The electric scooter craze bit the dust in 2002, now in 2012 with electric scooters all but dead, electric bikes are having there first major market surge. However, the market seems to be made up of more sellers than buyers.
Is the electric bike graveyard bound to fill up just as the electric scooter graveyard did?
Electric scooters use to be way cooler than electric bikes, and companies were jumping onto the small scooter sensation. Sometimes I wonder why are electric scooters completely dead and electric bikes are poised to be the next hot thing? Are they really any different? Let’s take a look:
Both are small lightweight electric vehicles.
Both are alternative transportation
Both are semi-legal motor vehicles.
Both benefit tremendously from the new lithium battery technology.
Electric Scooters pros
- Electric scooters are simple design wise, with less parts.
- Electric scooters are more compact and transportable. Throw one in the back of your airplane or trunk no problem.
- Electric scooters are less expensive than electric bikes, because they are cheaper to build and cheaper to ship.
- Electric scooters are extremely low to the ground allowing for easy jump off in an emergency.
- Electric scooters are easy to mount and dismount.
- Electric scooters are lighter weight than electric bikes.
- It is feasible you can ride an electric scooter into a grocery store and not get in trouble. See the following Go-ped video illustrating:
Electric Bike pros
- Electric bikes are protected by federal law, which says specifically that they are not motor vehicles.
- Electric bikes are protected by the bicycle coalition, which is ok with ebikes but would really frown upon electric scooters.
- Electric bikes allow the rider to get exercise at the riders discretion.
- Electric Bikes do not leave you stranded when the battery dies.
- Electric bikes are more normal looking than electric scooters, because most of them look like regular bicycles.
- Electric bikes have many interchangeable parts with pedal bicycles.
