The number of electric scooters has drastically increased during the last three months.
Is it due to some short lasting techno-trend or something else?
I was able to interview some e-scooter owners about their e-scooter experience. Here are the two most interesting (interviews were performed on busy streets in Zagreb, Croatia):
Željko - I bought an electric scooter to save on gas and avoid traffic jams in the morning. When I go to work with my car, it takes me 25-30 minutes because there is always a big jam on the bridge and by waiting I am losing time and money i.e. I am wasting fuel on slowly moving 10kph. I decided to buy an electric scooter because it seemed like an ideal solution for my problems. Firstly, it is small and takes very little space, secondly, 25 kph is more than enough and with it it takes me only about 15 minutes to my work and I do not have to spend additional time to find a parking spot. When I do the math, it really pays off. I recommend e-scooters to anyone who can relate to my story, it is a great investment.
Tatjana - I went by bus to work every day. I was always forced to go on the earlier bus to be sure that I would arrive in time because you never know when you will get stuck in traffic. I was looking for a better way because I live few bus stops away from my work and I had to pay around $60 a month for the bus (In Croatia, we get $60 a month for public transport monthly tickets). That seemed absurd so I decided to search for a better alternative. I Googled for cheaper transportation options and I stumbled upon electric scooters. I was amazed when I read that 1000 km costs only $1 of electricity. Of course, you have to add the scooter price to it, which is $500. When you do the math for the first year, it is around $45 a month, $15 cheaper than slow public transport anyway. So if I use my transportation money to buy an electric scooter, I saved more than $150 per year, which means that, in the end, I have at least $150 more in my pocket for something else. I liked the idea so much that I bought the scooter with my Amex card. I have the e-scooter for three months and I am using transportation money to pay it off month by month. I recommend it to everyone.
Željko and Tatjana made good decisions and they solved some of their everyday problems and saved some money at the same time. Sometimes it is necessary to spend some money to save more in the long run.
Author: Martin Matešić