Are Electric Scooters Worth It? [How Soon They Pay Themselves Off?]

If you don’t own one yet, you may be wondering if an electric scooter is worth it.

In this guide, we will see how soon scooters pay themselves off, how much they save for you each year, and how they compare with other means of transport cost-wise.

Are electric scooters worth it? (quick answer)

Electric scooters are much more cost-efficient than owning a car or using public transport. Savings on fuel and public transport costs will pay off your electric scooter in 4-6 months in developed countries, and in about a year and a half on average globally. You will save between $400 and $1200 every year, depending on your location.

Electric scooter costs

The costs you will have with your scooter after you buy it include potential repairs costs and charging costs.

Higher-quality scooters will not require any maintenance for several years, which means owning an electric scooter will likely cost just several dollars per year.

Are electric scooters high maintenance?

Electric scooters, like all machines, can break down. But luckily, defects are not that common.

E-scooters consist of simpler components like the motor, battery, controller, brakes, and wheels. Repairs can be complex, with potential delays in receiving spare parts from the manufacturer.

Still, electric scooter defects are more of an exception than the rule. The most popular scooters already have repair shops in many cities. What’s better, there are many YouTube channels and forums where you can see how to do the simpler repairs by yourself, in your home, without paying an expert.

There is the issue of battery aging over time. With good maintenance and care, your original battery can last you years.

See my detailed guide on electric scooter maintenance to find out my complete yet quick routine.

Electric scooter charging costs: do scooters save money?

There are two factors that will determine how much it costs to charge your scooter:

• The price of electricity where you live
• The capacity of your scooter’s battery.

For a typical scooter like the Xiaomi M365 Pro (or similar models with around 500 Wh battery capacity), here are the charging costs in countries where they are commonly used, factoring in peak and off-peak rates.

We assume that you fully charge your scooter every day, during peak hours (worst case scenario).

If you are interested in the full research of electric scooter charging costs, you can take a look at the electric scooter charging cost research.

Electric scooter vs car costs

We’ll compare daily peak-hour scooter charging costs to monthly fuel costs for traveling 400 miles (644 kilometers), excluding maintenance expenses, which are typically higher for cars.

I choose that number based on the yearly distance an average American drives with their car, (13.474 miles) then I divided it by 12 to get the monthly number (1124), and finally divided that by 2 for the car rides that you wouldn’t do with a scooter, like going somewhere with family, transporting some larger objects, etc. That gives us 562 miles, and since Americans probably drive more than people in other countries, I decided to further reduce that number to a nice round 400 miles (644 kilometers). I think that’s pretty fair to the case of cars in this comparison, if not somewhat generous.

Since the charging prices were chosen for the average scooter, we will be looking at the average car as well. According to figures released by the federal office of environmental protection in Germany, the average car uses 7.5 liters of fuel per 100 kilometers (62 miles). Again, I think this is generous for cars, since German cars are probably more fuel-efficient than the average car.

Putting the two together, we arrive at the conclusion that the average car that a person drives alone for about 400 miles / 644 kilometers in one month will need 6.45 refills of 7.5 liters, or 48.37 liters.

[(400 miles or 644 km) / (62 miles or 100 km)] = 6.44

6.44 * 7.5 liters = 48.37 liters

Fuel needed in liters for one month of car usage by a single person

What remains now is to multiply that number by the fuel costs per country.

I pulled the fuel cost per country data from the GlobalPetrolPrices website.

With that data included, here’s the full comparison.

If you are still wondering if is it possible to replace your car with an electric scooter watch this video.

Electric scooters vs public transport costs

Public transport, while essential and eco-friendly, often falls short in cleanliness, reliability, and flexibility. It’s typically an expense, not an investment.

Comparatively, electric scooters prove to be a more cost-effective and efficient mode of transportation. This research highlights the advantages of electric scooters without diminishing the importance of public transport.

For the purposes of this research, I used the monthly prices of public transport tickets per country. I sourced the data from NationMaster. That’s probably the best-case scenario in favor of public transport, since buying individual tickets will probably drive the cost way up.

The following table represents the monthly public transport ticket prices for most countries where electric scooters are popular.

Car parking vs e-scooter parking

I’ve personally experienced the contrast between car and electric scooter parking, and it’s remarkable.

When I park my scooter, it’s a breeze with no need for costly fees or hunting for parking spots. It’s not only convenient but also cost-effective, aligning with the sustainable urban mobility trend.

Cars are more efficient in winter, but the idea of not being able to find a parking spot and then walking a few miles to my workplace in the morning plus the financial part. All of that considered using my Xiaomi Mi M365 is real lifesaver.

