Modern day electric scooters have been around for almost a decade. The new found popularity of e-scooters in developed countries is credited to rental service companies like Lime and Bird. E-scooters cost around $600 with an average speed of 20 mph. Rental companies make it easy for the customer as they need not worry about charging the scooter or carrying it around and pretty much can leave it ready for the next customer at their destination.
Some cities have banned their use citing dock-less parking on sidewalks and concerns about safety of both the rider and pedestrians. Others have raised the question of life of an e-scooter as damages caused due to carelessly discarding them in public, demanding more frequent replacements and the unintended impact that causes the environment. Regardless, the e-scooter industry is still growing strong and was valued at almost $20 B in 2020.
