You hear a loud motor roar from outside. You glance out the window, but you already know it’s the same motorcycle rider who always tears through your neighborhood. After he passes and the engine noise fades into the distance, you see another two wheel vehicle zip by silently. It was as quiet as a breeze. An electric scooter!
You are considering a two wheel alternative to a car, and have been asking yourself “what motorcycle should I get?” Maybe the best two wheel vehicle isn’t a motorcycle at all! In recent years, electric scooters have outshined motorcycles in three key areas: cost, convenience, and environmental impact.
Although there are many differences between a motorcycle and scooter, let’s look at an example…
(Or if you can’t wait, skip ahead to our overall comparison!)
Which is better: electric scooter or motorcycle?
Marco is a young professional living in Milan, and he is looking for an efficient way to get around the city. He commutes a total of 20km to work each day, but also wants something fun that will let him cruise around the city for leisure activities.
He is considering a scooter or a motorcycle as a transportation option, because restrictions on car exhaust pollution within the city limits continue to increase.
First of all, the average price of an electric scooter is much lower than the average price of a motorcycle. The average cost of a NIU scooter is €2,999 compared to over €9,000 for a motorcycle. This will save Marco thousands with just the initial cost.
Each month he will travel a total of 400km commuting to and from work, on average. The monthly cost of charging the batteries of a NIU NQi GT electric scooter will be about €3.88, compared to approximately €26.78 in fuel costs for a motorcycle.
The difference in cost for these two wheeled vehicles in the first month alone would already pay for 6,313 extra battery recharges for the electric scooter!
Over time, the cost of owning a motorcycle will continue to rise as well, with higher fuel costs and more parts of a motorcycle that may need to be replaced later.
Keep reading for our full breakdown of cost, convenience, and environmental impact for these two wheel vehicles…
Cost
The initial cost is a very important factor when choosing a two wheel vehicle.
Motorcycles can have extreme ranges in price, from a few thousand Euros for a lower quality model to tens of thousands for more costly models.
Compare that with NIU, which has electric scooter models that start at just €1,899. NIU scooters are are great value, and they do not sacrifice performance either. You will instantly save thousands of Euros by buying an electric scooter, and the savings does not stop there!
As mentioned in Marco’s example, the cost to recharge an electric scooter battery is significantly lower than filling your gas tank. Some cities also allow scooters to be parked on the sidewalk or in free bike parking areas, so no need to worry about expensive parking passes!
Furthermore, an ICE motorcycle has many excess parts that may need to be replaced later due to regular usage. This includes the clutch, engine oil filter, air filter, and timing belt to name a few. Why invest in a product that is more likely to break?
Convenience
Does anyone enjoy going to the gas station? The smell of gas, the line of cars, the questionable cleanliness… it’s not a pleasant experience.
The good news with an electric scooter is you never need to visit a gas station again! If you own an electric scooter, you can recharge overnight while you sleep and wake up the next morning with a full battery, ready to take on the day.
You can choose to plug the scooter in directly, or take out the battery and charge it on the go! This provides maximum convenience, so you can charge at home, the office, a café, or any destination with a standard wall outlet! You won’t need to interrupt your daily routine with a trip to the gas station any longer.
Electric scooters from NIU offer a variety of smart features that are enabled by this battery-powered system. Some awesome NIU scooter smart features include anti-theft protection, vehicle GPS location, and EBS braking (to convert your braking energy into battery power).
Do you need a motorcycle license to ride a scooter? Not necessarily, but the full answer will depend upon your local laws. It is possible that some electric scooter models may not require a license in your region, based on the maximum speed.
If you are new to motorcycles, you may also find it difficult to learn how a motorcycle clutch works. Electric scooters do not require gear shifting and do not require learning a clutch system. Easy!
Overall, when it comes to convenience, electric scooters have a clear edge over other two wheel vehicles.
Environmental impact
Around the world, individuals and governments are taking action against climate change. Vehicle emissions are a huge contributing factor to global pollution. In the US, vehicle emissions account for 28% of the total greenhouse gasses put into the environment each year.
We can drastically reduce our global emissions by simply using electric vehicles instead of ICE vehicles. A motorcycle requires gas for fuel, and oil to maintain the motor. Motorcycles also produce exhaust emissions and noise pollution in local neighborhoods. Compare this to a silent, exhaust-free electric scooter, where none of the above applies.
Between an electric scooter to a motorcycle, it’s obvious that electric scooters are more eco-friendly.
Which is the best two wheel vehicle?
Use Marco’s previous cost example as a basis, while factoring in the convenience and environmental impacts, which two wheel vehicle comes out on top? Let’s take a look:
For upfront and fuel costs, the electric scooter is the clear leader. When you factor in the convenience of charging your battery anywhere and a host of smart features, the NIU scooter speeds ahead once again. And of course, the battery system that powers electric scooters is much more friendly for the environment when compared to a gas-guzzler motorcycle.
Taking all of these points into consideration…
the electric scooter is the best two wheel vehicle!
If you are considering an electric scooter, you can test drive one at a local dealer in your area and see the difference for yourself!
Start saving time, money, and the environment today!
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