214 miles to cover the cost of buying an electric scooter. This may sound like a lot, but throughout an E-scooters five-year lifespan, that’s only 5 miles a week which is less than 1.0 mile per workday.
So, if you can replace one car mile every workday, your scooter is paying for itself, and we haven’t even added the cost of parking or parking tickets yet.
Depreciation and repairs savings = 24.6 cents/mile or 15.29 cents/km
Fuel savings = 16.6 cents/mile or 10.31 cents/km
Total savings per mile (before parking) = 41.2 cents/mile or 25.60 cents/Km
Cost Savings Pay for the Scooter:41.2 cents/mile( 25.60 cents/km) x 1214 miles = $500 scooter
Another additional cost for car owners comes from car insurance, which is required in much of the Western world.
The average American is charged $785 a year for a minimum coverage policy (let alone a comprehensive policy for things like theft), according to LendingTree’s ValuePenguin.
If you’re a lucky driver, you won’t need to file a claim, which means that $785 will be going down the toilet.
If you file a successful claim after a crash, your policy will oftentimes still require that you pay hundreds of dollars in deductibles.
While your car is being repaired, renting a car to substitute for it will set you back several hundred dollars more.
In contrast, e-scooter and electric bikes are available to rent in most large and mid-sized cities for a fraction of the cost of car rentals, should something happen to your personal vehicle.
Or, you could just invest in a cheap electric scooter for use on proverbial rainy days.
One of the greatest benefits of owning a scooter is in terms of free parking.
You can park your scooter on the sidewalk, at a park, in an alleyway, or at your workplace or home. The main impediment will be finding somewhere that has a secure fixture for looping a bike lock.
By contrast, car parking is prohibitively expensive. The average American city-dweller spends $18 per day, $191 per month, or $2,292 a year in parking fees.
But if you own an e-scooter, all you have to do is park your car (for free) in a neighborhood within a few miles/kilometers of work and scoot the last mile/kilometer into the office.
So, now we’ve saved $606 in fuel, $905 in depreciation, and if you work in a big city, $2,292 in parking. So, we’ve just used a $500 scooter to save $3,803 a year.
To recap, e-scooters are fun, safe, super portable, and increasingly trendy. Perhaps most appealingly, they are much cheaper to buy, run, and maintain than gas-powered cars.
If you’re an average US car owner, you should expect to pay $4,789 a year in typical gas consumption and other costs.
In contrast, buying a $600 scooter and typical maintenance expenses and electricity consumption would only cost you $793 in the first year.
So you could expect to save $3,996 in your first year of investing in an entry-level, new scooter.
Electric scooters’ cost impacts are truly a speck compared to the costs of a car.
If one were to cap the lifespan of a scooter at five years, you would save $1,565 over the duration of your scooter ownership, really getting the most of your electric scooters’ worth.
This is, of course, to say nothing of the upfront cost of purchasing a car – tens of thousands of dollars for a typical commuter sedan or SUV.
Finally, with gas imports becoming increasingly expensive due to supply chain bottlenecks and geopolitical instability, this gap will only continue to grow.
In the long term, electric scooters are not only green alternatives that will help to save the environment; they will save you money as well over at least a few years.
So, if you want to get started, you’ll need a scooter, but there are a ton of scooters out there. The quickest way to find the scooter that’s going to fit you and your commute is to search the ESG database.
Turn on the filters, put in your specs, and then you can sort by price.
You can weigh the pros and cons of expensive scooters versus cheaper models: extra features, more range, IP rating (the degree to which it’s water resistant, invaluable knowledge if you plan on riding in bad weather), disc brakes, etc.
Many scooters listed in the directory have clickable links to our written and YouTube video reviews.
If you click on the dollar-sign symbol, you can find the cheapest place to buy a given scooter, an easy way to save money on even the most expensive scooter.
By toggling on the “Test ESG Performance Data” option, you get access to the world’s most comprehensive set of performance data on many of the most popular electric scooters. Every ESG test was conducted in the exact same way, on the exact same range course.
Did you know: Most scooters will only cover 65 to 80% of the manufacturer’s claimed range before shutting down?
The ESG Performance Data will show you exactly how long a given scooter will last per charge, thus giving you a clearer picture of what you can expect from your scooter before buying it.
Electric Scooter Guide will help you sort through affordable scooters, right up to the most expensive electric scooter. ESG has personally tested many of the most popular scooters, from the premier electric scooter manufacturer NAMI to the more pedestrian Bird Scooter.
If you want to go 100% maintenance-free, some manufacturers even offer monthly scooter subscriptions.
If something goes wrong they typically just swap out the scooter for another one and you’re back on the road.
Right now Unagi is the only company uniquely offering scooters on a monthly subscription basis in the US.
Aside from not having to worry about maintenance, it’s also a good way to figure out if scooter riding is for you, without spending thousands of bucks.
Every day, more and more people are commuting by electric scooters, and it makes total sense. While an electric scooter will cost you initially, the savings it provides most commuters is totally worth it.
Whether it’s a few miles/kilometers a day or completely replacing your car, adding a scooter to your life saves money and time, and more importantly, it can make your commute one of the best parts of your day.
