World EV Day 2024: 5 Reasons To Prefer Electric Scooters Over Petrol Powered Ones

Here’s a list of what we love about electric scooters that petrol powered scooters are just unable to offer

September 9, 2024 is World EV Day and here’s our list of 5 reasons why we love electric scooters, when compared to regular petrol-powered scooters. This list will consist of things we liked about electric scooters which regular petrol powered scooters just can’t match. 

They Offer Exciting Power Delivery

When talking about EVs, the first thing that stands out is the power delivery which, unlike petrol scooters, is instant and makes the rides all the more thrilling. All the torque is readily available at the twist of a throttle, with no time being wasted getting the electric scooter up to speed.

So yes, when it comes to the power delivery and thrills, electric scooters are able to offer a much more fun and engaging riding experience.

They Are Smooth

The second thing that stands out when riding an EV is how smooth the entire experience is. When you’re dealing with a regular petrol-powered scooter, there’s always a small compromise on the engine refinement. 

Small vibrations can be felt when riding at higher speeds and in the case of some petrol powered scooters, vibrations are present in the slower speeds. But electric scooters feel a lot smoother thanks to the lack of an actual engine.

This is more evident when riding performance-oriented electric scooters, which are able to hold higher speeds without much trouble. 

They Are Cheap To Run

One of the biggest advantages that electric scooters bring to the table is how cheap they are to operate. The electricity cost incurred when charging an e-scooter from 0-100 percent is negligible, when compared to the price of petrol that one has to pay to get a similar range. 

Most electric scooters offer an average range of 80km at full charge, and if we take the charging time to be 4-5 hours for 0-100 percent, then the cost will come to around Rs 40-50 assuming the electricity rates are around Rs 11.50 per unit. 

Compare this to a 110cc petrol powered scooter where you’ll get an average mileage of around 50-60km per litre, the total cost will be double what you’ll pay when riding an electric scooter. So overall, an electric scooter makes a lot more sense as a personal commuter vehicle if you want to keep costs in check.

They Are Feature Packed

When comparing a family oriented electric scooter like the TVS iQube or the Ather Rizta, the first thing that stands out is the massive storage space that both the scooters offer. The lack of a fuel tank like a regular petrol powered scooter makes it easier for the scooter to get a larger storage space. 

Now, moving on to the instrument console. Electric scooters come with larger displays and offer more features including full-fledged navigation, the ability to answer or reject calls with a message and a lot more.

The OTA updates that are offered bring additional features to scooters that were not already present. For example, AutoHold, a feature that used inbuilt sensors to detect slopes, and hold the vehicle without the rider having to press the brakes, was not something that was always available on the Ather 450X. This feature was only added on when the AtherStack 5 Update was released in January 2023.

They Are Relatively Silent

Another thing we love about electric scooters is how silent they are. This is not something most people pay attention to but is a quirky bit which we enjoy. Sure, the rumbling of ICE engines is something we all enjoy but after a certain point it gets bothersome and a bit of peace and quiet is always welcome.

This is not to say that electric scooters are entirely silent, their motors sure do make a noise but it is not that big and won’t be noticed easily. What I personally like the most about some scooters is how the motor sounds can be very similar to a speeder from Star Wars. This is something that makes the experience feel like something straight out of a sci-fi movie and makes it all the more enjoyable.