Which Is Better, an Electric Scooter or an E-Bike?

Speed
How fast can the two go? E-bikes are generally faster than electric scooters, says Bernie Deitrick, CR’s product tester who’s ridden hundreds of miles on e-bikes and dozens of miles on scooters. 

Three out of the four electric scooters CR tested can travel across flat pavements at top speeds of about 15 mph. There are some faster e-bikes in the market, but in general, the motor assist on an e-bike will propel it up to 20 or 28 mph, depending on the classification of the e-bike, says Benjamin Preston, CR’s auto writer who’s also a bike enthusiast.

Range
In general, e-bikes have a longer range than electric scooters. That being said, scooters are relatively easy to carry around, so range might be less of a worry for commuters who can plug in their scooters for a recharge after a short ride to the office, says Louis Pappas, principal and co-founder of Electric Avenue, a micromobility consulting firm.

Portability 
Scooters can be way more portable and easier to store than e-bikes, and they don’t take up that much space, which could be an important consideration if you’re living in an apartment with many flights of stairs. There are, however, e-bikes that are designed to be lighter, and they can be under 50 pounds.

Safety
When it comes to road surfaces, scooters don’t deal with imperfections, such as potholes or bumpy surfaces, as capably as e-bikes, with their larger wheels.

E-bikes also might be easier and safer to ride for a broader set of users because a lot of people have experience riding a bike, while scooters could take some more time to adjust to and to learn how to balance on, Louis says.

Price Range
You can get a pretty capable scooter for under $1,000, Benjamin says. By comparison, the average price for a commuter e-bike is $2,000 to $3,000. E-bikes, in general, have a wide price range and can go from less than $500 to thousands of dollars.

The ‘Fun’ Factor
For pure enjoyment, Bernie prefers e-bikes. “E-bikes are a lot of fun to ride—they are faster, accelerate more quickly, and can handle more terrain. And they are more comfortable while you’re doing all that since you can sit down and relax your legs and feet,” Bernie says.

“Personally, being on a scooter makes me wish I was on a skateboard, while riding an e-bike gives me a petit motorcycle thrill,” says Benjamin, who also finds e-bikes to be more fun than electric scooters.

How do I choose between the two? Ultimately, it depends on your needs and situation. If you want to go longer distances or carry heavier cargo, an e-bike is probably the better option, says Louis. Scooters might be better suited for shorter trips and multimodal travel if your trip involves getting on a train or a subway. It’s a little bit less of a pain to lug a scooter on public transport than an e-bike. (Check out our e-bike ratings.)

Things to know before you purchase either: Make sure you do a test ride a few times before you commit to buying an electric scooter or an e-bike, and check out your local regulations on where you are allowed to ride your vehicle, whether it’s a designated lane or on the road with other cars. And to be safe, you should always wear a helmet when you’re riding. You can check out the best bike helmets of 2022 rated by us (which are also good for riding a scooter) and a video that shows how we test bike helmets (no cyclists were harmed in the making of this video).