Electric Scooters – The Solution to Rising Gas Prices

The third decade of the 21st century has been marked by significant changes to the human history of the contemporary era. The Coronavirus pandemic brought the economies of even the most powerful nations to their knees. The giant industries came to the verge of total collapse and shutdown. But as the world enters the year 2022, the vaccines and SOPs have enabled human society to gradually recover from the losses it endured during the pandemic. The boom of the economic cycle has not been without its cons. The sudden surge in human demand has resulted in the fuel prices hike that is beyond the reach of the working class. Another factor that has resulted in the skyrocketing of fuel prices is the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Russia is the leading exporter of petroleum products and the sanctions on its exports in response to its belligerence by the USA and the European nations have snowballed the prices of petroleum prices.[1]

The explosion of prices of petroleum products especially gas prices have become an all-time high reaching more than four dollars per gallon.[2] This has severely impacted the daily commuters who have been using fossil fuel-powered ignition engines. This rising price trend of gas across the globe is becoming a major factor in shifting people’s choice towards the green energy-powered vehicle. Another important factor influencing the shift in the behavior of the people is the environmental degradation caused by the greenhouse gas emissions from the use of conventional energy fuels. These emission gases not only result in pollution problems like causing acid rains and breathing ailments among the inhabitants of the large metropolitans but also result in global warming causing wildfires and rapid glaciers melting that can flood the cities. These factors support the advocacy of the use of electric vehicles and electric scooters for commuting.[3]

This article presents an analysis of the use of electric-powered scooters over fossil-fueled scooters and the huge price saving that e-scooters offers its users.

Gas Price Hikes Across the USA

Gas prices are at an all-time high breaking the price records per gallon throughout the history of the USA. This trend is not only confined to the USA but is witnessed across the globe. The recovery of the human economy after Covid-19 and sanctions against Russian crude oil has resulted in a price explosion. An argument is presented against the use of electric scooters for the daily commute that electricity prices are also higher. But the data depicted in the below graphs prove the counterargument that electricity in comparison to gas vehicles is still an affordable and cheap alternative.[4]

These graphs support the notion that traveling via gas vehicles is more expensive than commuting through alternative fuel vehicles like electric scooters.

Associated Costs Benefits of Electric Scooters

Besides the cost of fuel that a vehicle consumes, there are some associated costs with operating a vehicle like maintenance costs. Gas-powered engines are made of moving parts that are susceptible to wear and tear. Hence, they require constant lubrication as well as a cooling mechanism. Thus, the maintenance of these vehicles is expensive. Electric scooters and electric vehicles, on the other hand, are made of robust parts and do not need excessive maintenance. Hence, they save the commuters from the excessive costs associated with operating a vehicle.[5]

Alternative Fuel Commuting

According to a research study, fossil fuel vehicles account for 30% of greenhouse gas emissions. To achieve the target of carbon neutrality by 2050, nations have to take drastic measures to promote the use of alternative fuel commuting i.e., electric fuel vehicles. One of the key factors that hinder the use of electric vehicles is the lack of fuel infrastructure i.e., the availability of charging ports. The charging ports are less distributed, making the use of electric vehicles a less viable option. However, governments are working to improve the electric fuel infrastructure.[6] Besides, another suitable option is accessible for intra-city commuters who mostly travel for less than 25 miles to their workplaces, universities, or grocery shopping: electric scooters. E-scooters, manufactured at Maninam[7], due to their sleek design offer the portability to be carried easily where necessary. Hence, they can be carried into homes or workplaces where they can be charged using ordinary charging ports. Therefore, electric scooter is gaining tremendous popularity among the commuters who want an environmental as well as economically efficient means of commuting.[8]

References:

[1] “Opinion | What really caused the gas price spike - The Washington Post.” https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2022/03/20/what-caused-gas-price-spike/ (accessed Mar. 22, 2022).

[2] “Gas prices keep going up. How expensive is a gallon expected to get?” https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2022/03/07/why-gas-prices-rising/9417091002/ (accessed Mar. 22, 2022).

[3] “Factcheck: How electric vehicles help to tackle climate change.” https://www.carbonbrief.org/factcheck-how-electric-vehicles-help-to-tackle-climate-change (accessed Mar. 22, 2022).

[4] “Cost of charging EV vs. gas prices.” https://www.cnbc.com/2022/03/19/cost-of-charging-ev-vs-gas-prices.html (accessed Mar. 22, 2022).

[5] “Electric Vehicles Cost Less Than Half As Much To Drive.” https://www.forbes.com/sites/jeffmcmahon/2018/01/14/electric-vehicles-cost-less-than-half-as-much-to-drive/?sh=53f46a203f97 (accessed Mar. 22, 2022).

[6] “As Gas Prices Rise, NYC Lags Behind on Electric Cars - The New York Times.” https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/11/nyregion/electric-cars-nyc.html (accessed Mar. 22, 2022).

[7] “MANINAM Electric Scooter – maninam-motor.” https://maninam-motor.com/ (accessed Mar. 22, 2022).

[8] “Why are Electric Scooters Popular? - Electric Scootering.” https://electricscootering.com/electric-scooters-popular/ (accessed Mar. 22, 2022).