Electric scooters are become increasingly popular as a method of transportation around the world. In America alone, there were 38.5 million rides on electric scooters in 2018.

The fact that scooters are electric means that they are emissions-free, and if more people are getting around by electric scooter, that means there are fewer car trips made, which create carbon emissions that are harmful to the environment. So, it is thought by many that electric scooters are good for the environment.

However, a recent study in the journal Environmental Research Letters says that electric scooters are not environmentally friendly. The carbon emissions produced in a scooter’s ‘life cycle’ (manufacturing, shipping, recharging) are higher, per mile, than those of an electric bike, a moped and even a standard bus.

One reason for high scooter emissions is that they are transported within cities by cars to overnight recharging stations, where they are picked up the next day.

The upside is that policy changes are working to make electric scooters more environmentally friendly.

Source: https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/are-electric-scooters-actually-good-for-the-environment/