Pros and Cons of Bicycles and E-scooters

by Eddie Schultz

October 25, 2018

New Ridesharing Options

In the past couple years, another crop of ridesharing have appeared on the streets of major cities in the West coast: bicycles and electric scooters (e-scooters). These rental vehicles are an affordable option for riders who need to travel short distances quickly. Riders locate the vehicle (on app on in-person), ride, and park when done. Residents may also earn money in some cases by charging these vehicles. However, as with any new innovation, they have stirred mixed reactions. Here’s a list of some pros and cons of bicycles and e-scooters:

Pros and Cons for Riders:

Pros	Cons
Cheaper alternative especially for traveling to nearby destinations Easy pickup using the app to locate an available Easy drop-off on the sidewalk (most of the time) More environmentally friendly compared to other ridesharing options	Limited availability as most of these options are currently only available in select cities and select areas within cities

Pros and Cons for the Community:

Pros	Cons
Less carbon emissions compared to more popular ridesharing options Less traffic congestion since most of these options operate on sidewalk Earn money by charging electric vehicles like Bird	Physical hazards as vehicles are often discarded recklessly on sidewalks, in public spaces, or on private property Public nuisance as these vehicles can be used as toys and hence encourage inappropriate behaviors

Growing Competition

Despite the cons of these new ridesharing options, a number of companies are vying for this growing domestic market.

Bird offers rentals of e-scooters and is currently running in 70 cities.
Lime provides rentals of bicycles, e-bicycles, and e-scooters. Lime is currently operating in 100 markets nationwide.
Jump allows rentals of bicycles and e-scooters through the Uber app after their acquisition earlier this year. Jump is currently available in 10 cities.
Spin offers rentals of e-scooters and is active in 11 cities.

Final Thoughts

According to some reports, the electric scooter market alone is expected to grow to $28.56 billion by 2025. However, as this domestic market is still young and entrants are facing local resistance, it remains to be seen how fast and wide these vehicles will go. What do you think? What are your pros and cons of bicycles and e-scooters?