You might have seen them as you drive or parked near the street sidewalks. You may be thinking about purchasing one for yourself. Nowadays, electric scooters have become famous in numerous places for plenty of reasons.
The first is that they are easy to carry. They are extremely nice as well as fast. Do you think they are a good or bad thing for the environment? Can e-scooters cause environmental disasters or are they a blessing? Let's get into it.
Measuring the Impact of E-Scooters
Just like anything else, e-scooters have their benefits and their drawbacks. Thus, they won't be to everyone's taste. However, it is nevertheless necessary to weigh the advantages and the disadvantages before making the decision to either throw your money out or save it.
Therefore, we will review the main benefits of getting a scooter. Besides, we will also be looking at the not-very-good side. In the end, you can draw your own conclusion on their environmental effect. We will first discuss the positives. What are they?
Good Environmental Impacts of Electric Scooters
E-scooters benefit the environment. They do so in different ways. This includes:
1 Low Carbon Emissions
Gasoline cars are the biggest cause of carbon emissions today. The EPA study indicates that the average car emits approximately 4.6 metric tons of CO2 per year. This is more than the average weight of an elephant!
E-scooters have zero carbon emissions as our other means of transportation are providing carbon emissions. They are the most eco-friendly vehicle choice. One study indicates that forty-five percent of e-scooters can substitute cars in large cities.
2 Lower Energy Consumption
Using an electric scooter is equal to decreasing the consumption of power. Why? Charging it at home is much easier. When opting for a lithium battery instead of a combustion engine, energy and money conservation is achieved.
You can recharge the e-scooter using solar power. Also, you can prolong the battery life by keeping it in the right place. Prevent the battery from heat so it does not overheat.
Unlike batteries, ICE engines consume a lot of energy.. With an e-scooter, you consume just a tiny portion of energy while you enjoy the ride.
3 Reducing Traffic and Pollution
Some metropolises all over the world such as Barcelona and London prefer to go with e-scooters. You can go on the streets and watch both young and old riding scooters. E-scooters gain a lot of respect from urban residents. They serve the interests of all the people residing in the city.
Electric scooters are often touted as a traffic-buster. In fact, they are the reason less cars are on the road.
The majority of individuals travel to work by car. This contributes significantly to the existing traffic congestion on the roads. Furthermore, the problem of acquiring a parking space in most cities is particularly acute.
In case of traffic, use your e-scooter instead. Have you ever thought what if half of the population had e-scooters? That implies no more traffic jams.
Besides this benefit, the scooters do not discharge any emission. Did you know that? The riders breathe easier because of the absence of exhaust emissions. The situation with air quality is quite alarming now. By choosing a quality scooter, you are also contributing to cleaner air.
Bad Environmental Impacts of Electric Scooters
A coin is not the only thing that has two parts; an electric scooter does too. What bad things do e-scooters bring? Here are some:
1 Production and Disposal of Batteries
The battery contains heavy metals. No, this is not a good thing for the environment. If not properly disposed of, it may cause an explosion.
Charging the batteries with gas-powered engines can cause more pollution. Charging is only safe when done using the sun or wind or another renewable energy source.
E-scooters are complicated to recycle. Electrical waste is a hazard and will be the cause of pollution to our environment. If it is not managed properly, the waste will emit dioxins, which harm the respiratory system.
2 E-Scooter Manufacturing and Material Use
The e-scooter journey starts at a factory. Metals, plastics, and batteries are mixed to make it. So the production may not be eco-friendly.
On a completely different note, carbon fiber, aluminum, and plastic are environmental threats. They are resistant to degradation, which, therefore, poses a danger.
The mining of these materials is also bad. They need a lot of energy and can result in carbon emissions.
3 E-Scooter Lifecycle and Maintenance
You can not pass down e-scooters to future generations. They just don’t last as much as cars. Because of their short lifespan, you will need to change them often. This can be a burden.
Disposing of e-scooters after every few years is not something you will love. Also, maintaining one is another problem to solve. With the right e-scooter product, your problem can be over. This will last for 3 to 5 years just as you like.
How Do Electric Scooters Compare to Other Green Transport Methods?
Are e-scooters the only green transport? Of course not! So, which other ones do you know? E-bikes and other public transport are there.
