From rising gas prices to costly insurance, car ownership is only becoming more expensive. Additionally, cars are notoriously harmful to the environment. For these reasons, a growing number of people are looking for transportation alternatives.
Due to their many benefits, you may be wondering, “Can electric scooters replace a car?” Fortunately, the answer is a resounding yes. Below, we’ll examine the pros and cons of replacing your car with an electric scooter.
#1 Electric Scooters Are Much More Affordable Than Cars
As we mentioned earlier, the cost of car ownership is going through the roof. Gas prices are at a record high, making every car trip that much more of a burden on your budget. In addition to gas, cars have the added expenses of:
- Insurance
- Registration
- Title fees
- Taxes
- Maintenance
- Depreciation
- Auto loan interest and fees
In comparison, electric scooters are incredibly cost-effective in each of the following categories:
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Purchase price – In 2021, the average car cost $42,258 USD. That’s a substantial amount of money! If you don’t have that much on hand, you’ll most likely need to finance the purchase of your car with an auto loan, which can tack on hundreds of dollars in interest and fees.
Electric scooters, on the other hand, are much more affordable to purchase outright. These vehicles can cost anywhere from $300 to $3,000. Even if you splurge on a top-of-the-line e-scooter, you’ll still save a substantial amount of money if you purchase it in place of a car.
- Operating costs – Electric scooters have significantly lower operating costs than cars. Unlike gas-guzzling cars, e-scooters can be charged using electricity at home. On average, re-fueling an e-scooter costs as little as two to seven cents per charging session. This means you could power an electric scooter for as little as $10 USD a year.
Meanwhile, gas prices are surging across North America. While gas prices vary from state to state and province to province, the average American is going to spend $2,971 USD on gasoline this year. For that amount, you could purchase a high-performance e-scooter outright.
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Maintenance expenses – All vehicles experience some wear and tear over time. However, the maintenance requirements for a car are considerably more complex and costly than that of an electric scooter.
On average, car maintenance can cost over $1,000 USD per year. While cars’ annual maintenance requirements depend on how much you drive, they typically include:
- Regular oil changes
- Battery replacements
- Brake pad replacements
- Tire replacements
- Tire rotations
- Windshield wiper replacements
Electric scooters’ maintenance is quite streamlined in comparison. Most riders only need to clean their e-scooter and adjust its tire pressure from time to time. The only notable maintenance cost you may incur is a battery replacement, but that’s typically only required after years of heavy use.
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Insurance and registration – In most states and provinces, electric scooters don’t require any insurance or registration (though there are some exceptions).
Even if you choose to purchase e-scooter insurance for peace of mind, it will probably be much cheaper than car insurance. Electric scooter insurance only costs around $20 to $30 USD a month. In contrast, car insurance costs an average of $73 USD per month.
Registration fees are another expense to take into consideration. Depending on where you live, car registration fees can cost as much as $225 USD per year. Replacing your car with an electric scooter can eliminate these annual expenses (and the time-consuming trips to the DMV) once and for all.
As you can see, electric scooters are an attractive replacement for cars, simply based on cost alone.
#2 Electric Scooters Are Powerful
While electric scooters are clearly more cost-effective than cars, you may be wondering if they can offer you the same degree of performance. Let's look at some specs. For example, here at Apollo Scooters, we have electric scooters that provide up to:
- 43 mph (69 kmh) of speed
- 40 miles (64 km) of range
- 300 pounds (136 kg) max loads
These key specifications prove that electric scooters can be very beneficial for a variety of situations.
If your daily activities take you on the freeway or require you to drive super long distances, you may want to keep your car as a backup. However, most city dwellers can easily get their transportation needs met from an electric scooter alone. In fact, riding an electric scooter in the city can help you evade traffic congestion and save a significant amount of money on parking.
#3 Electric Scooters Can Zip Past Traffic Jams
After a long day at work, the last thing you want to do is sit in jam-packed traffic. Unfortunately, trudging through rush hour traffic congestion is customary for many city commuters.
If you want to free up your time for better things, an electric scooter may be the perfect solution. You may be able to get to work much faster with an electric scooter than a car, simply due to its immunity to traffic congestion. With all of this saved time, you may be able to:
- Wake up for work a little later
- Enjoy a peaceful coffee at the office before the hustle and bustle of the workday sets in
- Enjoy more time with your family and friends in the evenings, rather than with fellow car commuters
#4 Electric Scooters Are More Eco-Friendly Than Cars
When it comes to the environment, electric scooters are superior to cars on many fronts—swapping out your car for an electric scooter can reduce your carbon footprint significantly.
