Powered stand-up scooter
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An electric kick scooter
A motorized scooter is a stand-up scooter powered by either a small internal combustion engine or electric hub motor in its front and/or rear wheel. Classified as a form of micro-mobility, they are generally designed with a large center deck on which the rider stands. The first motorized scooter was manufactured by Autoped in 1915.
Recently, electric kick scooters (e-scooters) have grown in popularity with the introduction of scooter-sharing systems that use apps to allow users to rent them by the minute; such systems are commonly found in the U.S and in Queensland, Australia.
History
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1919 Autoped Scooter
A child on a smaller e-scooter, 2011
"E-scooter" redirects here. For electric motorcycles or mopeds, see Electric motorcycles and scooters
Electric kick scooters have surpassed internal combustion-engined scooters in popularity since 2000. They usually have two wheels between 8 and 11 inches (20–28 cm) in diameter, one or both of which are fitted with an electric motor, connected by a platform on which the rider stands, with a handlebar for support and steering. The use of an electric motor makes gears unnecessary, and may support energy recovery by regenerative braking. Range and speed vary considerably according to model. One reference shows ranges of 3 to 220 km (2 to 137 mi), and maximum speeds from 19 to 120 km/h (12 to 75 mph).
In 2017, some bicycle-sharing companies such as Lime, and some scooter-only companies such as Bird, began offering dockless electric kick scooter sharing services. This segment of the micro-mobility market made large inroads in 2018, with numerous dockless e-scooters appearing in major cities worldwide, sometimes in controversial and contentious unsanctioned roll-outs, such as in San Francisco. Different jurisdictions have their own rules regulating electric kick scooter use on public roads and footways.
Overview
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Scooters of several operators in Stockholm City scooters in Tomaszów Mazowiecki, Poland
Usage
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Motorized kick scooters are used in law enforcement, security patrolling and leisure. New ride-sharing systems have made e-scooters easily accessible. They are popular in urban areas and are used as an alternative to bicycling or walking. Ride sharing companies first started dropping these scooters off in large US cities in 2018, and the need for short distance easy access transportation in many cities has meant that they have become increasingly popular with more and more companies looking to join the market.
Environment
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E-scooters, and other electric vehicles, have the potential to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions which are a cause of global warming, and other pollutants, if they are used to replace travel in vehicles with internal combustion engines. Potential environmental benefits depend upon how scooters are used: if they replace car journeys they may be beneficial, but not if they replace walked or cycled journeys. Manufacture of the batteries, in particular, requires resources, and they are often not recycled. Lime estimated that globally one in four trips on its scooters replaced a car journey. A December 2021 Swiss research paper found that privately owned e-scooters tended to replace car journeys, but rented e-scooters emitted more CO2 than the transport modes they replaced.
Safety
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E-scooters are a potentially environmentally friendly alternative personal mode of transportation that has appeal in urban settings and for short distances. However, they are not exempt from the vulnerabilities users may encounter in road traffic injuries similar to exposures pedestrians and bicyclists have shared the roads. For example, Israel has seen over 120,000 imports of e-bike and e-scooters over a two-year period, but due to poor cycling infrastructure, cyclists are often forced onto pedestrian sidewalks, and pedestrians use bike lanes and thus increase the risk of traffic collision. A 2022 review of medical notes found that injury rates due to e-scooters were more like those of motorcycles than bicycles.
As availability and demand for e-scooters increases, with more powerful versions capable of reaching up to 50 miles per hour, the number of traffic accident cases has increased. Israel witnessed a six-fold increase of e-bike and e-scooter accidents over a span of three years, and China found a four-fold increase in injury rate and a six-fold increase in mortality rates. However, significant gaps remain in the knowledge about the safety measures and impact of e-scooters. A particular cause of accidents is the instability of vehicles with such small wheels when, for example, hitting a pothole.
The site of a car-scooter collision in New York City
As e-scooters become more popular in urban and high traffic settings, user safety poses a major concern alongside other health risks for drivers, pedestrians, cyclists and other vulnerable groups such as the elderly and children sharing the road. A study conducted in China assessed risky behaviors of e-bike, e-scooter, and bicycle riders at crossing signalized intersections and found three different types of risky behaviors including stopping beyond the stop line, riding in motor lanes, and riding against traffic. A study of 2014-2020 UCLA-affiliated hospitals and outpatient center visits found that e-scooter injury rates in Greater Los Angeles area were similar to those of motorcycles, with about 33% of victims needing extensive follow-up care. However, the fatality rate was comparable to pedal bikes.
The same study found that those riding e-scooters are more likely to engage in risky behaviors. In specific, e-scooter riders were more likely to ride in motor lanes and ride against the flow of traffic through there is high variability in the types of accidents that occur and can vary based on time of day. Underreporting poses as additional gaps in knowledge, as minor crashes, for example, tend to be underreported and thus unaccounted for in overall e-scooter injury prevalence and there exist gaps in research on injuries related to e-scooters. Scooter-sharing systems such as Lime or Bird include safety precautions on the scooters themselves, such as: "helmet required, license required, no riding on sidewalks, no double riding, 18+ years old". Apps used to unlock and rent the scooters will also have safety reminders and ask the riders to abide by local laws while using them. However, these recommendations are not always followed, and the difference in laws between cities and states makes regulation difficult.