Here is a quick comparison of how E-scooters compare with e-bikes and public transport:
Cost
E-scooters are smaller so you surely expect them to be cheaper. Also, it comes with renting services that charge by minute. Still, owning one can be costly when you add it up over time.
Still, the price for maintaining and repairing e-scooters is reasonable. But you pay more for an e-bike than for an e-scooter. Public transport may be the cheapest means of transportation.
Convenience and Flexibility
Easy. Nowadays, in many cities, e-scooter sharing is available. Besides, you can easily find a parking space.
E-scooters are simple to maneuver when in traffic. E-bikes are also user-friendly, with the only disadvantage of being heavy. There is no space for you to fold the bikes so you have to park.
Public transport is inflexible and cannot offer the above benefits. Its routes and schedules are fixed. Nonetheless, public transportation can get you to almost any location and is always reliable.
Environmental Impact
Electric scooters along with bicycles are environmental protection vehicles. The emissions they give off are almost none and they run for very little energy. Some public transport buses and trains are also eco-friendly because they only run on electricity.
Nonetheless, these transportation ways can have some adverse effects on the environment. The components used for their production may create hazards. Additionally, it was most likely that carbon dioxide emissions occurred when mining for the resources.
Besides, the traffic and noise are other disadvantages of public transport. However, even though they still contribute to emission levels, it is less than that of cars, thus making them an ideal sustainable option.
Safety Concerns
The main concern when one uses an e-scooter and other vehicles is to ensure safety first. An e-scooter may be the cause of a mishap.
Electric bikes, on the other hand, have a higher injury rate due to accidents. However, these are not as serious as e-scooter accidents.
Yet the public transport system is the safest travel option, there are times when accidents happen though. The only thing that drivers have to do is undergo professional training. Also, drivers are the ones who make sure that they follow safety procedures.
Case Studies and Data Analysis
You must be excited about your first electric scooter. You may prefer a green lifestyle but how much do you know regarding the e-scooters from data-driven analysis?
In the U.S. territory of San Francisco and Denver e-scooters are getting more and more popular. The majority of them, about 36%, are replacing walking. Therefore, 36% of people prefer e-scooters instead of walking for a trip of ‘walking.’
10% of e-scooters are alternative public transport and bike rides along with 36% of car trips. Indeed, e-scooters are steadily gaining power. Not to mention, e-scooters are 1000% more efficient than ICE vehicles.
Juan Matute of UCLA says, 'What is not green (that is about e-scooters) is everything you don't see.' What you don’t see is how they make the scooters.
For instance, a production of a battery requires an output of the exhaust gas by 204g of CO2. This may be the harmful side of our environment. But, there are fewer damages than cars, buses, and public transport.
Apart from that, collecting and distributing e-scooters may also be analyzed. The trucks will emit CO2 when taking the goods to a store. Emission from trucks is the major cause of this negative impact (43%) of the e-scooters' collection and distribution. Yet, a few producers are opting to use green transportation methods for their products distribution today.
One other aspect you should look at is the electric scooters' energy efficiency. In terms of energy use, e-scooters are more efficient than other transportation methods. Only e-bikes lead the way in terms of energy efficiency.
How to Reduce the Negative Impacts of E-scooters
Some negatives of e-scooters are due to the battery and manufacturing. So how can you and others play a part in reducing them? Here are some ways:
Improve Battery Recycling
Safe battery disposal can reduce e-scooters’ negative effects.There should be more battery recycling plants. Also, users can be offered cash incentives when they choose to recycle a battery. This will reduce the risk of improper battery disposal.
Sustainable Manufacturing Practices
Sustainable manufacturing reduces carbon emissions. Using sustainable energy like wind and solar during production is great. This reduces carbon emissions.
Charge Smart
Do not over charge the battery. Doing so will only reduce the production lifespan. If you want to manage energy, don’t over charge.
Maintenance Strategies
Maintaining your scooter should be your priority. Clean it if you need to often. When the battery has faults, change them on time.
Conclusion
Is e-scooters worth the hype? What do you think? It is worth knowing that e-scooters produce no carbon emissions at all. Moreover, they are also convenient to use.
But they do have their negative sides. Still, when you weigh your options, the good is greater than the bad. This is not your straightforward good or bad decision. Take time and think before making a choice.
If you favor owning one of these vehicles, ensure to check out Lexgogogo for ultra modern and affordable e-scooters.