Here’s why:
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Electric scooters emit less greenhouse gas – Your carbon footprint is calculated by how many carbon emissions you produce. If you're anything like the average American, transportation accounts for roughly 30% of your carbon footprint.
Since electric scooters don’t produce any carbon emissions, you can bring down your transportation-related carbon emissions considerably by riding an e-scooter in place of a car, even if it's just a few times a week.
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Electric scooters are more energy-efficient per mile – Reducing the amount of energy you use can also help you be more environmentally friendly. Fortunately, electric scooters are 1,000% more energy efficient per mile than cars.
This energy efficiency is due to their streamlined design. Cars can weigh anywhere from 2,000 to 4,000 pounds (907 to 1,814 kg), whereas most electric scooters weigh between 20 and 100 pounds (9 and 45 kg). The heavier the vehicle, the more energy it takes to lug it around.
Surprisingly, riding an electric scooter is also more energy-efficient than riding a bike or walking. It would take the average person nine times as much energy to walk the same distance as it would to ride their electric scooter.
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Electric scooters help reduce pollution – In large cities, air pollution and congestion are serious problems. According to a 2022 State of the Air report, over 40% of Americans are living in locations with “failing grades for unhealthy levels of particle pollution or ozone.” Poor air quality has a host of harmful health effects, including increased mortality.
Since electric scooters don’t emit greenhouse gas, they don’t contribute to air pollution. They’re also very quiet while in use, so they can cut back on noise pollution too.
Based on these eco-friendly benefits, electric scooters are much better for the environment than cars. If more people replace their cars with electric scooters, the planet will be very happy.
#5 Electric Scooters Are Easy to Operate
If you’ve been wanting to get rid of your car for some time, you may have considered riding your bike more often. While bicycles have many benefits, they also require a lot of physical exertion on your part.
Even if you’re eager to ditch your car, you probably don’t want to get sweaty while you’re:
- Commuting to work
- Going out for a dinner with friends
- Meeting up with a date for coffee
- Going window shopping in the city
- Catching a movie in town
- Visiting your neighbor’s house for a BBQ
Luckily, electric scooter riding doesn’t rely on muscle power alone. Instead, your e-scooter’s motor will do most of the hard work for you, allowing you to get to your final destination without breaking a sweat. In turn, you can swap out your car without sacrificing your fresh appearance.
#6 Electric Scooters Are More Convenient in Many Situations
Electric scooters are known for their convenience. Whether you want to take a quick trip to the corner store or go for a joy ride on a sunny day, electric scooters make it easy.
Not only are these vehicles portable, enabling you to carry them inside stores and offices, but they also eliminate the need to find parking. In cities, parking can be very hard to come by and expensive when you eventually find it.
With your electric scooter in tow, the world is your oyster, and you don’t need to pay a penny to park when you arrive at your final destination.
#7 High-Quality Electric Scooters are Built to Last
Electric scooters have a ton of benefits over cars. But are they built to last?
Yes! If you purchase a high-performance electric scooter from a high-quality manufacturer, you can ride it for years to come. The average lifespan for an electric scooter is 3,000 to 10,000 miles (4,828 to 16,093 km). And high-quality electric scooters enjoy life spans on the longer side of this spectrum.
For reference, the average lifespan of a car is 150,000 miles (241,401 km). Most cars will outlast most electric scooters. However, due to the significant price differential, you could replace your electric scooter every few years and still only pay a fraction of the cost of a car.
What Are the Downsides of Replacing Your Car With an Electric Scooter?
Now that we’ve discussed the benefits of electric scooters over cars, let’s take a look at some of their disadvantages:
- You can’t ride with any passengers
- You won’t be as protected during rain, snow, or other harsh weather conditions
- You may not be allowed to ride electric scooters on public roads in certain cities
- You won’t be able to ride on the freeway
- You won’t be able to carry quite as much with you (though you can purchase an attachable bag for some storage)
With these downsides in mind, you may want to own a car and an electric scooter. Owning both can offer you a lot of versatility.
You can store your electric scooter in the trunk of your car so it’s always available as a handy last-mile solution, allowing you to park further away at more affordable locations and zip past any potential traffic jams along the way.
Swap Out Your Car With An Apollo Scooter Today
So, are electric scooters better than cars? We’d certainly think so. From their affordability to their convenience, electric scooters have many advantages over their gas-guzzling counterparts.
Whether you want to ditch your car for good or simply supplement your car rides with an electric scooter, Apollo Scooters has you covered. We carry electric scooters for beginners, advanced thrill-seekers, and everyone in between. Thanks to our extensive safety testing and exceptional quality, you can rest assured that you’re investing in the very best.
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