Published at 9/28/2023 – E-Mobility
Electric scooters – what alternative drives are out there?
E-mobility is becoming more and more widespread on our roads. The common alternative to the electric scooter is the petrol engine. But which drive is ultimately the better one? We made a comparison.
Alternative drives: electric scooters versus petrol engines
Alternative drives: electric scooters versus petrol engines
The most obvious difference has been quickly found: e-scooters are battery-powered, the petrol engine runs on petrol. So far, so simple. The first variant is definitely more environmentally friendly, as no CO2 is emitted when driving the e-scooter. However, the production of the-scooter and the batteries must also be taken into account when trying to find out which engine is more environmentally friendly. But we’ll take a closer look at that later in this article.
The greatest disadvantage of the e-scooter in direct comparison with the petrol engine is unfortunately still the range. But even that has changed a lot in recent years. With an unu scooter, for example, you have a total range of 100 km thanks to two batteries. And that's perfectly adequate for driving through the city. A petrol scooter can travel between 100-200 km with just one tank of fuel and has a gas station to choose from every step of the way... Well, that may sound like an advantage. But the batteries of the electric scooter can be conveniently charged at home or in the office via a normal socket. We think that’s a point for the environmentally friendly variant (especially if green electricity is used)!
Let's take a look at the most interesting topic now: the costs. Gasoline is an expensive raw material and far from being sustainable. A full tank costs around € 7.20 on average (with a tank volume of 4.5 liters and a petrol price of 1.60 euros/liter). Due to the dependency on fossil fuels, however, this can increase at any time and even reach 2 euros/liter. An unu scooter has a one-off purchase price of between € 2.999 and € 3.999. But after that you pay just 1 euro for each charge that takes you up to 100 km (measured against the average German electricity price).
And it’s getting even better: If you choose to rent a battery instead of buying it from unu, you can get your standard model (3kW) for only € 2.399 (plus monthly costs of €25) – more information on the battery subscription model can be found here.
Let’s be honest: are electric scooters really the better alternative?
Even if the e-scooter does not emit any CO2 while driving, one must not forget the production. But unu scooters also focus on the greatest possible sustainability here. As? Quite simply, unu works together with ClimatePartner. Wherever possible, unu reduces CO2 emissions with regard to production measures and shipping. All unavoidable CO2 emissions are offset by supporting selected climate protection projects. That is why the-scooters, batteries and charging stations are climate-neutral. Climate protection projects save CO2 - for example with reforestation measures or the replacement of climate-damaging technologies with climate-friendly alternatives. The goal: the greatest possible transparency regarding the climate neutrality of the products. Those who whiz through the city on an unu scooter do so green and have a lot of fun doing it.