The decision for a scooter has already been made, now only the question remains: Electric scooter or classic petrol scooter? 

We get to the bottom of it: How good are the latest electric scooters really and can they compete with a combustion engine scooter?

The most obvious differences are obvious: e-scooters run on batteries and are much more environmentally friendly than gasoline scooters. But what about range, value for money and performance? And what's the deal with the unu subscription?

Petrol scooters have a longer range, there's nothing to sugarcoat. One tank of gas will get you between 100-200 km. With two fully charged batteries from unu, you can go up to 100 with the unu Scooter Pro and up to 120 km with the unu Move, but that's not quite as far as a gas scooter. However, this is not a big problem in the city, as a 100 km range is enough for almost any trip and will get you to the lake and back for the weekend. 

Since you can easily charge your batteries at any outlet with your battery charger box, you do not need to take anything more than the charger with you. Plug in, plug in the battery and after seven hours the battery is fully charged from 0 to 100%.

With a gasoline scooter, you are dependent on gas stations and gas prices. While the density of gas stations in Germany is relatively high, gas prices are a distinct disadvantage for internal combustion engines compared to electricity prices.

A full charge of both batteries of your unu electric scooter for a distance of 100 km will cost you only 1.50€ (at an average electricity price in Germany of 46 Cent/KwH, as of August 2023). A gasoline scooter with a consumption of 3 liters per 100 km, on the other hand, costs 5.82€ (at an average gasoline price of 1.94€/liter, as of September 2023).

Aside from the price advantage that unu e-scooters have over gasoline scooters, you should of course ask yourself: What do you want to use your scooter for? Do you want to travel long distances and regularly exceed 100 km per day, or will you use your scooter more for daily tasks, commuting to work and shopping?

Apart from the significantly higher running costs due to the high cost of gasoline, an electric scooter costs between €2,999 and €3,999 to purchase. 

Accordingly, a gasoline scooter may seem cheaper at first, as some models are available for less than €2,000. But over time, the price of gasoline and regular refueling becomes much more significant. After some time, the cost of a gasoline scooter will outweigh the slightly higher purchase price of an electric scooter.

In addition, the unu electric scooter is also available on a subscription basis, making it affordable for those who are afraid of making a one-time investment. You can conveniently order your unu as a subscription, secure all the benefits and drive electronically through your city from a price of only 69.00 € / month (unu Scooter Move, 48 months). Find out more about the unu subscription here.

In terms of production, gasoline scooters are not much different from electric scooters. Both use lead or lithium batteries, which are finite resources. However, the electric scooter has a key advantage: its battery can be recharged over and over again, while the gasoline scooter has to be refueled and thus consumes a non-renewable resource. 

Ideally, the electricity you use to charge your unu scooter should be generated from ecologically sustainable sources such as solar or wind power, so that your carbon footprint is actually positive.

Another interesting point is the difference in performance between the two types of engines. With a gasoline scooter, it takes some time to reach peak power and maximum torque, while the electric scooter offers full performance immediately from zero revs. So you'll win every traffic light race with your electric scooter - if you want to.

In addition to the environment, performance and maintenance costs, electric scooters have another compelling argument to offer: Silence. No noisy engine or rattling exhaust to accompany you on your daily commute.

Not only that, but the usual vibrations are conspicuous by their absence, making the unu scooter a true haven of peace.