Gas vs electric motorized scooters

Scooters are very popular and come in electric or gas powered types.

A very popular item these days is the scooter. No, I’m not talking about the foot-powered variety, but motorized scooters. These come in two categories, gas or electric powered. Before choosing what type you might like to own, you should do a little research and find out a few facts first.

What you’ll need to research first is what laws your particular state might have placed on these vehicles. Even city laws could place restrictions on the operation of scooters, so always check first with your local police or Department of Motor Vehicles for pertinent information. The state of California is probably the strictest state for compliance because of their emissions standards. This unfortunately restricts you to almost exclusively buying an electric scooter because almost all gas powered scooters won’t be legal. Only gas scooters with a California Compliant sticker can be operated in the state, however, even if you live in another state and these scooters are available, you might want to purchase one because they are less polluting and quieter. Once you’ve taken care of the legality issue and found that you can own and operate either type of scooter, you’ll need to make the decision on which one to buy.

Either type of scooter is a motorized vehicle and should be treated as such, along with common sense safety issues. Always wear a fitted helmet and obey traffic rules. You can also choose to wear kneepads or elbow pads for added safety. You should consider age restrictions also and not allow small children under eight to operate them without close parental supervision. Don’t ride at night, stay out of traffic and keep off gravelly or slippery roadway surfaces.

On average, a gas-powered scooter goes a little faster than an electric model and can average around 20 miles per hour and can carry an average weight of 300 pounds, all depending on the model. They can go anywhere from 20-40 miles per tank, which can vary from a 1 liter to 1.5 liter tank. They take unleaded gasoline and have a variety of brake systems and manufacturers. One example is the Viza V2 gas powered scooter. It has full front and rear suspension, dual disc brakes and a 40cc, 2.1 horsepower motor and goes 22 miles per hour, while the Mosquito Hawk 4X has a 35cc Robin/Suburu four stroke engine, is California Compliant and has Shimano Deore cable disc brake system. These are only two examples of gas scooters and there are many more available.

The other type of scooter is the electric powered variety. As stated above, these tend to go slower, but don’t pollute like their gas powered cousins. They won’t take you as far as a gas scooter, averaging around 15 miles per charge, which will take anywhere from 4-8 hours to accomplish. The weight capacity is about the same, with most averaging about 250 pounds and like the gas powered scooters, electric scooters have several different types of motors, tires, brakes, etc. Some examples are: the ZZ Cruiser by Rad2Go with a 300 watt motor, speed of 14 miles per hour, range 12 miles and a 24 volt battery. By comparison, the Rad2Go Leopard Shark has a 400 watt motor, speed of 16 miles per hour, range 12 miles and a 24 volt battery.

All scooters come with warranties, from 30-60 days and will have a choice of safety equipment and accessories available. So, whatever your reason for buying a scooter, whether as an alternate to a car or simply for fun, check around and be careful so you can truly enjoy your new acquisition.