Electric Scooters for College Students… Are They Good?

Woman standing on electric scooter in tunnel.

Are electric scooters good for college students?

Heading off to college is an exciting time in a young person’s life, but at the beginning, finding your way around campus can be daunting. For a stress-free way to get to classes from your dorm room electric scooters is a must.

No more staggering into class late looking like you just stumbled out of bed because you slept through your alarm. An electric scooter is the easiest and fastest way to get around a big college campus.

Advantages of electric scooters for college students

Cheap to own

Going to college is expensive: school fees, accommodation, food, the list goes on. While some college students are lucky enough to have parents to support them financially through college or be on a scholarship, others will need to work to fund their college life.

Electric scooters are a very cost-effective way of commuting around campus or going to work. While the cost of buying an electric scooter isn’t cheap, especially if you want a decent model, running an electric scooter barely costs a cent. As long as you are able to recharge your electric scooter when the battery gets low, there are very few other costs involved. 

Owning a car is every college student’s dream. They’re great for weekend road trips and being able to get around in general. Unfortunately, owning a car involves additional expenses including petrol, registration and licensing. Plus, students tend to own second-hand cars that are quite old, meaning repairs and maintenance costs will crop up at some point.

Environmentally friendly

Young people are continuously fighting to bring more awareness of the impact we’re having on the environment. In 2019, there were climate protests across the world, where thousands of children and teenagers were seen marching in cities, demanding action on climate change.

It’s no secret that cars are not the most sustainable and environmentally friendly choice of transportation. In the United States, vehicles produce about one-third of all American air pollution. Not only is it the toxic fumes that are emitted into the air that is a problem, but building roads has an enormous impact on wildlife.

We are starting to see some countries that are trying to incentivise people to switch to less pollutant modes of transport. In the UK, the government is coming up with a plan to improve air quality by offering motorists money to give up their vehicles so that they can spend it on public transport, bicycles or electric scooters.

Electric scooters, being battery operated, are a much more sustainable option compared to cars. For environmentally conscious college students, they can sleep easy knowing that their electric scooter isn’t destroying the planet.

Convenience and portability

Electric scooters are great to carry around. Many models are built with lightweight frames, making transporting them a breeze. Whether you’re carrying one into a lecture hall or the library, they can be placed under a seat or leaned against a wall so it’s not blocking the path of others.

Additionally, college student dorm rooms are notorious for being quite small, so being able to easily store an e-scooter under the bed is another advantage. Electric scooters, like the Raine One have a fold system which makes it very portable. Whether you need to stash your e-scooter in your friend’s car or take it onto public transport, you won’t have any issues with a foldable electric scooter.

The advantage of an electric scooter compared to a bicycle or an electric bike is that these vehicles are left outside. While locking up your bicycle is a deterrent, many bicycles still have their wheels or helmets stolen if left unattended for long periods of time.

No training or license required

Learning to drive a car takes time and money. Learner drivers need a licensed driver to be in the vehicle with them and often a certain number of hours behind the wheel are required before you can hit the road alone.

Bicycles require some amount of practice and confidence, which may be particularly challenging to those who had never ridden a bicycle before.  

Electric scooters on the other hand, don’t require any special skills. Even an adult who has never stepped foot on a kick scooter before, can ride an electric scooter. College campuses are also a great place to start riding an electric scooter due to the number of car-free zones and large courtyards for practicing. Start off riding when there are few people around so you can get a feel for your scooter and test out all the main features 

Day or night riding

College students lead busy lives, and an electric scooter is great to ride at night time. The Raine One electric scooter has an LED headlight and taillight to improve visibility and safety. Whether you’re coming back from the library late at night or after having dinner with friends, an electric scooter can get you home safely.

Some people might feel uncomfortable about walking across campus alone in the dark, so they may end up forking out money for a taxi or an Uber. An electric scooter is a great alternative for college students to get back to their dorms safely. However, It’s important to note that if you’ve been drinking alcohol that you shouldn’t be riding an electric scooter as you may injure yourself and/or others.

Saves time

Running late for class? An electric scooter can get you there quickly without breaking a sweat. Many electric scooters feature a powerful motor that can reach high speeds. The Raine One e-scooter can clock up to 50 km/h (31 mph), which is much faster than you can run.

You might have days where you’ve left a book behind in your dorm room or you’d like to go back and eat lunch but by the time you walk there and back, it’s almost time for your next class. Having an electric scooter means you can get around campus much faster than if you were only going by foot.

Advantages of electric scooters for universities

Ease campus parking

Colleges in big cities often have very limited parking spaces and for students and staff who live off-campus, this might require them driving to campus a lot earlier simply to find a parking spot.

As demand for parking spots increase, some colleges will increase the price of college parking permits to try and deter people from driving to campus. However, driving may be the only option for people who live in places that don’t have much access to public transport. 

Luckily, electric scooters provide a great solution due to being portable and therefore are a great option for easing campus parking because they are fast and don’t require any parking space.

Help campus shuttles

Many colleges have shuttle buses to connect students to subways and bus systems, but these trips can add up in cost and are sometimes inconvenient for short trips. Electric scooters can help with the ‘last-mile’ problem and costs a lot less than a short bus trip.

Campus shuttle buses don’t run 24-hours a day either, which can be problematic for students who are staying back late to study for exams or have attended an on-campus event. Catching a taxi can also be expensive for college students, making an electric scooter a much more cost-effective alternative.

Cross campus travel

Some college campuses are fairly large with buildings scattered throughout the city. For students carrying heavy books and laptops, this can be quite draining and time consuming. 

Electric scooters are a reliable way of getting around campus and everywhere in between. Even students with cars aren’t going to drive to different parts of the campus because it’s a hassle to find another parking spot or pay for another ticket.

For students who also have friends that live off-campus, catching up with them becomes much more convenient when they have an electric scooter. When they’re lugging around heavy backpacks, the easier they can get around during the day the more energy they’ll have for important things, like studying (and drinking).


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