Global rising inflation, higher cost of living, and fuel costs are leading more and more New Zealanders to seek
alternative means of transportation, as car maintenance and associated costs become increasingly unfeasible. This search
has resulted in a particular surge in purchases of electric scooters and bikes (also known as e-scooters and e-bikes).
One of the main factors in choosing an e-scooter or e-bike as an alternative to driving a car is the costs involved.
While it may still make sense to own a car to use for longer trips – especially if it’s electric – both e-scooters and
e-bikes are far more cost-effective for daily urban commutes, since they’re energy efficient and don’t run on fossil
fuel.
Of these two options, e-scooters tend to have a distinct advantage, as they are generally cheaper than e-bikes; require
less maintenance, with mostly just the tires and battery requiring sporadic replacement; and are more compact. Indeed,
the compact nature of e-scooters is a particular drawcard, as it’s far easier to navigate around foot traffic and one
can even carry and store this form of transportation in indoor public spaces.
While one might not get as much physical exercise when riding a scooter as one would a bike, e-scooters do still promote
cardio activity when in manual mode, and assist with building leg and core strength since it takes balance to ride one.
It also makes more sense to invest in some form of electrically-aided transportation, as it allows one to get to places
faster than walking or riding a manual bike.
Since most transport alternatives to cars have smaller carbon footprints, are generally cheaper to buy and maintain, and
promote greater levels of health and fitness, it’s likely that cities across New Zealand will begin seeing more forms of
alternative transportation, with e-scooters leading the way.