Methodology for the research

The nerdier of you may have noticed that the average monthly savings do not really correspond to the average number of months that it takes for the scooter to pay itself off in both tables.

This is because we can’t derive the average number of months from the average monthly savings.

[($500 / usa_savings) + (500 / uk_savings) + …] / countries_number ≠ [$500 / (usa_savings + uk_savings + …)] / countries_number

A weird mathematical falacy I almost fell for

What the research doesn’t take into account

The research doesn’t include battery replacement costs for simplicity, but it’s a valid concern. If we assume a battery change every 2.5 years at around $150, you can subtract roughly $10 from monthly savings to estimate total savings, factoring in all costs.

FAQ

Here are the answers to the burning questions.

How much money does an electric scooter save you compared to car spendings?

On average, electric scooters save about $33.47 per month compared to car fuel costs for personal use. In the USA, it’s $18.3, $26.7 in Canada, and $24.6 in Australia. The UK and Ireland save even more at around $41, while most EU and European countries save between $35 and $45 per month.

Significant savings occur in countries with high fuel prices, notably in the EU. Conversely, savings are lower in countries with lower fuel prices and potentially higher electricity costs, such as the USA, Russia, the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, and Malaysia.

How soon does an electric scooter pay itself off with car fuel savings?

A typical $500 electric scooter pays for itself in 17 months on average.

In countries with expensive fuel like some European nations, it’s even faster (Germany: 13 months, UK and Ireland: 12 months, France and most Nordic countries: 11 months, Netherlands: 10 months).

In countries with cheaper fuel, it takes longer (USA: 27 months, Russia: 28 months, Malaysia: 44 months).

How much money does an electric scooter save you compared to public transport spendings?

Averaged across the world, electric scooters will save you about $50 per month if you use them instead of buying a monthly public transport ticket. The savings are very prominent in countries where public transport is expensive (the USA with $65, EU countries where monthly tickets cost between $80 and $100, and Australia, Canada, the UK, and Ireland, all with $100 or more). This holds true even for countries where monthly tickets are very cheap (the Philippines at $11, Ukraine at $10, India and Pakistan at $9.5).

How soon will an electric scooter pay itself off with public transport cost savings?

Globally, an average $500 electric scooter will pay itself off within a year and a half (17.5 months) with money saved on public transport tickets. In developed countries, where public transport is expensive, this time frame will be a lot smaller (just 4-6 months in the UK, Ireland, EU, and Nordic countries, Australia, and Canada, and about 8 months in the USA). In places where public transport is very cheap, it will take a lot longer (5 years in India and Pakistan, and a whole 8 years in Vietnam!).

How long do electric scooter batteries last?

The battery is somewhat of a different story than the scooter as a whole.

Most electric scooters have lithium-ion batteries, they lose their capacity over time. There will come a point in time when you’ll likely have to get a new battery.

The expected life of a lithium-ion battery is between 2 and 3 years, or between 300 and 500 charges.

After about 18-24 months, you may start seeing noticeable drops in range and power.

How much your battery will last also depends on how well you take care of it, and how well you take care of the scooter in general.

To get the most out of your battery:

• never drain your battery completely
• charge your scooter regularly
• if you don’t use it for longer times, make sure you store it properly
• inspect it frequently

Are electric scooters reliable?

Complete breakdowns are very rare, despite electric scooters being a fairly new technology.

The range keeps improving year over year. Today, there are tons of amazing long-range scooters you can go for if you need more range.

Accidents are extremely rare, and very easily preventable with safe and responsible riding.

So overall, electric scooters are very reliable.

What should I look for when buying my first electric scooter?

If this is your first scooter ever, it’s best if you go with the public and get a tried and tested electric scooter.

For most use cases and if you’re on a budget, you can’t really go wrong with any of these:

• Xiaomi M365 Pro (full review here, get it from AliExpress, ships in the USA too)
• Ninebot Max (full review here, check it out on Amazon)
• Razor EcoSmart (check it out on Amazon)

Check out the full electric scooter buying guide to learn exactly how to pick for your needs.

Matt Trajkovski

My name is Matt Trajkovski. I love electric scooters, and electric vehicles in general. I like doing a lot of testing, reviewing, and research on various electric scooter models and brands, following our proprietary rigorous editorial and testing process developed here at EScooterNerds, looking for great value and performance, both through data and experience. All of the content published on this blog goes through a rigorous review and editorial process, and our product reviews not only include the hands-on experience of our own team members, but the experience of our audience members as well. My goal is to provide you with the best information about electric scooters possible. You can see all of my posts in my articles archive.