How far can you travel for $5? Kick scooter vs. car vs. motorcycle!
With average gas prices nearing $5 a gallon in the US(1), and outpacing the federal minimum wage of $7.25 in some places, every trip to the gas station is brutal on commuter wallets. But it doesn't have to be that way. Electric vehicle manufacturers like us love to claim that switching to electric will save you money, but will it really?
We decided to break it down, comparing how far you can travel for $5 on our KQi3 Pro electric kick scooter, the average US car, and the average US motorcycle (the math can be found at the bottom of this post under the "Math" section).
And how does it shake out?
We hate to say "we told you so", but "we told you so". Electric saves you money -- up to hundreds of dollars every year!
Kick scooter vs. car
On a NIU electric kick scooter, your $5 will go the farthest, literally, allowing you to travel more than 2,300 miles! Two thousand three hundred and twenty four point seven (2,324.7) miles to be exact. That's more than 50 times as far as your car, provided your car is getting the national average of 39 miles per gallon (mpg)(2). FIFTY times more cost efficient! 5,000% farther!
It bears repeating. For a total electricity bill of $5, you can travel up to 2,325 miles - the same distance as crossing the entire United States from Los Angeles, California to Annapolis, Maryland - to friends' houses, to run errands, to go to work or to school, to ride in circles around your house, or wherever you want. It's your scooter!
Kick scooter vs. motorcycle
But what about motorcycles? Surely motorcycles are a good way to save money. There isn't an official number for how many miles per gallon the average motorcycle gets, but estimates range from around 40-80mpg(3). Basically the same as cars, if you're heavy on the throttle, to around twice as efficient. We're feeling exceptionally generous today, and will use the very high end of that figure and assume the average motorcycle in the US gets 80mpg. Pretty good!
But compare that to an electric kick scooter? The kick scooter will still take you more than 24 times as far, for the same amount of money, and in about the same amount of time (daredevils excluded, but they aren't getting 80mpg anyway).
The majority of car trips are less than 6 miles, easily replaceable with micromobility solutions like electric kick scooters.(4) In fact, it is estimated that nearly 50% of all car trips in urban areas in the US can be replaced!(5) On a kick scooter, traveling at 20mph, your average 6 mile trip will take less than 20 minutes, and not a single one spent stuck idling in traffic!
Here's a final stat for you - the average American drove about 14,263 miles in 2019(6). If you replace a third of those trips (4,706 miles) over the next year with a NIU electric kick scooter, you'll have paid it off entirely by the time next spring rolls around.
That also does not take into account the fact that an electric kick scooter has fewer parts, which means far less money spent on repairs over the lifetime of the vehicle. Plus you're doing your part by reducing your emissions! Everyone wins!
If you're ready to make the switch, #MakeLifeElectric and start saving money on those short trips, there's never been a better time than now. We're offering sales all summer long through our official online shop and Amazon. Also, be sure to follow us on Instagram as well - there's a giveaway from us or a partner almost every week!
Math
Average ICE car mpg (light-duty vehicle, passenger car): 39
Average ICE motorcycle mpg (assumed): 80
Cost of gas (USA): $4.50 per gallon
Average miles driven per year by Americans: 14,263
Cost of electricity (USA): 13.72 cents per kWh(7)
Product Range (KQi3 Pro): 31 miles
Battery Capacity (KQi3 Pro): 0.486kWh
NIU KQi3 electric kick scooter
Battery capacity in kWh x Cost per kWh = Cost per Charge
Cost per Gallon / Cost per Charge = Equivalent # of Charges (# of times you can charge for the same cost)
Equivalent # of Charges x Product Range = Equivalent Range
0.486kWh x 13.72 cents per kWh = 6.67 cents = Cost per Charge
500 cents / 6.67 cents = 74.99 = Equivalent # of Charges for same cost
74.99 x 31 miles = 2,324.7 Miles Equivalent Range
Cars/Motorcycles
MPG x (5$ / Cost per gallon of Gas) = Distance Traveled for $5
39 x (5 / 4.50) = 43.3 miles traveled by car for $5
80 x (5 / 4.50) = 88.9 miles traveled by motorcycle for $5
Comparison
Kick scooter range / Car or Motorcycle range = Difference
2,323.8 / 43.3 = 54.0 (so actually is 5,400% farther)
2,323.8 / 88.9 = 26.1
Sources
(1) The national average price of regular unleaded according to the American Automobile Association (AAA) as of May 24th, 2022.
(2) According to U.S. Department of Transportation, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Average Fuel Efficiency of U.S. Light Duty Vehicles, accessed May 24th, 2022
(3) According to Erico Motorsports, "Do Motorcycles Get Good Gas Mileage?", accessed May 24th, 2022
(4) According to U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, National Household Travel Survey website, accessed June 6, 2018.
(5) According to INRIX Transportation Analyst Trevor Reed, 2019.
(6) According to U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, Office of Highway Policy Information, Highway Statistics 2019
(7) According to US Energy Information Administration, Today in Energy, "During 2021, U.S. retail electricity prices rose at fastest rate since 2008", accessed May 24th, 2022
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