Could Single-rider Electric Vehicles like E-scooters Grow to Rival Uber in Popularity?

By Sarah Arksey
Associate Writer

According to Statista Mobility Market Outlook, the number of e-scooter users worldwide nearly doubled in just four years– from 10 million in 2018 to 77 million in 2022. Rising in tandem with this popularity are scooter-sharing networks such as Lime and Bird.

While one may believe them to be a contemporary vehicle, the first electric scooters were actually created over 100 years ago by French inventors Maurice and Albert Limelette.

Electric scooters have been widely available commercially for almost 30 years now, though they have just recently become an in-demand mode of personal transportation.

Now, they are even being touted as a potential replacement for cars– in warm climates, at least! 2021 unit sales indicated that e-bikes outsold electric cars, meaning there’s serious demand for compact, single-rider electric vehicles– and both e-bikes and e-scooters have officially shifted from cheap-thrill novelty to legitimate modes of transportation.

Why choose e-scooters?

What exactly has made e-scooters so popular? In short, they get you from point A to point B with relative ease and speed, they’re accessible for most users, and they’re fun. Using a scooter-sharing service such as Lime may also be a cheaper option than a taxi or ridesharing service such as Lyft, depending on where you’re located.

E-scooters are especially popular among short-term visitors. David Palz, 30, is a seasonal worker from Winnipeg, Canada who moves frequently during his winters off work. He says that e-scooters are his preferred method of short-distance transportation in cities where they are available. So far, he’s used scooters in Calgary, Lisbon, Barcelona, and Prague, and says that Lime appears to be the most globally available brand.

Seeing More on a Scooter

Why choose an e-scooter over another method of transportation? Palz says that it enables him to see more of the city. “I visited Lisbon by myself and only had one day to explore the city. I used an e-scooter to travel down the waterfront, and I loved it because it gave me the chance to stop whenever I saw somewhere interesting and cover much more ground than I could have by walking,” says Palz.

Other benefits he lists include the ability to “grab it and go” rather than wait for a rideshare or public transit. In terms of cost, he says e-scooters are more or less equivalent to public transit, making them a desirable option over a rideshare or taxi.

He added that the experience feels like riding a bike– a fun way to get some fresh air instead of being crammed into a closed vehicle. Scooters also enable riders to customize their route, rather than being stuck on a fixed metro or bus route.

Of course, the real savings come in when one commits to purchasing an e-scooter of their own as a majority replacement for their typical daily commute. The only real cash investment is the initial cost, roughly $500-USD 2000 on average.

After that, you’re only on the hook for repairs and recharging. According to Levy Electric, in Canada, enough electricity to fully charge an e-scooter battery is roughly 5 cents.

Enter the E-bike

E-bikes are especially popular in the tourism industry. Whether you’re in the big city or off the beaten path, you need not look far to find an e-bike group tour. Tour the concrete jungle of Manhattan with NYC Adventure E-Bike— which promises to “take you where the bus can’t”— or take in the Hawaiian countryside with a relaxing tour through the Parker Ranch Lands with Big Island Bike Tours.

E-bikes are renowned for their accessibility and are the perfect low-impact, all-ages activity. Recent research from Portland State University indicated that e-bikes encourage new riders, increase ride frequency for current cyclists, and make people feel safer and more at ease than standard bikes.

Where can e-scooters and e-bikes be found?

In terms of major U.S. cities, you’re more likely to find an e-scooter than not. Lime has a presence in over 50 U.S. cities!

Unsurprisingly, the ever-technologically advanced West Coast is one of the scooter hotspots of the United States.

Portland, Oregon was one of the first cities to welcome the concept– even creating “scooter lanes” and entire roads that larger vehicles are not allowed to use.

In addition to Portland, other tech hotspots like Austin, TX, and Denver, CO have welcomed e-scooters into their infrastructure by placing scooter docks in convenient city-wide locations and expanding bike/scooter lanes. E-scooter giant Lime even created an entirely new fleet specifically designed to handle Denver’s harsh winters!

The best cities for e-biking are, unsurprisingly, those with pre-existing bike-friendly infrastructure. One of the standouts in this category is Minneapolis, which has a plethora of bike paths including the Grand Rounds Scenic Byway, which makes a 50-mile loop around the city.

Potential downsides

Some potential downsides include, of course, the risk of theft for those who choose to purchase their scooter or bike. Bicycle theft is already incredibly common, and electric variants are an even more lucrative target (see above price tag!)

A 2018 survey found that more than 70% of U.S. citizens across 10 major cities viewed e-scooters as a positive mode of transportation. However, not every region has been so welcoming. E-scooters have been banned entirely in the states of Delaware and Pennsylvania, and dense/highly touristic cities such as Beverly Hills have previously enforced long-standing bans.

Top Speed 25 MPH

In addition, lawmakers have had a somewhat difficult time deciding how scooters fit into existing automobile legislature– especially given their meteoric rise in popularity. In the United States, laws vary by state but typically restrict e-scooters to top speeds of between 10 and 25 mph.

E-scooters are also frequently subject to age restrictions (typically 16+), helmet mandates, and limitations on where one can legally ride (typically roads with a speed limit of less than 30 mph, bike lanes, and occasionally sidewalks). One of the largest barriers to e-scooters solidifying their place in public/private transportation is the lack of infrastructure designed with these vehicles in mind.

E-bikes tend to be more widely accepted. Their design, which is often indistinguishable from a standard bicycle, means they are typically subject to the same laws as their non-motorized counterparts— though, of course, this will vary by region.

The next trend— battery-sharing?

In addition to networks for sharing personal electric vehicles, battery-swapping networks have began to evolve. This is particularly useful for riders who have purchased their own vehicle, though short-term renters could make use of it as well.

Swapping Out Batteries

Gogoro— which produces e-bikes and moped-style electric scooters— has opened up the Gogoro Network to riders using Yamaha, Aeon, or Motive Power Industry scooters. All three rolled out electric scooters powered by Gogoro batteries in anticipation of the Gogoro Network.

A rep from Gogoro says that this move “proves that battery swapping is a better solution than battery charging,” the latter of which is frequently offered by competitors (think Tesla’s charging stations).

GoNOMAD spoke to Yichi Zhang of Gogoro, who underscores the company’s ‘swap and go’ model as being imperative in not only personal electric vehicles’ continuous climb in popularity but their environmental footprint.

“This award-winning innovation not only contributes to cleaner, smarter, and safer cities but also significantly reduces greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, thereby minimizing our environmental impact. In 2023 alone, we managed to avoid 793 million kg of CO2 emissions and displaced 377 million liters of gas.”

Zhang says that battery-swapping networks mean “pleasure and convenience” for users— “Whether you’re a daily commuter, a weekend adventurer, a digital nomad, or a professional rider.”