Mobility in cities has evolved a lot in recent years and urban VMPs have gained a lot of presence on the streets. Currently, there are two that dispute their reign: scooters and electric bicycles.
Traffic in cities is increasingly complicated and the rise of electromobility has allowed access to numerous accessible and comfortable means of transport that can even be combined with public transport.
They are called Personal Mobility Vehicles or VMP, which even have their own legislation and regulations defined by the General Directorate of Traffic (DGT).
There are several types of VMP that we can find on the market, but there is no doubt that two of them are the most successful due to their versatility and qualities: the electric scooter and the eBike or electric bicycle.
In a scooter the autonomy is about 25 kilometers, while in bicycles it is normal to find autonomy between 50 and 100 kilometers
While the electric scooter is clearly focused on the city, in the case of electric bicycles there are several types that can be used for a specific use or several at the same time.
But this time we are going to focus on urban bicycles, since they are the ones that aspire to reign in the city against scooters. Each of these means of sustainable transport has its advantages and disadvantages and we are going to list them so that you have no doubts about which of the two suits you best.
Speed
The scooter and the bicycle must follow the same regulations in this regard, that is, cannot exceed 25 km/h of speed with the assistance of the electric motor that they incorporate (although they can do it with our impulse or by pedaling).
But it is obvious that the fact that the bicycle allows us to pedal makes it faster, since those 25 km/h are easy to overcome on favorable terrain for it. In addition, the stability of the bicycle at high speed and the ability to absorb the irregularities of the terrain is superior.
Don’t forget that…
It is forbidden to drive on the sidewalks with a scooter or electric bicycle that exceeds 6 km/h and, therefore, be considered VMP by current law. In addition, if it exceeds 25 km/h, it will be considered an electric scooter and the applicable regulations will be different.
Regarding the power of electric motors, this is usually higher in the case of bicycles, since they must move more weight and also bigger wheels. The starting point in both cases is usually a 250W motor and the final result, taking into account weight and friction, is usually a similar speed and acceleration.
Autonomy
As in cars, the autonomies set by the manufacturers of electric scooters and bikes are usually higher than what daily use subsequently allows. But there is no doubt that, when comparing scooters and bicycles, the latter is much higher.
To begin with, the electric motor of a bicycle is designed as a pedal assistance, which causes its autonomy to reduce more slowly depending on the amount of effort that the user makes to move the vehicle. Instead, in the scooter it is the electric motor that makes almost all the effort (or all).
In addition, bicycles, by their design, allow add larger batteriessince it is not in vain that they are designed to cover more kilometers than with a scooter and have a larger surface for coupling them.
So, the normal on a scooter is a range of about 25 kilometerswhile in bicycles it is normal to find autonomies between 50 and 100 kilometers. Of course, in return, the charging time is less on a scooter, about four or five hours for at least eight in the case of a bicycle.
size and space
There is no color, if what you need is a manageable and small vehicle, the scooter is the clear winner of the comparison. The scooters are foldable and although there are also bikes with a folding frame, neither the size nor the weight can compete with their smaller rivals.
This is an advantage if you have to store them in small places at home or in a storage room, transport them in a car or travel part of the way by public transport. With both you can do it, but it will always be more comfortable and simple with a scooter.
In fact, scooters usually weigh between 12 and 15 kg. Instead, it is rare for an electric bike to drop below 20kg. and the usual thing is that it approaches 30 kg. You know, bigger engine, bigger batteries, bigger wheels, bigger frame, more components… it all adds up.
Security
In this case, the bicycle beats the scooter, since it is more stable, more manageable and it also has greater braking capacity (although it can also reach a higher speed).
This is due to several reasons, some of them being the driving position, the ability to cushion irregularities of the terrain (whether it has suspensions or not) and the size of its wheels.
If you need a scooter, then choose one of long handlebar and wide base, because you will gain stability during the march. And, obviously, always wear a helmet, which is also mandatory.
Price and maintenance
We end with the monetary issues: the purchase price and the maintenance after it. In both cases the scooter is much cheaper. Mainly, because it has much fewer components (its operation is simpler) and these are smaller and simpler.
If we talk about prices of intermediate quality models, in the case of the scooter these range between 300 and 550 euros. If we refer to bicycles, this range grows up to 1000 euros on average (although it also depends on the type of bicycle, if it is folding, urban, trekking, etc).
Electric scooter or electric bike?
Taking into account all the aspects that we have reviewed, but leaving aside the price, if what you are looking for is versatility and greater freedom of movement, what you need is the bicycle. With it you can not only do more kilometers, but you have the possibility of riding on more varied surfaces, carrying more load and even mounting a baby carrier to be accompanied.
If, on the other hand, you have a small house, you make short trips or you need to take it by metro or bus, the scooter is the best choice.
In any case, both are more than interesting options and personal preferences also come into play or what makes us feel more comfortable and safe while walking. That is also very, very important and will guarantee a good adaptation and, as a consequence of this, a continued and practical use, which in the end is what it is all about.
Photos: Freepik