60-70km Daily Commute? We Help You Choose Between An E-scooter & A Petrol One

There are plenty of options to choose from, for an average customer. 

• Electric scooters, though having lower running costs, have a higher upfront buying cost. 
• Petrol scooters, on the other hand, won’t cost you a lot initially but with the petrol prices rising, fuelling them up each time might pinch your wallet. 
• Which one then, will be better in the longer run? We help you find that out: 

Electric vs petrol: it’s a battle for the ages. Electrics have always been expensive, and with the revised FAME 2 subsidies, electric scooters have truly become quite expensive to buy. But then along with that they also bring the allure of no fuelling up and not having to worry about petrol costs. Yes, they need to be charged up but even the per unit cost of charging it up is quite minimal, especially when compared to the petrol prices. 

Petrol scooters, meanwhile, are the ‘old is gold’ kind. Buying them is cheap but maintenance will always keep pinching your wallet. True, repairing a normal petrol-powered scooter isn’t the most expensive but it’s quite a lot more than doing so for its electric counterpart, given the lesser running cycle parts. And not to forget having to refuel it regularly. 

So that brings us to the original question: which one should you get if you have a daily commute of about 60-70km? Here’s our analysis: 

The answer essentially depends on the practicality of integrating an electric vehicle (EV) into your lifestyle. Three crucial points need to be considered in this regard.

Price

Price: it’s always the first thing to consider, isn’t it? Electric scooters were never really cheap and now with the revised FAME 2 subsidies, they have truly become quite expensive. So if budget is a concern, we’d suggest you to go for a petrol-powered scooter. 

But if you can splurge some extra money on your purchase initially, there’s nothing quite like an electric scooter.  The torquey riding experience that they bring is a whole lot better than petrol-powered scooters and they will surely make your city commuting a lot of fun, something we can’t exactly say about all the other petrol-powered scooters. 

So if that sort of an experience is what you’re looking for and you don’t mind paying for it as well, we’d recommend you get yourself an electric scooter. 

Charging

Firstly, it is imperative that you have the convenience of charging the EV at your home. Relying solely on public charging infrastructure on a regular basis is not advisable. Being able to easily charge your scooter at home can make a substantial difference in your overall experience.

Range

The second point to consider is whether the EV can comfortably meet your typical daily requirements. If your regular commuting distance exceeds 80km per day, it would be unwise to purchase an EV scooter with a range of only 100km. It's essential to account for a sufficient buffer range that can accommodate occasional longer trips. 

Having a good buffer range can also alleviate any concerns about range anxiety, which is definitely worthwhile in the long run. Based on our experience, the top five scooters available today (Ather, Chetak, iQube, Ola, and Vida) offer a realistic range of approximately 100km or slightly more. Therefore, if your daily commute is 60km or less, these scooters will comfortably meet your needs.

Verdict

If you fulfill these two criteria, opting for an EV would be highly sensible. The low operating costs are a great advantage, and the quiet and torquey nature of electric scooters enhances the pleasure of riding within the city. 

Although there are numerous options in the market, it is important to note that many of them are poorly constructed Chinese-origin products that we do not recommend. However, if you focus your search on the aforementioned top five brands, you can expect a satisfying experience with your EV.