Are electric scooters efficient?

Scooters are here to stay and represent a revolution for urban transport. What started out as leisure transport has become a real solution for sustainable mobility.

Improvements in batteries and safety have made the electric scooter a very popular alternative to traditional vehicles and public transport.

But are they really sustainable? How much does it cost to charge an electric scooter? and how much do we save compared to using other means of transport?

How to calculate how much it costs to charge an electric scooter

To calculate how much it costs to charge an electric scooter, you first need to know its consumption. It is easy to calculate the consumption of an electric scooter, by multiplying the battery capacity (mAh) by the voltage (V).

Then, you just need to divide the result of that multiplication by 1 million to convert the result to kWh. These are the units we are more used to when calculating electricity consumption.

For example, the consumption of an electric scooter with a 6000 mAh and 37V battery is 0.222 kWh. If our tariff has a price of approximately €0.14/kWh, with a simple multiplication you can already calculate how much it costs to charge an electric scooter per hour: Approximately €0.03 or three cents.

So the price per kWh in our electricity tariff is important to calculate the price for charging an electric scooter. That is why, depending on the type of tariff you have, you will make greater savings when using this means of transport.

Tariffs and prices for charging an electric scooter

A standard electric scooter with a 25 km range has a 6400 mAh 36 Volt battery and it usually takes about 4 or 5 hours to charge fully.  Multiplying the capacity of the battery by the voltage and dividing by 1 million, gives a result for the consumption of an electric scooter as 0.2304 kWh.

This is where the price per kWh for the different tariffs comes into play to calculate how much it costs to charge an electric scooter.

How much does it cost to charge the battery of an electric scooter?

⁽¹⁾ Approximate estimate of the average price per kWh for the different electricity tariffs with or without time discrimination.

If you now multiply the cost of charging an electric scooter for one hour, by the charging time required by the battery (normally about 5 hours), you will see that charging the battery of an electric scooter costs between €0.13 and €0.19. In other words, for less than 20 cents you can fully charge the battery of a scooter every day.

What is the best time to charge an electric scooter

The best time to charge an electric scooter is in the off-peak time band, which goes from 12 midnight to 8am. This usually gives enough time to charge a scooter completely taking advantage of the time bands when electricity is cheapest.

But can you charge an electric scooter for less? Can the consumption electricity to charge an electric scooter be free?

How to charge an electric scooter in the cheapest way

Most people who use an electric scooter usually charge the battery when they come home from work or at the end of the day.  This usually coincides with the hours we spend the most time at home and when we make more use of electricity, which is usually concentrated between 8pm and 10pm.

Some electricity tariffs give you two hours consumption at €0/kWh every day. In this way, if you take advantage of the hours of greatest consumption to also charge the battery of your electric scooter, you can save on your electricity bill and charge the electric scooter when it is cheapest to do so.

Monthly cost in electricity to charge an electric scooter

The average cost in electricity to charge an electric scooter per month is between 3 and 5 euros, depending on the use made. People who use a scooter as a means of transport to go to work usually charge it between once a day or 3 times a week.

If you use as a model a standard scooter with 25 km of autonomy and a 6400 mAh 36 Volt battery, the monthly cost with 20 cycles of battery charge is €3.2.

How much do you save compared to other means of transport?

When it comes to saving, it is as important to know how much it costs to charge an electric scooter as to know the price compared to the other means of transport.

By reducing the use of your vehicle and avoiding taking public transport for short journeys, you can save up to 90% per month in your transport expenses by using an electric scooter.

The price of travelling by electric scooter vs public transport

For example, in Seville urban transport costs €35.30 per month and in Zaragoza €40. In Madrid a monthly public transport season ticket costs €54.60 and in Barcelona a monthly metro ticket costs €40.

Compared to using public transport in Spanish cities, using an electric scooter is a decision that benefits both your pocket and reduces pollution in the city.

With a monthly cost of between €3 and €5 to charge an electric scooter you can save up to 90% per month on average to travel around the city.

Savings for a scooter compared to a car

The latest estimates in April 2021 on the cost per 100 km calculate that for a petrol car it costs €9.5, for a diesel €6.6 and between €1.6 and €4 for electric cars (depending on the tariff).

In the case of a scooter with a range of 25 km the cost per 100 km is approximately €0.64 (€0.16 for a full charge x 4). So compared to a car, an electric scooter generates a saving of between 60% and 93% per 100km.

Only electric cars with an optimised tariff for recharging represent a sustainable and cost-effective alternative that comes closest to the cost of charging an electric scooter.  

These data also only take into account fuel costs compared to the cost of charging an electric scooter. But additional expenses such as the cost of a parking space or regulated parking further tilt the balance in favour of an electric scooter.

Can I charge the electric scooter at the office?

There is usually no problem in charging tan electric scooter at your workplace. You have just seen how much it costs to charge an electric scooter and the price is really economical. Many models have removable batteries that do not cause any inconvenience at the office.

So it is almost certain that there won't be any problem providing you ask permission to do so. But please do not forget to ask beforehand so there is no misunderstanding.

Here at Endesa we are committed to sustainable mobility, which features increasingly in our society thanks to much more ecological means of transport.

We don't just encourage our employees and customers to explore these sustainable alternatives. We also offer solutions to optimise the price of electricity in accordance with to your needs, as well as tariffs that help you save when charging your scooter or any other electric vehicle.