Nowadays, commuting in the city is a big concern for people who live and work there. Due to the high population density, traffic jam is inevitable and a big problem for the youth, it will take a lot of time. How to deal with it and save time on daily commuting? The electric scooter and electric bike come out and become popular very rapidly, the commuter loves them a lot. But as a commuter, which is more suitable for you: E-scooter or e-Bike? In this article, I am looking into the pros and cons of electric scooters and e-bikes to see which one is worth buying.
What are e-scooter and e-bike?
Electric scooters are the upgraded version based on traditional scooters. It adds batteries, motors, lights, dashboards, computer chips and other components on the scooter, while upgrading the wheels, brakes, frames and other systems, thereby deriving the electric scooter, which generally appear more in daily life and travel, especially popular with office workers. At present, the price of the electric scooter ranges from $200 to few thousand dollars (most of them are less $1000), which is very popular with young people in developed countries in Europe and the United States.
While the electric bike is upgraded based on bicycle. People add battery, motor, lights, dashboards, computer chips and other components on the basis of bicycles, then it becomes the electric bikes. There are many types of electric bikes according to the size of the wheels. Normally the electric bike has tires between 14 inches and 27 inches. As for the price, the e-Bike is more expensive, it varies from $400 to few thousand dollars.
Following we will talk about the 8 differences on performance of electric scooters and electric bikes.
- Portability
The electric scooter can be way more portable and easier to store than e-bike. And they don’t take up that much space, which could be an important consideration if you’re living in an apartment with many flights of stairs. Many electric scooter weighs around 18kg and with foldable design, which will be less than 120cm in length and 50cm in width and height. It is much easier to carry and store, even put it to your car trunk.
The electric bikes are usually having tires larger than 14-inch, plus protruding parts such as foot pedals, so they will be larger than scooters when folded, and it is irregular, not as convenient as electric scooters in the trunk. And the e-Bike is normally with a heavier weight than e-scooter.
- Passing ability
The tire size of electric scooters generally does not exceed 10 inches, which is still relatively easy when facing general urban roads, but when encountering poor road conditions, the passing situation is not ideal, and you should be extra careful when driving.
The tire size of electric bike is generally more than 14 inches, and some of the eBikes has shock absorbers, so riding freely on urban roads or poor roads, and the pass-ability will be better than that of electric scooters.
- Safety consideration
Electric scooters and electric bikes are both non-motor vehicles, so, in theory they are only allowed to drive at low speed on the non-motorized roads. Most of the electric scooters adopt a standing riding mode (don’t have a seat), the center of gravity is relatively high, flexible and convenient. While the Electric bikes have a saddle so the rider can sit on it, which is also a riding method that everyone has been accustomed to since childhood. Besides, since that the electric bike has a larger wheel, it will have a better passing ability. The electric bike will have a better safety.
- Loading ability
The loading capacity of electric scooters and electric bicycles is not much different, but because electric bicycles can add shelves or auxiliary seats, they can carry two people in need, so electric bicycles have relatively more advantages in carrying capacity.
- Range
Electric scooters and electric bikes are single-wheel drive, generally the motor power is 250W-500W, and the endurance is basically the same under the same battery capacity. In addition, the electric bike supports powered mode as well as pure electric mode, rider can use the e-Bike by using the pedal at the same time pressing the accelerator, which will have a longer range.
- Easy or difficult to ride
The driving style of electric scooters is similar to scooters, because the popularity of domestic scooters is lower than that of bikes, so when riding the electric scooters with standing posture, it is necessary to ride smoothly with a little practice; When riding in a seated position, it is as difficult as an electric bike too. Electric bikes are based on bicycles, so riding is basically no difficulty. The electric bike is easier to ride than electric scooter.
- Speed
Electric scooters and electric bicycles have two wheels, the motor power is basically the same, but the electric bicycle wheels are larger, the pass-ability is better, so there can be a higher speed on urban roads. It is not recommended to ride the electric scooter in high speed in a standing position due to the high center of gravity, and the sitting speed can be slightly higher. Neither electric scooter nor electric bike speed is recommended to exceed 25 kilometers per hour.
- How to ride when out of power
When the vehicle is out of power, it is difficult to ride the electric scooter by the feet like playing the non-electric scooter, but electric bike can be ridden by human power like bicycles. At this point, electric bikes are superior to electric scooters
Conclusion:
How do I choose between the two? Ultimately, it depends on your needs and situation. If you want to go longer distances or carry heavier cargo, an e-bike is probably the better option. E-Scooters might be better suited for shorter trips if your trip involves getting on a train or a subway. It’s a little bit less of a pain to lug a scooter on public transport than an e-bike.