The Rise of Electric Scooters 

The number one thing that has ALWAYS held back electric vehicles is the electric batteries themselves. 

For starters, legacy electric battery technology wasn’t just ridiculously (and, truth be told, prohibitively) expensive – it was also insanely heavy and anything but compact. That meant that not only were electronic cars 10, 15, and even 20 years ago not at all realistic as a means of transportation but that electric scooters (being a whole lot smaller and a whole lot more compact) weren’t all that realistic, either. 

In fact, in 2000 a brand-new electric scooter was unveiled – the Zappy Scooter – and almost immediately flopped on arrival because of how gigantic, heavy, and low performance the lead acid battery it used was. 

Today, however, with the advent of modern lithium-ion technology the battery problem has been solved almost completely.

This has led to a dramatic explosion in the popularity of electric scooters (and electric vehicles of all kinds, for that matter), though there are some other contributing factors that are helping to make these electric options so viable.

Let’s dig into some of those reasons right now.

#1 – Electric Scooters are Inexpensive

Right out of the gate, the cost of an electric scooter is only going to set you back a few hundred dollars compared to thousands and thousands of dollars that a traditional vehicle will cost – and thousands more if you want the latest and greatest electric automobile to go driving around town.

Not only do you get much lower cost of ownership for the scooters upfront (way less than a car payment, motorbike, or even taking public transportation on a routine basis) but there’s also almost ZERO maintenance necessary whatsoever.

All you have to do – literally all you have to do – to keep your electric scooter running is to make sure that it is charged when you want to use it.

That’s it.

There’s no gas, there’s no oil, and there’s no surprise charges later down the line when you have to rushed back to the electric scooter store to replace some expensive part on the scooters – mostly because those parts don’t exist! 

#2 – Electric Scooters are Convenient

Another huge benefit electric scooters have and part of their increase in popularity is that they are about as convenient as a commuter vehicle can be.

It’s tough to imagine any other commuter vehicle that you can ride to work (over pretty much any kind of terrain and in any weather) that you can then fold up into a compact and easily storable form – and then stuff into a closet – before unfolding it and zipping away at the end of the day, rinsing and repeating the process over and over again.

Slim, speedy, and easy to maneuver you don’t have to go through a long and arduous training process to get comfortable on a scooter, either.

In fact, for most people, jumping on top of the scooter – even an electric scooter with higher top and speeds – is a lot easier than jumping on a bicycle!

#3 – Electric Scooters are Fun

At the end of the day, though, big push behind the popularity of these amazing little vehicles is that they are flat out so fun to use in the first place.

It’s tough to beat zipping in and out of city streets, down suburban lanes, and up country roads on a scooter that can hit speeds of 50 km/h – all without you having to do any of the heavy lifting of getting that scooter up to speed in the first place.

The millennial generation in particular is really drawn to electric scooters for all they have to offer. This industry is just now starting to take off. Thanks to new technology – and a new demand for these kinds of vehicles – it’s not at all unreasonable to think that it is the “next big thing” in the world of commuter travel, either.

Guest article written by: Brett Steele