As cities grow, one thing that’s difficult to control is the number of people living in them. As population increases, cities face challenges, specifically in resources and infrastructure. However, one of the significant challenges that cities face today is increasing carbon emissions, especially from the transportation sector. In fact, this sector is one of the highest contributors to greenhouse gases worldwide.
To combat these challenges and develop a more sustainable transport system, encouraging electric scooters and other personal electric mobility devices is one solution that more cities across the globe are implementing. After all, this new transport movement has proven the economic and environmental impact of e-scooters.
To know how e-scooters offer a greener transport system in cities, here are just some of the reasons why more cities are implementing and legalising them today.
Why It’s Greener to Use E-scooters in Cities
Here are the different electric scooter environmental impacts in cities.
1. Electric scooters don’t emit harmful gases
The main environmental benefit of electric scooters is their carbon-reducing perks. Since electric scooters don’t need fuel to run, it doesn’t produce carbon dioxide and other harmful gases. In turn, this helps reduce the amount of carbon emission currently in the atmosphere.
In fact, its effect is significant. A study by shared e-scooter service Lime found that e-scooters can save over 330 tons of carbon emissions in just a year of using e-scooters in the city of Paris. If the city continues to implement e-scooters, it could save over 10,000 carbon emissions by 2030. If more cities can legalise and encourage the use of e-scooters, more cities can reduce their carbon emissions and help slow down global warming.
2. It’s made from recyclable material
One of the unrealised benefits of e-scooters is their recyclability. Although not all electric scooter models are made from recyclable material, more e-scooters use aluminium alloy as a base material. This is a light but durable material that’s recyclable and sustainable. One beneficial characteristic of aluminium is that it can be melted down repeatedly and recycled without losing its durability. In turn, recycling aluminium saves manufacturers 9 tons of carbon emissions.
For cities, this means that they can prevent having e-scooters pollute landfills after they are discarded. Moreover, most e-scooter parts are made with metals, magnets, and copper wires, which are also recyclable materials. Ultimately, e-scooters will not be wasted once discarded and they will not pollute lands.
3. It promotes alternative fuel solutions
Using eco-friendly scooters means that cities can also promote renewable energy sources for transportation. Aside from using electricity, cities can also promote biofuel. This refers to any kind of fuel produced from sustainable resources, such as plants, animal waste, and algae, among others. Using biofuel also produces fewer air pollutants, making them more eco-friendly than normal fuel.
Aside from this, another benefit to using biofuel is its flexibility. It adapts to different engine conditions and designs and helps make vehicles more durable and last longer. If demand increases for biofuels, it could become cheaper than regular fuel, making it more accessible and available to different types of commuters.
4. E-scooter mobility encourages cities to preserve nature
When implementing electric scooters, one thing that cities have to consider is building the right infrastructures to enable riders to have a safe and efficient transport system. Fortunately, infrastructures for electric scooters and other personal electric mobility devices usually consider the environment, aesthetics, and community interests of an area.
This means construction will be mindful of the natural resources and communities where the infrastructures will be built. In addition, some green road infrastructure projects recycle waste materials to create sustainable and durable roads. As a result, cities can create sustainable urban mobility that promotes green spaces and efficient personal mobility.
5. E-scooters help improve the quality of living in cities
Overall, the main reason why electric scooters are good for cities is because of the various environmental, economic, and health benefits that it brings. With sustainable micro-mobile transportation, cities can lessen air pollution and prevent air-related health risks from affecting residents. Moreover, since e-scooters don’t have loud motors, it helps lessen noise pollution, especially in highly-populated areas. Overall, people can live a greener and more peaceful lifestyle, while enjoying the perks of efficient and accessible personal transport.
Electric Scooters Help Build Mobile and Eco-friendly Cities
Given these benefits, are e-scooters worth it? Many would still argue about the safety of electric scooters, especially since e-scooter accidents are increasing as more cities implement them. However, it’s important to note that these accidents are often caused by rider recklessness or negligence. Although there will be pros and cons of electric scooters in cities, the pros have proven to outweigh the cons.
By encouraging more e-scooters on roads or footpaths, more people can contribute to reducing air pollution. At the same time, cities can improve their mobility and make jobs, education, and tourism more accessible for locals and tourists. E-scooters will not only help improve sustainability but also boost a city’s economy.
