Destroying the myth that Electric Vehicles are more expensive and less efficient – an Electric Scooter Operational Cost of Ownership Comparison
introduce the use of low carbon emission electric vehicles. Increasing Eco-compliance pressure is
being applied to UK/Euro companies to the extent where companies such as UK based Tesco, ( our
equivalent of Pick & Pay), are moving to electric vehicle delivery fleets as part their compliance strategy, and applying stringent measurement criteria on the carbon footprint of their suppliers (including South African) and products . The introduction of electric scooters to reduce pollution and noise in the inner cities has been widely adopted not only in European cities but in Asian countries as well, the largest being China. Regulations have been introduced banning petrol scooters in many inner city areas and incentives in Europe have been adopted to promote the adoption of electric, nonpollution/noise emission vehicles.
The attitude in South Africa is “I’ll wait until I have to comply” or “if it’s Green it will cost you more, and be less efficient”
The reality is that the time is upon us as the rapidly rising costs of fuel and day to day living expenses, many people looking for alternative, viable and cost effective forms of commuting and transport. To some extent this is being addressed by the rapid adoption of petrol scooters in SA.
However a cost analysis will show that apart from the smaller capital outlay versus a car or motorbike, the actual costs are not what they at first appear, and there is a far more viable option if one considers the more cost-effective electric scooter as an alternative.
The economic and eco-environmental benefits of electric scooters over petrol scooters can be positioned as follows:
Fuel cost of 10c/km versus 30c/km per day
Monthly operational cost of 34c/km versus 79c/km
Total monthly operational cost of R404 versus R684 to R950
Annual operational cost of R5003 versus R8360 to R11550
3 year total cost of ownership of R29593 at 69c/km versus up to R52795 at
R1.22/km
Zero noise pollution
Zero exhaust emissions
Reliability – no gearbox/transmission/belts/pistons/valves/heads
/exhaust/chains/shafts etc
