There are many reasons why someone might choose a kick-scooter over an e-scooter and vice versa, and it’s not easy to decide without trying one. In fact most people assume they need electric – and its just not the case!
In this blog we explore the different scenarios which may influence how you make your choice, we hope it helps!
We recently conducted an opinion survey which produced some interesting results about electric scooters. We asked could electric scooters be a clean mode for people who have physical barriers to cycling and walking – read more in the journal!
Kick vs Electric – Scooters for Fitness
If you’re looking for a form of active travel but don’t want to cycle, a kick-scooter offers a great alternative. By using a high quality scooter like a Swifty, you can get the feeling of freedom that a bike delivers, but without the faff! The step-on-and-go nature of a kick-scooter means that this is one of the most accessible modes of active travel out there. Basically, if you can stand, you can scoot! However, this comes with a caveat. You will need to look at your journey, how hilly it is, and how fit you are.
If you are looking to increase your fitness, or to maintain a good level of fitness, the a kick-scooter is a great option. Find out more about how a kick-scooter compares to a bike, read more in the Journal
Read More: SCOOTER VS BIKE – WHO COMES OUT ON TOP?
Alternatively, an electric scooter isn’t a fitness tool, it’s a mode of transportation that feels pretty sporty! With the Swifty Electric Scooter range, you are able to kick without using the throttle due to the brushless hub motor, but even this hybrid design isn’t really for fitness.
Kick vs Electric – Scooters for Commuting
If you’re looking for a clean and low-cost commuter vehicle, a scooter could be ideal. Ask yourself if you could benefit from the exercise of a kick-scooter, or would it be too much at the end of a long shift? Check your route as well, does it feature a long up-hill stretch?
In general, if your commute doesn’t feature too many long hills, and you have a nice protected cycle lane, canal path or shared use pavement, a kick-scooter should do the job. If you are relatively fit, a 5 mile scoot should take you around 40 minutes – a great way to look after your heart health and the daily exercise really helps you to alleviate stress.
If you’re looking to alternate between train, tube or bus, then a foldable kick-scooter like SwiftyONE is much more practical than an electric scooter because its lighter to carry and more portable (SwiftyONE weighs 8.3kg). You may even find that e-scooters are restricted on public transport in your area.
Alternatively, if your job is already tiring and you want a reliable motorised mode of transport that’ll take you directly from A to B, any time of day, whether you're tired or not, then an electric scooter would be the one for you.
If your commute is further than 5 miles, or perhaps you don’t have the fitness to commit to a long kick-scoot every day, then I would highly recommend an electric scooter!
Kick vs Electric – Scooters for Fun and Adventure
E-scooters are often perceived as things that are just for fun, and they are definitely fun! There is a certain thrill experienced when zooming effortlessly past the queues of traffic. However, there is one thing missing from an e-scooter journey, and that is the natural endorphins that your body creates when you’re exercising. You’re standing still, which is PERFECT on a hot summer’s day, but your body isn’t moving, so just remember that when the weather is cold – wrap up warm!
Alternatively, a kick-scooter like SwiftyAIR is ideal for weekend adventures and fun trips outdoors. It’s lightweight, easy to lift, carry and manoeuvre when discovering an off-road trail this could be a decisive factor.
Compared to an e-scooter, the added weight of the motor and battery does make it that bit harder to use for adventure (The SwiftyAIR-e weighs 14kg), plus you have a limited range before you need to stop and charge up the battery.
Don’t forget, a kick-scooter has unlimited range! No need to carry chargers either!
Read More: ADULT ADVENTURE SCOOTER: FIRST DESCENTS MOUNT SNOWDON UK
Kick vs Electric – Scooters for Running Errands
There are so many little trips that we make every week, whether it be running errands like grocery shopping, traveling to school, trips to meetings, to sports groups or community events, visiting friends or family, and often we simply drive. But it’s these short distance trips that make up most of our traffic jams! It takes a bit of effort to change driving habits, but once you’ve tried it, you’ll wonder why you wasted all that time stuck in traffic jams, when you could have been scooting!
For short daily errands and you’re not sure whether to choose a kick-scooter or electric scooter, take a look at the terrain, will you need to tackle any steep long hill inclines? If so, maybe try electric. But if not, it’s worth trying a kick-scooter first.
