Nothing is less sustainable than a scooter in the city

It does not replace the car, but the bike or walking

Therefore, scooters don't reduce traffic; if anything, they create some traffic problems. A study conducted in Tel Aviv, where Mayor Ron Huldai has heavily promoted scooters, demonstrated precisely this: those who use them would have chosen to bike, take a bus, or walk. Not the car. As for pollution, scooters are an eco-bomb. Research from the University of North Carolina It has been shown that a scooter produces 202 grams of CO02 over its life cycle. This is significantly more than an electric bike (40 grams), a traditional bicycle (8 grams), and an electric scooter (119 grams). It is even more than a diesel bus with a large number of passengers (82 grams). Another study on the subject, this time conducted in Paris, calculated that in just one year, shared scooters added 13 tons of greenhouse gases to the French capital's ecological footprint. Far from reducing emissions, scooters increase and generate pollution.

According to a study led by Daniel Reck and Kay Axausen of the ETH ZurichA shared scooter generates, for every kilometer traveled, 51 grams of CO2 more than the vehicle it replaces. "The bottom line is that scooters are currently damaging the climate," Reck states peremptorily. And who can blame him? Adding to the scooter's pollution is the misuse of them by users in cities and the complete lack of controls by the companies that manage the service. Anarchy still reigns. So we find ourselves with scooters abandoned on sidewalks and in gardens, or thrown in the middle of the street, further adding to the chaotic picture of urban disorder. Much worse than what happens with bicycles and the car sharing.

The scooter is a vehicle that has nothing to do with “gentle” and sustainable mobility. It's actually dangerous. The statistics say so. The death toll is rising year after year, in proportion to the increased use of this vehicle: in 2021, according to ISTAT data, accidents increased from 564 to 2.101, and injuries from 518 to 1.980. A quadruple. There were ten deaths, one of whom was a pedestrian (127 pedestrians were hit). According to the latest available ISTAT data, in 2023 There were 3.365 accidents involving scooters, with 3.195 injuries and 21 fatalities. For 2024, estimates predict over 4 accidents, and the trend is expected to worsen further in 2025. Scooter accidents are on the rise. And 30 percent of cases occur when riding a scooter for the first time. Wrists, hands, shoulders, and knees: these are the body parts most affected. To avoid scooter accidents Some precautions are needed when driving.

The Wild West dominates the (in)urban use of scooters. And despite contradictory and patchy national laws and municipal regulations, scooters roam everywhere at often uncontrolled speeds. On the streets, on sidewalks, along cycle pathsAnd they can cause damage anywhere, also because they are very silent vehicles.

With its alluring presentation as an easy and economical means of transportation, the scooter presents itself as a good deal for consumer users. It is not true. A scooter ride, through the secure sharing service run by a few large private companies, costs, on average, between 3 and 6 euros. And the basic rate ranges from 25 to 50 cents per minute. If you consider the average distance, just over 2 kilometers (1,4 kilometers in cities like Milan), the conclusion is once again dictated by the law of numbers: a scooter isn't much cheaper than a taxi. Where is the convenience?

The only ones really making money from unsustainable scooters are the large companies that manage the sharing service. All of them have reached stratospheric figures in just a few years. And without any significant investment. Rentals totaled 18 million in 2021, with three cities leading the way: Milan, Rome and TurinShared scooter rentals in Italy have now reached the 20 million mark per year. According to an analysis by the newspaper Motors Daily, in Milan you get to approximately 7,600 daily rentals With an average journey time of 10 minutes and a travel distance of 1,4 kilometers, the market is divided among six companies: Bird, Dot, Voi, Wind, Helbiz Italia, and Lime. They're the ones in charge, and they've decided to promote the scooter as a souped-up symbol of the new mobility system. Unsustainable, more than sustainable.