Guide to the electric scooter - Australia

Over the past few years we have seen a massive increase in the interest in the electric scooter within Australia.  Now more than ever people are looking to purchase an electric scooter to get around town. This is a guide to the various electric scooters available in Australia.

Different Types of Electric Scooter

Essentially there are three different types of electric scooter, these are:

• the mobility scooter
• the motor scooter
• The stand up scooter

The electric motor scooter

The electric motor scooter looks like a motorbike but works much more like an electric bike. It has peddles to assist but the motor can also provide sufficient power. This kind of electric scooter has improved with recent technology and you can now get reasonable speeds and distances from them. You will need to charge them regularly but they are very cheap to run and there are no licensing or insurance issues if you purchase an electric scooter with an output of less than 200watts.

The electric mobility scooter

You will probably have noticed these electric mobility scooters in your local town. They are perfect for people who struggle to walk around as they are quiet, cheap to run and maintain and don’t require insurance or licenses.

They are treated as a electric wheelchairs and so should only be used in pedestrian areas.

The Stand up Electric Scooter

These are great fun and a great way to get around. They are a real craze and in Australia the stand-up electric scooter is getting ever more popular.

Check out the razor electric scooter.

You can buy these items online and they are pretty reasonably priced. Most motorized or electric scooters are reliable and well made but look for respected brands and be wary of ‘too good to be true’ deals.

Electric Scooter Licenses and Insurance

The licensing and insurance issues depends on the size and type of your electric scooter. An electric motor scooter for example of deemed and electric bike if the output is less than 200watts and has peddles attached and can therefore be used on the road without insurance or a license. An electric mobility scooter can be used as an electric wheelchair on pavements  and electric stand-up scooters are made for fun and are not to be used on the road.