To meet the demand for short-distance transportation for college students and to fulfill the last-mile travel needs of public transportation, an increasing number of personal transportation tools have emerged in the lives of college students, such as electric motorcycles, folding electric bikes, electric scooters, balance cars, and other new products. Among these personal transportation tools, electric scooters and folding electric bikes have become the most popular products nowadays. However, when purchasing, college students often hesitate between the two and do not know which one is more suitable for them. Today, we will discuss the question of which one to choose between an electric scooter and an adult folding electric bike as a small personal transportation tool for college students.
Product principle and price comparison
Electric scooters are an upgraded version of traditional scooters, with added components such as batteries, motors, lights, dashboards, and computer chips on top of the manual scooter. The wheel, brake, and frame systems are also upgraded, resulting in the creation of electric scooters. They are commonly used for daily short-distance transportation and are especially popular among office workers. Currently, electric scooters are priced from one thousand to tens of thousands of dollars and are highly popular among young people in developed countries in western developed countries.
An adult folding electric bike is an upgraded version based on a regular bicycle, which includes additional components such as a battery, motor, lights, dashboard, computer chip, etc., resulting in the emergence of electric bicycles. There are many types of electric bicycles based on the size of the wheels, but this article only discusses the fat-tire folding electric bicycle, which refers to an adult electric bicycle with 20-inch wheels. Since the United States is a big bicycle country, people are more receptive to bicycles than to scooters. Currently, the price of adult folding electric bicycles ranges from $1,000 to $3,000.
Performance comparison
1. Portability
An electric scooter is composed of a frame, wheels, battery, braking system, lighting system, dashboard, and other parts. For example, a lightweight electric scooter with a 36V 8AH lithium battery and 8-inch wheels weighs around 17 kilograms. After folding, its length generally does not exceed 1.2 meters, and its height does not exceed 50 centimeters, making it easy to carry by hand or put in the trunk.
As for adult folding electric bicycles, taking the HiPeak Bona as an example, with its 20*4.0 fat tires and protruding pedals, it will be slightly larger and less regular when folded compared to electric scooters, making it less convenient to put in the trunk.
For college students, portability is also an important consideration. In this regard, folding electric bicycles and electric scooters each have their own advantages and disadvantages.
Firstly, folding electric bicycles have excellent portability. Its folding design allows the entire body to be quickly folded into a small box, making it easy to carry. Therefore, for students who need to commute on subways, buses and other transportation, a folding electric bicycle is a very good choice.
As for electric scooters, they are even more portable. Due to their small size and lightweight design, students can even put them in their backpacks and take them to school, especially for students who only need to travel short distances.
2. Passability
The tire size of electric scooters is generally no more than 10 inches, which is relatively easy when facing general city roads. However, the passing situation is not ideal when encountering poor road conditions, so extra caution should be taken while driving. The tire size of adult electric bicycles is generally above 20 inches, so they can ride freely on city roads or poor roads with better passability. For example, Bona’s fat tires and 750W motor, as well as the 48V 15Ah high-capacity lithium battery, are all striving for better passability.
Electric scooters are more flexible in movement and may be more fun in some situations, but local laws may prevent them from taking the same roads as electric bicycles. Due to their smaller size and lighter weight, most electric scooters can also be carried more easily. Personally, I prefer electric bicycles because they are safer to operate. Bona’s adult folding electric bicycle can usually go to the same places as mechanical bicycles, allows for additional passengers, and if the battery runs out or malfunctions, you can still ride it home by pedaling, which is very convenient. However, if there is no battery, electric scooters can only be pushed and the speed is slow and very inconvenient.
3. Security
Electric scooters and folding electric bicycles are both non-motorized vehicles without additional safety devices. In theory, they are only allowed to travel at low speeds on non-motorized lanes. Electric scooters are generally ridden in a standing position with a high center of gravity, which is flexible and convenient. They can also be equipped with seats for riding in a seated position. On the other hand, electric bicycles have a lower center of gravity and are a riding style that everyone is used to from childhood. In addition, the fat tires of folding electric bicycles can provide better traction and ensure safety.
4. Load capacity
The load capacity of electric scooters and folding electric bicycles is not significantly different, but because electric bicycles can add cargo racks or a second seat, they can carry two people when needed, so electric bicycles have a relative advantage in terms of load capacity.
5. Range
Electric scooters and adult folding electric bicycles are both single-wheel drive, and the motor power is generally between 250W-750W. Under the same battery capacity, their endurance capabilities are basically the same. For example, Bona’s motor power reaches 750W, and the battery is 48V, 15Ah, which is the same configuration as many mountain electric bicycles. Therefore, the endurance is also very good and can reach 60 miles.
6. Driving difficulty
The driving style of electric scooters is similar to that of regular scooters. Since scooters are not as popular as bicycles in the United States, it may take a little practice to ride an electric scooter smoothly in a standing position. Riding in a seated position is similar in difficulty to riding an electric bicycle. Folding electric bicycles are based on traditional bicycles, so riding them is generally not difficult.
7. Speed
Both electric scooters and adult electric bicycles have two wheels in series. Under the same motor power, electric bicycles have larger wheels and better passability, so they can achieve higher speeds on urban roads. When riding an electric scooter in a standing position, it is not recommended to go too fast due to the higher center of gravity. Riding in a seated position can be a bit faster. The speed of both electric scooters and electric bicycles is not recommended to exceed 20 miles per hour.
8. Riding without electricity
In the absence of electricity, an electric scooter can be glided by foot kicking, while an electric bicycle can be ridden using pedal power like a regular bicycle. In this aspect, a folding electric bicycle is superior to an electric scooter.
Conclusion
As two different types of portable commuting tools, electric scooters and adult folding electric bicycles have very similar functional positioning, which is also the main reason why we compare these two types of products. Secondly, in the actual use process on college campuses, there is no significant difference in portability and range between these two types of products. In terms of passability and speed, adult folding electric bicycles have more advantages over electric scooters, while electric scooters are more fashionable and portable than adult folding electric bicycles. When choosing between these two products, college students should consider their actual needs. If they need to commute long distances on campus or want to explore the countryside on weekends, adult folding electric bicycles will be their best choice.
About HIPEAKBIKE
We are a E-bike company that produces innovative, high-performance, valuable and affordable electric bike and outdoor accessories. Our mission is to get people in touch with bikers and outdoor people shine in their communities.
