Speed
How quick can the 2 go? E-bikes are typically quicker than electrical scooters, says Bernie Deitrick, CR’s product tester who’s ridden a whole lot of miles on e-bikes and dozens of miles on scooters.
Three out of the 4 electrical scooters CR examined can journey throughout flat pavements at high speeds of about 15 mph. There are some quicker e-bikes available in the market, however normally, the motor help on an e-bike will propel it as much as 20 or 28 mph, relying on the classification of the e-bike, says Benjamin Preston, CR’s auto author who’s additionally a motorbike fanatic.
Range
In normal, e-bikes have an extended vary than electrical scooters. That being stated, scooters are comparatively straightforward to hold round, so vary may be much less of a fear for commuters who can plug of their scooters for a recharge after a brief trip to the workplace, says Louis Pappas, principal and co-founder of Electric Avenue, a micromobility consulting agency.
Portability
Scooters might be far more moveable and simpler to retailer than e-bikes, they usually don’t take up that a lot house, which might be an necessary consideration should you’re dwelling in an condo with many flights of stairs. There are, nevertheless, e-bikes which can be designed to be lighter, and they are often below 50 kilos.
Safety
When it involves highway surfaces, scooters don’t take care of imperfections, akin to potholes or bumpy surfaces, as capably as e-bikes, with their bigger wheels.
E-bikes additionally may be simpler and safer to trip for a broader set of customers as a result of lots of people have expertise using a motorbike, whereas scooters may take some extra time to regulate to and to discover ways to steadiness on, Louis says.
Price Range
You can get a reasonably succesful scooter for below $1,000, Benjamin says. By comparability, the common value for a commuter e-bike is $2,000 to $3,000. E-bikes, normally, have a large value vary and might go from lower than $500 to hundreds of {dollars}.
The ‘Fun’ Factor
For pure enjoyment, Bernie prefers e-bikes. “E-bikes are a lot of fun to ride—they are faster, accelerate more quickly, and can handle more terrain. And they are more comfortable while you’re doing all that since you can sit down and relax your legs and feet,” Bernie says.
“Personally, being on a scooter makes me wish I was on a skateboard, while riding an e-bike gives me a petit motorcycle thrill,” says Benjamin, who additionally finds e-bikes to be extra enjoyable than electrical scooters.
How do I select between the 2? Ultimately, it is determined by your wants and state of affairs. If you need to go longer distances or carry heavier cargo, an e-bike might be the higher choice, says Louis. Scooters may be higher fitted to shorter journeys and multimodal journey in case your journey entails getting on a prepare or a subway. It’s a bit of bit much less of a ache to lug a scooter on public transport than an e-bike. (Check out our e-bike scores.)
Things to know earlier than you buy both: Make certain you do a check trip just a few occasions earlier than you commit to purchasing an electrical scooter or an e-bike, and take a look at your native rules on the place you’re allowed to trip your automobile, whether or not it’s a chosen lane or on the highway with different vehicles. And to be secure, you must all the time put on a helmet whenever you’re using. You can try one of the best bike helmets of 2022 rated by us (that are additionally good for using a scooter) and a video that exhibits how we check bike helmets (no cyclists have been harmed within the making of this video).