Electric scooters and electric bicycles are two of the most frequently used personal electric vehicles today. And this is happening for a good reason. They are cheap to buy and maintain, and they run on clean energy. You won’t have to deal with heavy traffic as well.
No wonder several people are using them for commuting. But how you can make the ultimate decision and choose between the two? Therefore, we have developed this post on the comparison of electric scooter vs. electric bicycle to settle the difference once and for all. We will be comparing them both on various factors and choose the winner in each category.
Ride comfort
When you ride an e-scooter on a bumpy surface, you will notice those vibrations. It is because these personal vehicles are designed for flat and smooth surfaces. And you will be standing most of the time on these scooters unless you have a seated scooter. You can find more information on the website The Scooter Guide.
On the other hand, the riding comfort of an electric bicycle is exceptional because it is designed for different surfaces. The wheels are bigger, and there are shocks to handle the bumps as well. You also get to sit down on its saddle.
The winner is the electric bicycles.
Stability
Electric scooters have smaller wheels, so small potholes on the road can cause instability in your ride. Whereas an electric bicycle has larger wheels, so those potholes are nothing more than a nuisance. But you will surely not fall off from your electric bicycle as in the case of an electric scooter.
Balancing an electric scooter is more difficult than an electric bicycle. Even when you are going downhill, an electric bicycle will feel much more stable than an e-scooter.
The winner here is the electric bicycle.
Work output
On an electric scooter, you are not going to get any free exercise because you will be just standing or sitting on your e-scooter. But this is not the case in an electric bicycle. You will be doing some exercise by using those pedals.
Now the preference is entirely yours. Maybe you bought an electric scooter because you don’t want to get tired pedaling. Or you may have bought an electric bicycle because you want to get that free exercise.
The winner is an electric scooter if you don’t want to move a muscle.
Portability
An electric scooter is way smaller in dimensions as compared to an electric bicycle. And some of the designs of these e-scooters have folding features as well. You can comfortably fold them and carry around with you anywhere you go.
You won’t need to park your scooter anywhere. But that is not the case with an electric bicycle. You need to treat it like your other vehicles because you can’t carry it inside your office. And surely you will have to deal with those parking fees too and buy a lock. You can find the best scooter locks on this review.
The winner is an electric scooter.
Size
As you can comfortably carry your electric scooter on your back, the size of an e-scooter is very manageable. It is smaller than an electric bicycle, and you can fold it and turn it into an even smaller size. It is not possible with an electric bicycle, no matter how compact it has.
The winner is an electric scooter.
Storage
Electric scooters have a very sleek design, and they are not constructed to provide you with any storage capacity. You might find some models that come with a small cabinet with a seat or a small basket in the front, but nothing else. You will need to bring your backpack with you to carry some things or can even hang a few bags with the handlebars.
Conversely, an electric bicycle comes with plenty of storage space. Some of them have carriers on the rear wheel and baskets on the handlebars. You can also hang bags with the handlebars if you want.
The winner is an electric bicycle.
Easy platform
If, for some reason, you have been riding lately and all of a sudden, you have decided to ride again, handling an e- scooter will be far easier than an electric bicycle. Just stand on it and ride off.
On a bicycle, you need to adjust the seat, and then your feet are not close to the ground, so stopping and standing will require some effort.
The winner is an electric scooter.
Speed
This one is pretty simple because the top speed of most of the electric scooters can range around 15 to 25 miles an hour. On the other hand, an electric bicycle may come with an average max speed of 15 to 35 miles an hour.
But it is a matter of legal limitations due to road laws and not a matter of technical limits. Max speed limit for an electric bicycle is 20 miles an hour while that for an electric scooter is 15 miles an hour.
The winner is an electric bicycle.
Cost
Last but not the least… Let’s talk about the cost because for many people this is a critical factor to decide. And why not, it’s a personal vehicle after all! Electric bikes, on average, can be a lot expensive as compared to electric scooters.
Electric scooters can cost around $1500 to $3000. Electric bicycles can start from under $1000 and can reach up to $4000. However, the maintenance of an electric bicycle is cheaper than an e- scooter. But when it comes to mileage per charge, bicycles come out a clear winner because you can pedal it too.
The winner is the electric bicycles.
Final word
You can see from this comparison of e- scooter vs. electric bicycle that an e-bike is better than an e-scooter in many ways. But when it comes to ease of carrying, size and footprint, an electric scooter comes out on top and by a fair margin.
So which of these personal vehicles are you going to choose for your commute and traveling? Keep the conversation going by commenting in the space given below!
Let’s ride!
