Electric vs petrol scooter: How do you decide?

Electric scooters are economical in the long term, but the cost of buying one remains higher compared to petrol scooters.

Gone are the days when fully functioning electric scooters were just a prototype. The market is full of electric scooters, which are as efficient as their petrol counterparts. But even then, many people choose petrol scooters due to ease of maintenance, accessibility, and similar reasons. But is there any truth to it? Do petrol scooters still have the edge over electric scooters? Let us examine.

Electric scooter vs Petrol scooter – Pricing

Electric scooters are eco-friendly, but they come at a cost. Since electric vehicle technology is still evolving, electric scooters are priced at a premium compared to petrol scooters that offer similar performance.

For an electric scooter, the priciest part is its batteries. Most scooters run on lithium-ion batteries, the same that your smartphones use. But what makes it expensive is the quantity of the battery required. A scooter would need several times more battery than a smartphone.

But the Government of India is doing its part to promote eco-friendly vehicles. They have offered different initiatives covering a significant portion of the vehicles’ cost.

Petrol scooter vs Electric scooter – Fuel costs

Electric vehicles use electricity as their fuel, and it is available at a fraction of the cost of petrol. On the other hand, petrol prices increase every day, putting undue stress on owners.

Electricity is comparatively cheaper, but availability might be a problem when on the road. It might become hard to find a recharging station, especially when planning a longer road trip. Unfortunately, there is no alternative except building more charging stations.

As for petrol, it is readily available in most places. Even the remotest of the locations will have at least one petrol pump. Furthermore, you can always carry a small amount of petrol as a backup. The same is not possible for an electric scooter.

Electric scooter vs Petrol scooter – Operating range

Finding recharge points could be a challenge if you plan long-distance travel with your electric vehicle. While companies are working on improving the battery backup and features like solar charging, there is still some way to go for that. Therefore, for now, electric scooters are ideal only for the day-to-day commute.

Petrol vs Electric scooter – Availing a loan

Here comes the easy part! Availing of a loan for both petrol and electric vehicles is easy and hassle-free if you comply with the lender’s eligibility criteria. Banks like IDFC FIRST Bank offer two-wheeler loans with minimal documentation.

Is an electric scooter better than a petrol scooter?

If you are looking for a more affordable option, petrol scooters might work better for you. At the same time, if you are looking for a more economical option in the long term, electric scooters might be the right choice for you. As the technology improves, we can expect to see the gap between the two narrow, making it easy to choose between the two.

Disclaimer

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