Electric Scooter Buying Guide

Go green and go fast

A brief, necessary warning First off, we know you're a savvy consumer, but be sure you aren't buying a child's toy. They do make youth electric scooters pretty tough, with a decent range and power, but these aren't intended for actual daily traveling. In short, you should count on spending plenty more than 300 dollars. And if it's decorated with lightning stickers or pink and blue stars, you should probably move on to something designed for you.

Weigh your possible benefits
Electric scooters are an attractive option for green, energy efficient transportation, but carefully think about what you stand to gain. There is no vehicle registration or licensing with electric scooters, and fuel costs will be about 25 percent of gas-powered vehicles. That, combined with savings from parking and expensive auto repairs can save you a lot. However, the range, charge time, and lower maximum speed might be a hindrance to your movement. Late or not, you won't have the option of going a little faster.

There will come a time when you'll need to have you're electric scooter serviced, and you don't want to be stuck without a place to take it. Make sure in advance that you've got a couple of shops you can take your bike to so you won't be without transportation for long.

For the undecided
For something that straddles the line between electric scooter and bike, look into the A2B. This hybrid delivers 500W of power to scoot you around at 20 miles per hour without any pedaling. If you want to stretch the battery charge or get a little exercise in, start pedaling. The downside? It weighs about 73 pounds and costs around 2500 dollars. That said, as long as you don't let the charge run out (easy with its 20 mile range) you'll save a bundle on gas, cab fare, parking, and car repairs.