If you’re traveling to the gym or a sports class, a kick-scooter could be a perfect warm up!
Also its worth checking the bike racks or if there will be a decent place to lock up your scooter. And if there isn’t can you take it inside with you? Perhaps a foldable scooter would be a worth while feature, so you can store in a cupboard or locker.
For either option, make sure you carry a comfy ruck-sack for groceries!
Kick vs Electric – Scooters for Short Distance Trips up to 5 Miles
If you’re just looking at trip distance, in general a short distance trip could be perfect for a kick-scooter. A kick-scooter is a great way to speed up those walking journeys that you just don’t have the time for. If you’re always dashing and want to save time – a kick-scooter is a really effective way to shorten those walks to the train station or to the shops.
An electric scooter does the same job, just without the effort! When the weather's very hot, you'll appreciate the motor power and the wind in your hair!
You may have heard some of the stats around short distance trips. 67% of all car journeys are less than 5 miles long! So let’s decarbonise our journeys and try an alternative. You’ll probably find its quicker too!
Kick vs Electric – Scooters for Trips up to 10 Miles
For trips that are between 5 and 10 miles, I would recommend an electric scooter. Particularly if you’re doing this journey regularly, like on the commute. If you travel using an e-scooter, always check the battery range, you’ll need to carry a charger so you can plug in to re-charge for the trip home.
Having said that, if you’re kick-scooting for fun and adventure you can travel even further in one go – just make sure you fuel yourself up with food! If you don’t have battery power, always keep your body fully charged!
Read More: The 1000 Mile Scoot Japan with Dave Cornthwaite
Kick vs Electric – Scooters for Easy Maintenance
Kick-scooters are one of the most low maintenance ways to travel, so adding an electric motor will always add a degree of extra maintenance. However, both are seriously low maintenance. And if you like the look of the Swifty range, you’ll recognise the bicycle grade components. This means that Swiftys can be fixed and repaired at any decent bike shop!
Find our more about Swifty's Quality Promise in the Journal: SWIFTY SCOOTERS QUALITY PROMISE
Kick vs Electric – Scooters Cost Comparison
Firstly, you'll always get most value out of something the more you use it, so fun and convenient items like scooters are easy to get lots of use out of!
While an electric scooter is a higher priced item compared to a kick-scooter, you also need to recognise other associated costs. Although minimal, there will the ongoing cost of charging the battery which we estimate to be about 10p per charge. There may be higher maintenance costs in the future as you fix and maintain the service of your e-scooter over it's lifetime.
However, the versatility of an electric scooter will quickly save you from other travel costs. It is by far the cheapest way to travel, with 25 mile range per charge, and a charging cost of 10p per charge, using an e-scooter is significantly cheaper than public transport and certainly cheaper than driving.
You also will find that you don’t need to fuel your body with calories like cycling or kick-scooting – I know I’ll reach for that extra sandwich if I’ve cycled or kick-scooted - a bonus for food lovers, but the extra calories could be costly on the wallet!
Kick VS Electric – Scooters and the Law – get up to date!
It’s really important that you make yourself aware of the transport law in your area. The rules vary, and it’s up to you to do the research.
Most areas, like in the UK, allow kick-scooters anywhere, but don’t give them right-of-way. This means that kick-scooters are allowed if you scoot safely and don't have any accidents. The reason being that most transport law doesn’t mention them, and there is a lack of case law to guide us.
READ MORE: ARE KICK-SCOOTERS PAVEMENT LEGAL IN THE UK
As for electric scooters, it’s really important to know the law before you buy one. Find out more in our recent blog about e-scooters and the UK:
READ MORE: ARE E-SCOOTERS LEGAL IN THE UK – LATEST POLICY NEWS 2023
Kick vs Electric - Scooter Conclusion
Personally, I believe scooters are great for those short journeys, but much like bikes, the N+1 rule applies. There is so much variation on the market, that each design comes with certain strengths and weaknesses, and I usually end up justifying one of each..... plus one more!
If you have any further questions, comment below!
So, is there any point buying an expensive scooter while the government has no idea what it’s doing regarding road use?
Dennis Smith on