A consumer association in Belgium tested e-scooters, concluding that a bicycle was preferable, citing many problems with the devices, including in particular battery failure and very poor braking in wet conditions. E-scooters were regulated as toys, without the safety considerations required for vehicles.
When electric kick scooters were introduced in Norway, the media reported a high increase in accidents, including several deaths.
In Britain as of late 2021 privately owned e-scooters could not be used on public roads or footways; during a trial from mid-2020 until late 2022 rental scooters could be used on roads, but not footways, by users with an appropriate driving licence. At the time private scooters were widely used, illegally, on footways and roads. There were safety concerns—scooter accidents were causing injuries more like motorcycles than pedal cycles. Privately owned scooters were banned from carriage on London public transport after a spate of battery fires.
Regulation
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Electric kick scooter national speed limit in Europe since 1 October 2023
25km/h
20km/h
No Data
Australia
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E-scooters with bicycle helmets in Canberra during 2020
In Queensland, the laws around the use of e-scooters and other personal mobility devices are made and enforced by the state government.
While some local governments in Queensland have not allowed Lime Scooter trials, Brisbane City Council is currently undertaking a Lime Scooter trial and has invited tenders for two scooter contracts in the city.
In the ACT, the framework for personal mobility devices was amended to include e-scooters and other similar devices from 20 December 2019, permitting use on footpaths, shared paths, bicycle paths and the bicycle side of separated paths. Bicycle helmets are required to be worn.
Perth became the latest City to announce an escooter trial, which launched in March 2023.
Austria
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Electric vehicles with a power up to 600 watts and a speed up to 25 km/h are considered as bicycles.
Belgium
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Belgium's traffic rules were updated on 1 June 2019 to be in line with the European Commission guidelines formed in 2016. It became legal for people over 15 years of age to ride electric motorised scooters with speed limited to 25 km/h on public roads, mirroring e-bikes. Protective gear and insurance are not required by law.
Canada
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Commuting in Canada with an e-scooter has increased. As power-assisted bicycles, e-scooters must follow many of the same federal laws and regulations, such as being limited to 32 km/h and not being allowed over 500 W output. Ontario has recently unveiled a series of laws aimed at ensuring safety while using electric-kick scooters or, chinese electric scooters. The new laws require all riders to carry a valid driver’s license, and those under the age of 16 must be accompanied by an adult who also carries a valid driver’s license. Riders are now also required to wear an approved helmet when operating their e-scooter and have bright lights installed on the front and back of their vehicles.
Denmark
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Since 1 January 2022, helmets are mandatory.
Finland
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In Finland e-scooters have the same rules with bicycles and they do not have any age restrictions. However, all e-scooters that have a maximum speed over 25 km/h are classified as small motorcycles and require a motor insurance.
France
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Currently France only allows e-scooters on footpaths if they have a maximum speed of 6 kilometres per hour (3.7 mph). Those travelling at up to 25 km/h are relegated to bike lanes. Legislators are considering a new law that would force users of e-scooters going faster than 25 kilometres per hour (16 mph) to have a type A1 license—the same as for small motorcycles. The legal framework is very blurry and does not define where e-scooters may or may not be driven or parked. The Deputy Mayor of Paris Christophe Najdovski is lobbying Transport Minister Élisabeth Borne for a clearer framework that would give municipalities the power to tighten the rules on how permits are issued and how authorizations are given to deploy a fleet of e-scooters to operators.
French daily newspaper Le Parisien found that in 2017, e-scooters and roller skates combined caused 284 injuries and five deaths in France, a 23 percent increase on the previous year. The perception of e-scooters is that they are fast, silent and therefore dangerous, causing many accidents, and the need to legislate is urgent.
In an April 2023 referendum, voters in Paris chose to remove e-scooters from the city after the current vendor contracts expire. The ban applies to rental scooters which have been offered by several operators since 2018, although people will still be able to use privately-owned contraptions.
Germany
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Sign prohibiting the riding or carrying of micro electric vehicles
In April 2019, the "electric propulsion vehicles without seats" and mono-wheels were added to the regulatory list of vehicles allowed to circulate in the streets. However, the list has yet to be submitted to the upper house of Parliament for entry into force.
The regulation makes a distinction between vehicles restricted to 12 km/h, authorized to users aged from 12 years up and which may circulate on footpaths, and those restricted to 20 km/h, restricted to cycle paths, users over 14 years old and with compulsory motor vehicle insurance and number plate. There is no driving license needed. Crash accident are under-reported (74% missing) when counted as declaration to police rather than to the hospital.
The same rules for operating an automobile while intoxicated also apply to electric kick scooters.
Ireland
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