If you use an electric scooter for commuting around most major US cities then you have probably asked yourself, “Should I own or rent an E-scooter?” It’s a fair question as there are many pros and cons to consider for both. In this article, we simply want to point out those pros and cons within different scenarios so you can decide for yourself.
Scooters For Fun
If you do not use an E-Scooter for comuting, but you do enjoy riding, then it really depends on location and how much you ride. If you want to have your scooter anywhere you go, you will obviously need to own one. On the other hand, if rentals are close by, the choice becomes more difficult. If you simply want to go on a joy ride from time to time, and you live near rentals, maybe owning is not worth it for you. The few dollars you spend every once in a while probably won’t add up to much. BUT, this would not allow you to take your scooter with you anywhere you want, and you would be limited to the rentals’ preset locations for riding.
So owning or renting a scooter just for fun really depends on each individual situation. With that said, renting will definitely limit when and where you want to ride.
E-scooters For Commuting
Those of us that actually use electric scooters for commuting to and from work and/or anywhere else have probably considered purchasing at some point. If you are one of those, let’s take a look at some facts that might help you choose.
First off, electric scooter rental prices truly depend on where you live. They all have a standard unlock fee (usually $1.00) plus anywhere from $0.15 – $0.45 a minute after that. To make things easy, we will use the $0.15 per minute for our calculations. Just understand that means these numbers will technically be best case scenario wherever you are in the US.
Let’s say you average 40 mins of riding a day. That covers to and from work, lunch breaks, afterwork rides to grab dinner, or whatever else might get you riding. Yours
might be a little more or less depending on how many times you have to unlock the rental scooter, but that would be about $63.00 a week or $252.00 a month. We won’t even talk about the yearly cost ($3,024.00 oops…).
The good thing about renting is the fact that you don’t own an expensive machine that requires maintenance and a possible new battery at some point. You also would not have to worry about storage or carrying your scooter up and down stairs to your home.
On the other hand, owning an E-scooter will require storage, carrying, and possible transportation from time to time. But then there’s the price, which is really where owning shines.
Yes, electric scooters can be expensive to purchase depending on the quality and abilities desired, but we believe you can get a quality scooter in the $300 – $600 range. If we take the median price of $450, it would take less than 2 months to spend that same $450 on rentals. So, you can see the clear possibility of some serious savings over time for owning compared to renting. Some might still say the hassle of owning is still too much, and that’s ok. The comfort of not having to worry about the scooter after your ride is worth something for sure. It just depends on how much it’s worth to you. If you bought an E-scooter for $500, and it lasted you exactly 1 year (it will last longer than that), the savings would be significant. We didn’t want to talk about the yearly cost of renting, so calculating those savings might be tough, but it might be something like $2,524.00 a year (oops…).
Conclusion
Each individual’s situation will be different, but owning an E-scooter will usually be more cost effective compared to renting in the long run. Either way, the feeling you get every time you take a RIDE is priceless!