To rent or to buy an electric scooter

The question that concerns many of us – is it really worth buying an electric scooter for EUR 400 – 3000, or would a rental scooter be enough?

Rental scooters are convenient! You will just pick them up whenever you feel like it
and drop them (almost) wherever you want! You only pay for a specific ride and
do not have to bring the vehicle with you indoors.

However, rental scooters also have their disadvantages! Are they even available at the
right time in the right place? Is there enough battery? Is the vehicle
serviceable? Can I make it to my destination with a half-full battery?

More specifically, the benefit of a rental scooter is in how much the vehicle is
actually used.  In a situation where distances are within a kilometer or
two, and the constant presence of a scooter is not important, rentals are good
enough.  However, if you need to move from point A to point B on a daily
basis and cannot afford not to have a scooter around, have it broken, or with a
low battery, it is wiser to start thinking about a personal e-scooter.

Nor can it be overlooked that rental scooters are designed solely for hire, that is,
they are designed to be as “bombproof” as possible. Specifically,
this means that the scooter is deprived of all the conveniences besides being
able to step on it. With the rental scooter, we can’t talk about the 10-inch
pneumatic tires, suspension, high and wide footrest, adjustable handlebar
height, folding, powerful engine, high reach, and even top speed. All of these
only exist on personal scooters, which each individual can choose according to
their needs and interests.

But what about the cost of a scooter? By taking our rental scooter price list, for example, we find that starting a ride
costs EUR 0.50, and every minute you ride is EUR 0.10.  Consequently, the average user, who
goes to work and comes back from work, rents a scooter twice a day and uses it
(let us fantasize), on average 20 minutes at a time, pay for one trip for about
(0.50 + 0.1 x 20) EUR 2.50. In this case, the cost of a day’s transport would
be approximately EUR 5.-

For example, when you buy a personal scooter for EUR 699.99, the game changes
dramatically. First, you always have the opportunity to go anywhere, anytime.
You don’t have to worry about finding a rental scooter near the house, you
don’t have to worry about it being in working order, or having someone just
take it and run with it right under your nose. Not to mention the riding
comfort that a personal scooter can offer in the form of shock absorbers or,
for example, higher speed. In addition, everyone understands that being a
person using an electric scooter on a daily basis or even every other day, it
is financially wiser to own your own vehicle. Obviously, your daily rides will
also lengthen, and you give yourself more freedom and time to use your scooter
than when you do it with a rental scooter.

It also has to be mentioned that there are certain problems with owning an e-scooter.
Occasionally, the vehicle must be taken care of, depending on the rider and the
riding style. Replace brake pads (if the brake is mechanical, not electric),
pump more air into the tire, clean the vehicle, etc. However, there is nothing
complicated here, and as a little secret, we can say that the eco-friendliness
of rental scooters is questionable because their lifespan is not very long.
However, owning a personal scooter significantly increases the life of the
vehicle, which in turn makes it more environmentally friendly.

In conclusion, it is likely that every user will have the right version for their needs, be it renting a scooter, owning it, or even walking!