Renting vs Buying Electric Scooters: Which is better?

Electric Scooters have been around for a long time even before the high-end innovation started. With Lime and Bird starting the ride-sharing industry, the hype of electric scooters began to make noise for itself. However, now that the world started with the new normal in terms of social distancing, curiosity speaks up. Which is better? Renting or buying electric scooters?

Renting an Electric Scooter

The trend of scooter ride-sharing started in the US. It was mainly used for delivery service, quick errands, and for university students to move around their campuses.

Benefits of Renting an Electric Scooter

Cost:
The initial cost is minimal. The rent to unlock one scooter is around $1 and the 30 cents for the succeeding minutes—a good deal if you’re looking to try it out or if you’re looking for an alternative to Uber.

Electricity Cost:
Renting an electric scooter will help you save your electricity cost because you won’t have to charge it on your own.

Maintenance:
Since you are renting, you do not have to worry about the maintenance of the scooter. You just have to pay and ride it.

The Disadvantage of Renting an Electric Scooter

Comfort:
Not every rental electric scooter is in good shape. Due to the often use of different riders, some scooters are already wearing off. Even though rental services are taking care of the maintenance, the same good quality is not guaranteed.

With other people using rental scooters, there’s always a worry that it’s not as clean as you’d like it to be.

Protective Gear:
Rental services for electric scooters do not provide any protective gear for their users. They were rather advised to provide their own gears when renting. Many of these users do not bother getting one because it is bothersome for them. And it is not safe to not wear one, especially the helmet.

Availability:
Though it is not pricey at all to rent, there’s also no guarantee you could find one anywhere at any time. When it’s peak hours, it is almost impossible to rent one. The nearest one might be 5 miles away and that alone beats the purpose of using an electric scooter for a short distance trip.

Insurance:
Your car insurance policy does not cover any accidents relating to using rental electric scooters. It would be big trouble in case you encounter such an event since no insurance company will take responsibility for the medical bills and property repairs.

Not environmentally friendly:
Electric scooters are hailed as environmentally friendly. But, did you know that rental electric scooters can pollute the environment? They don’t produce the pollutants itself but these rental scooters are brought back to their stations, recharged, and transported by trucks and cars. This appears to be defining its said purpose of replacing cars. It does not really lessen the carbon footprint in the environment.

Buying an Electric Scooter

An electric scooter is obviously cheaper than buying a car. But, it does cost a little more than renting one. When buying your own electric scooter, you must consider a lot of things and must be responsible for owning such a vehicle.

Benefits of Buying an Electric Scooter

Freedom:
When you have your own electric scooter, you have the freedom to do anything you want with it. Customisation is one of the first things that an owner would do. You can make it look the way you want it to. And, there’s nothing quite like owning your own electric scooter.

Cost-efficient:
It may be pricey at first thought, but in the long run, buying an electric scooter will help you save more than renting one every day. Plus, it is more of an investment on your side since you’ll be using it for years.

Convenience:
When you have your own electric scooter, you can use it anytime you want. It will save you the time to look for available scooters outside. Plus, you are comfortable with using it since you are the one in charge of it.

Preference:
Maybe you want a red scooter? Buying your own gives you the freedom to choose what suits your taste. You can choose your desired specifications in the price range that you are actually comfortable with.

Protective Gear:
When you have your own electric scooter, you will surely invest in having a protective gear as well. While you want to enjoy your scooter, you have to be safe as well. Renting or buying electric scooters, protective gears are important necessities.

Environmentally friendly:
Owned electric scooters are far fewer pollutants than rentals. The carbon dioxide produced in manufacturing the electric scooters is spread out many miles and years if maintained properly.

The Disadvantages of Buying an Electric Scooter

Electricity Cost:
An electric scooter for yourself means the electricity is on your care as well. You need to charge your scooter, and you are the one to pay for it. But, the voltage is low enough that it is not too significant on your electricity bill.

Maintenance:
To have your electric scooter running for a long time, you need to maintain the basic necessities like its motor, battery, and tires. However, the maintenance of an electric scooter is rather low. While you need to maintain your electric scooters, sellers usually have good coverage in warranty. It won’t hurt your wallet.

Conclusion: Which is better?

Many rental users do not have a sense of responsibility towards something that isn’t theirs. Rental electric scooters are just left lying around the sidewalks after being used, some are even left on private properties.

Electric scooters are good and beneficial depending on the needs of the user. Renting or buying electric scooters both have their good and bad benefits.

Rental scooters are not all bad. These rental scooters are good for tourists who want to explore other places and cities in a short period of time. Rental scooters are good to have a feel of electric scooters first before committing to purchasing one. Owned electric scooters are good if you want something reliable and fit for your daily commuting needs.

All in all, owned electric scooters are far more superior than rental scooters. It is cost-efficient, sustainable, safe, and reliable. And if you are looking for this kind of scooter, Mearth RS Series is worth the look and worth the investment as well.