Electric Scooters, Are They Really Eco Friendly?

Whatever one thinks or believes about global warming especially if it is connected to carbon emissions, let's assume that we can all agree on a couple of things.

• The last 100+ years have seen incredible technical development, particularly within transportation.
• Never before in human history have so many, been able to travel so far and freely as with the arrival of the internal combustion engines. And with that, tailpipe emissions became a factor.

Let's stay away from the debate of how much of an overall impact the personal carbon footprint is responsible for. We can probably agree that it must have some impact.

The debate has been going on for quite some time. At the beginning of this century though, consensus was reached among scientists as well as policymakers that the burning of fossil fuels did have an overall environmental impact and led to global warming.

This has led to a surge in the interest and development of an eco friendly alternative to traditional vehicles.

Research shows that in the US around 60% of car journeys are under 6 miles. In the UK, 70% are under 5 miles. Imagine the significant impact a cleaner alternative to those shorter trips could have on the air quality as well as the overall environment.

But it would have to be something viable. A bicycle won't cut it for most people. Let's face it, many hate biking. It requires too much sweat and effort.

The answer then, is the electric scooters.

These are small personal vehicles with zero tailpipe emissions. The manufacturing process can't be compared to that of electric cars. Cars require much bigger batteries as well as other materials.

Electric vehicles are here to stay and as such, the electric scooter is probably one of the smartest of them all.

The electric scooters most are accustomed to in urban areas are probably share scooters. And as much as they have been promoted as a cleaner and more practical alternative, they have had a negative impact as well. Being thrown around and littering public spaces once used and sometimes ending up in canals and other basins is not a very positive image.

Paris in France has banned them as of October 1st 2023 to the dismay of many users. People just got fed up.

And one should not be surprised. When people don't own the vehicles themselves and the repercussions of misusing them are negligible, then we know how the story goes.

The harsh everyday wear and tear of them is also something that has been brought to attention. Sometimes they only work for a short period of time before they basically die. How good is that for the overall environmental impact?

Contrast this to owning your own electric scooter. If you invest in a scooter of your choice, not only will you quickly recuperate the investment since share scooters have become quite pricey to use per minute, but it would be a much more environmentally friendly option as well.

Privately owned electric scooters won't litter the sidewalks or other areas any time soon. Nor will they end up in canals. Good for the environment, good for city commuting, has zero emissions, is swift, and practical. What's not too like about that?

There are economic repercussions affecting agriculture, infrastructure, healthcare costs, etc.

Carbon footprint is the term used that refers to the total amount of greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere as a result of human activities. We all have a personal carbon footprint when we drive our car, travel by plane, or use electricity to name a few areas.

And then we have an industrial footprint, such as the manufacturing process and agricultural practices.

Why should one care about this? Well, a couple of reasons are listed below

• First, there is the climate change issue. Greenhouse gases contribute to global warming which leads to climate change. The results are very evident today. Extreme weather and wildfires, the rising of sea levels, and so on.
• Air pollution leads to health issues
• It can have a negative ecological impact as resources like land and water are affected and might become more scarce.
• There are economic repercussions affecting agriculture, infrastructure, healthcare costs, etc.

Greenhouse gases are gases that trap heat in the atmosphere. Their environmental impact is huge since they contribute to the greenhouse effect and global warming.

They essentially trap some of the heat generated by sunlight from exiting the Earth's atmosphere. They allow the sunlight to enter freely but don't let it escape as easily.

Carbon dioxide is probably the one most are familiar with. Others are Methane, Nitrous Oxide, and Fluorinated gases.

Energy production is the largest source of global greenhouse gas emissions.

Transportation, gas powered vehicles, cars, trucks, ships, and planes are other big contributors.

Industry and manufacturing processes as well as agriculture are also big players. Livestock farming, rice cultivation, and landfills produce a lot of Methane.

Fertilizers for agriculture as well as burning of biomass and fossil fuels produce Nitrous Oxide.

Products such as refrigerators hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), perfluorocarbons (PFCs), sulfur hexafluoride (SF6), and nitrogen trifluoride (NF3) are typically used as refrigerants and produce Fluorinated gases.

Deforestation and waste management also release CO2 and Methane into the atmosphere.

Cars and other internal combustion engines are a big part of the greenhouse gases being released into the atmosphere. Reducing this source is therefore considered critical by authorities.

Imagine if you will, since the majority of car travels are around 5 miles in most western countries, the benefit the reduced carbon emissions would have if only 25% of all those travels were done on electric scooters instead. The positive environmental impact would be tremendous. Imagine if it would be 50%.

Granted, electric scooters can never be an option for all as depending on where you live the climate and infrastructure would be a factor to consider.

But for most western inner cities and other urban areas, the overall carbon footprint would be tremendously improved.

The production of lithium ion batteries does have its environmental challenges. This is a fact. Even so, the small size of electric scooter batteries makes it much less of an impact on raw materials than electric car batteries require.

Electric motors are generally more efficient than internal combustion engines in converting stored energy into motion. Most of the energy from the battery goes into propelling the scooter forward with minimal loss of energy.

They are lightweight which also requires less energy.

The use of regenerative braking systems converts energy back into the battery increasing overall efficiency.

They are optimized for shorter distances which is perfect for public transportation and offer a brilliant last mile solution that can easily replace walking.

Certainly, the production of batteries and electric scooter parts has environmental implications that need to be considered to assess the overall eco friendliness of electric scooters.

Mining for materials like lithium, cobalt, and nickel is energy intensive and can cause habitat destruction as well as soil and water pollution.

Battery production is also energy intensive, often relying on nonrenewable energy sources, which adds to greenhouse gas emissions.

The transportation and global shipping of batteries also have a carbon impact.