Electric scooters have been around for years. But recently, they have become increasingly popular in urban cities, residential areas, and campuses. Watching the recent popularity of these personal transporters has put one question in the mind of people: Is an electric scooter worth it?
Imagine the incredible feeling of zapping around the city with the wind sweeping through your hair. You’re moving seamlessly, not hindered by traffic jams, and you arrive at your destination without breaking a sweat. Riding an electric scooter comes with an ecstatic feeling, but does it really make sense to jump on the bandwagon? Is an electric scooter worth it? Let’s find out in the following paragraphs.
These Are the Costs of Owning an Electric Scooter
To find out if an electric scooter is worth it, you must consider the financial implications. You need to ask how much electric scooters cost, and if the price is justifiable.
The cost of a micromobility device varies depending on the model and quality. A high-end scooter with an impressive range, speed, and general performance will probably cost at least $1,500.
Before you buy one, you should do some research. Check the product’s technical specifications and user reviews from the manufacturer’s e-commerce stores. This way, you’d be able to know if it’s exactly what you need and if the people who bought it before you got some value for their money.
Apart from the cost of scooters, you should also consider the cost of protective gear. This is because while driving around the city in your commuter is fun, electric scooter accidents are quite common, and you don’t want to get in an accident without appropriate protection.
Costs of an E-scooter Vs. Costs of Other Means of Transportation
When you consider other means of transportation such as cars, bicycles, trains, etc., you may be tempted to ask, “Is an electric scooter worth it when I can just use other means of transportation?” Let’s explore that angle briefly:
E-scooter Vs. Car
Before you can buy a new car, you should have an average of $42,258. This price may be higher or lower depending on the kind of car you want to buy, but ultimately, the cost runs into tens of thousands of dollars. On the other hand, the cost of a high-quality e-scooter, like the Äike T for example, is below $2,000.
Considering this incredible price difference, what do you think? Is an electric scooter worth it? Your guess is as good as mine. When it comes to buying a car, the cost doesn’t stop at the purchase price. You have to also spend money on buying petrol and routine maintenance.
If it’s an electric car, you don’t have to buy petrol, but you will still spend money on charging your battery at charging stations. Yes, it is true that electric scooters also require charging, but the cost of charging them isn’t as high as what it costs to charge electric cars. If you buy an Äike T, for instance, you can even use your phone or laptop’s USB-C adapter to charge your device at home or anywhere. On the other hand, you have to charge your electric car at designated charging centers or spend huge amounts of money on setting up your charging station at home.
E-scooter Vs. Public Transportation
Using public transportation is a good way to get around if you’re going to a long distance that you can’t cover with your personal mini-transporter. However, if you’re trying to cover a short distance, you will enjoy more flexibility and freedom zapping down there with your personal mini-ride instead of sitting on a bus or taxi.
E-scooter Vs. Gas-fueled Scooter
Electric commuters get their power from electricity, so they’re more eco-friendly than the gas-fueled variants. The gas-powered mini transporters pollutants such as carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and particulate matter (PM), which pollute the environment. They also need regular refueling, oil change, and engine maintenance, unlike electric commuters.
E-scooter Vs. Ride-sharing Services
Using an electric personal commuter may be more cost-effective than ride-sharing for short distances. However, using a ride-sharing service may be more convenient than looking for a docking station to park your ride if it’s not portable, or if you’re visiting a place where you can’t just carry your device into. In terms of flexibility, electric commuters are your best bet as you can use them on bike lanes and sidewalks; you can avoid traffic, and change your route as often as you want.
10 Reasons Why an Electric Scooter Is Worth It
Here are 10 reasons why electric scooters are worth it:
Reduced dependence on fossil fuels.
Fun and efficient means of transportation.
It’s a form of physical exercise.
Flexibility of routes and destinations.
Convenient for short trips and moving around urban cities.
Environmentally friendly and sustainable.
Cost-effective to purchase.
Low maintenance cost.
Zero noise pollution.
Easier and more convenient to park than cars.
Does Owning an E-scooter Also Have Disadvantages?
Buying a micromobility device isn’t all glitters. There are also some downsides. They include:
Your mini commuter won’t give you as much range as your car. Furthermore, the battery has a limited life, so it may not always be as efficient as you want it to be.
Some countries have strict regulations for riding scooters on their streets. These may include speed limits, restricted areas, and the
need for licensing
. Hence, it’s important to read the local regulations before you make that purchase.
Unlike cars that come with seat belts and an enclosed space, your electric commuter leaves you exposed when accidents happen. To mitigate the effects, it is necessary to always wear your safety gear, and avoid over-speeding.
Micromobility devices are easy to steal and vandalize. This is why you need to only buy a product like Äike T, which comes with GPS protection and theft warranty.
Final Thoughts
So, are electric scooters worth it? The answer is yes. They’re worth every penny you invest in buying them. They provide you with ease, convenience, and an affordable and sustainable way of commuting around urban cities. To get the best experience, buy the Äike T, and enjoy all the premium features of choosing a smart brand. The cost of operating the Äike T e-scooter is impressively economical, coming in at just €0.22 for every 100 kilometers traveled, assuming a fixed electricity price of €0.15 per kWh. So, whether you’re zipping through the city or embarking on longer journeys, the Äike T e-scooter offers both affordability and sustainability in your transportation choices.