The various parts of an electric scooter are often made of aluminum, plastics, and rubber. The extraction and processing of these materials have their own environmental costs adding to air pollution.

The manufacturing phase also requires energy which as of yet, many times comes from nonrenewable sources adding to CO2 emissions.

Finally, the entire lifecycle is also part of the picture. If not properly recycled, used batteries can further pollute the environment. Luckily, the recycling industry and technology surrounding it are fast developing, and procedures to properly take care of these issues are readily available.

Electric vehicles need charging which is another source of pollution.

The conventional energy resources used for this are not optimal.

• Coal : The worst of them all. Very carbon intensive.
• Natural Gas : Cleaner than coal but still emits lots of CO2.
• Nuclear : While nuclear energy is low in greenhouse gas emissions, it poses other environmental challenges, including the disposal of radioactive waste and the potential risks of reactor accidents.

Then we have the renewable energy sources, better but not without consequences.

• Solar : Solar power releases zero emissions during operation but the manufacturing process of them has an environmental impact not to be neglected.
• Wind : Same as with solar. Zero emissions while operating but the manufacturing and installation process has an impact.
• Hydropower : Mostly an environmental impact as large scale projects might destroy habitats and change local ecosystems.

Batteries and the technology surrounding them are evolving though. Cleaner battery technology is possible and scientists are working on this.

Solid state batteries are batteries where the liquid is replaced by a solid material. This could potentially increase energy density and reduce the risk of leaks and fires.

An alternative to Lithium Ion batteries could be the less toxic and more abundant Sodium Ion. a promising alternative.

Organic batteries could also offer a more environmentally friendly option using organic materials for electrodes and electrolytes. This is being researched now.

Better recycling methods and recovering more materials from used batteries are in development.

Sustainable charging options are also underway. Smart charging is an intelligent system that charges when electricity demand is low.

Grid balancing allows for two way communication between the electric scooter and the grid enabling the grid to use energy stored in batteries to balance supply and demand.

Inductive charging (wireless) is still in the experimental stages for e scooters. This could reduce the need for charging stations, thus saving all the material needed for that.

Some areas are looking into developing hyper local energy production. Small scale wind or solar installations to power e scooter stations.

All these efforts put together, can dramatically improve the air quality and reduce emissions making electric scoters a brilliant choice in reducing carbon dioxide emissions.

There are options to the electric scooters. E bikes for example. They give you exercise as well as help you travel relatively effortlessly at higher speeds. But they are bigger and more cumbersome. You can't easily bring your e bike into your office or carry it upstairs.

Public transport might work if you live in a metropolis. Many cities, however, don't have a subway and have to rely on buses. They might be overcrowded and not running exactly on schedule so not the best of options if you really need to be somewhere at a specific time.

Walking is definitely the cleanest of them all but it's slow in comparison and not all areas have an infrastructure that is suited for pedestrians.

As far as sustainability goes, electric scooters are very energy efficient, consuming less energy per mile compared to cars and even some public transport options, particularly if the latter are underutilized.

Low emissions especially when charged with renewable energy sources. This contributes to less air pollution and climate change.

Urban congestion can be massively reduced helping traffic issues as well as resulting in cleaner air.

Electric scooters also require fewer materials to manufacture compared to other vehicles like cars or buses. This makes them more resource efficient per unit.

The disadvantages are the battery production even though the quantities are much smaller than required for an electric car f.e. and the manufacturing of the scooter itself.

But on the whole, the electric scooter is more sustainable than other gas powered vehicles.

Our warehouses and service centers require energy to run. Transportation is also a factor as shipping electric scooters to the end customer also leaves a footprint on the environment.

To offset this impact we have partnered with Trees For the Future to plant trees for every scooter sold. so far we have planted a million trees and we are still counting.

We have changed from focusing on cost and ease when purchasing shipping materials to 90% sustainable alternatives.

Bubble wrap was replaced with a paper based alternative, plastic bubble mailers were replaced by padded paper mailers, styrofoam packing peanuts were replaced with a biodegradable starch based alternative, and even cello tape was replaced with recyclable water activated tape.

We have a program in place for "broken batteries". These are batteries that have not run out of lifecycles but are malfunctioning for some reason. Usually because of the battery management system. We open them up, remove the cells, and test them. All working cells are being reused in large capacity powerbanks so you can charge your phone many times with what used to be a scooter battery.

We have upgraded our lighting system with LED lamps and installed smart thermometers to limit AC consumption in our Florida location.

Most materials are delivered in cardboard boxes. Scooters, parts, supplies, etc. Recycling these boxes is easier said than done. There is no state or municipality organized collection for businesses.

But we have managed to find a local partner who comes twice a week to pick up all our cardboard and sell them as valuable material to recycling centers.

We also work with suppliers to try and eliminate single use materials in packaging. Easier said than done. Styrofoam remains an incredibly efficient material for shipping.

NAMI however, joined our effort and eliminated Styrofoam completely in the packaging of the NAMI Burn E.

To sum it up. Electric scooters offers several ecological advantages. They are energy efficient and produce zero emissions once in travel. A great last mile solution and perfect if traffic congestion drives you mad.

The manufacturing of batteries and charging them are the areas that still are of most concern.

The electric scooter can't replace the car in all areas but, certainly it can when it comes to those shorter trips to the gym or downtown to the coffee shop for an afternoon rendezvous with friends. Not to mention commuting to work. And with the amount of electric scooter options available, you can almost get whatever you want. Ultraportable pocket rocket or a bigger beast scooter.

It's a matter of choice and changing a habit. Choosing right can make a huge difference. Not only for the environment but also for your own purse as electric scooters are very cost effective per mile.

A good thing they are fun to ride as well.