Nepedia
Back to Discover
Fluent Reader
💻

Motorized scooter

technology Maturity 11-13 Next article →

A motorized scooter is a small way to travel called micromobility.

Manscooter
Manscooter

You ride it by standing on a large, flat deck. Most scooters use a small engine or an electric motor. These motors are often located inside the front or rear wheel.

Front electronic brake
Front electronic brake

This design makes them very handy for moving around cities. They are great for short trips when you do not want to walk.

Electric kick scooters, or e-scooters, work using stored energy in batteries.

Electric scooters, Warszawska Street in Tomaszów Mazowiecki, Łódź Voivodeship, Poland, August 2020
Electric scooters, Warszawska Street in Tomaszów Mazowiecki, Łódź Voivodeship, Poland, August 2020

Many modern models use a brushless hub motor to turn the wheels. This means the motor is built right into the center of the wheel.

Pneumatic Tire
Pneumatic Tire

Some newer scooters can even fold up to make them easier to carry. To use them in many cities, you can use a phone app. The app lets you rent a scooter by the minute. This makes them very easy for people to find and use.

People have been making motorized scooters for a long time.

Autoped 1919 Ever Ready 1
Autoped 1919 Ever Ready 1

The very first one was made by a company called Autoped in 1915. A woman named Florence Norman was even seen using one in 1916.

Lady Florence Norman
Lady Florence Norman

Later, a company called Go-Ped made new models in 1986. In 2009, a designer named Nimrod Ricardo Sapir created the first folding e-scooter. He used lithium-ion batteries to power his invention in Israel. Since then, many different companies have improved how these scooters work.

Using e-scooters can change how we help the planet.

If people use them instead of cars, they can reduce carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide is a gas that causes global warming. However, making the batteries requires many resources.

E-scooter with Pneumatic Tires
E-scooter with Pneumatic Tires

Some research shows that rented scooters can sometimes emit more carbon dioxide than the transport they replace. It is important to see how they are used to know their true impact.

Safety is a big part of riding a motorized scooter.

NYC-eScooter-2021-Accident
NYC-eScooter-2021-Accident

Because the wheels are small, hitting a pothole can make the scooter unstable. Some riders might also ride in lanes meant for cars.

Neuron scooters in Civic during December 2020
Neuron scooters in Civic during December 2020

This can lead to accidents with other vehicles. Many cities have rules to keep people safe. For example, some places require you to wear a helmet. Others say you must be at least 18 years old to ride. These rules help everyone share the road more safely.

379 words

Where will your curiosity go next?

Keep exploring at your chosen reading level.

🖼️ Images & Media (15)
File:Manscooter.png
Manscooter.png
File:Autoped 1919 Ever Ready 1.jpg
Autoped 1919 Ever Ready 1.jpg
File:Lady Florence Norman.jpg
Lady Florence Norman.jpg
File:Vosh, Stockholm ( 1090722).jpg
Vosh, Stockholm ( 1090722).jpg
File:Electric scooters, Warszawska Street in Tomaszów Mazowiecki, Łódź Voivodeship, Poland, August 2020.jpg
Electric scooters, Warszawska Street in...
File:NYC-eScooter-2021-Accident.png
NYC-eScooter-2021-Accident.png
File:Neuron scooters in Civic during December 2020.jpg
Neuron scooters in Civic during December 2020.jpg
File:E-Scooter-Verbot.jpg
E-Scooter-Verbot.jpg
File:E-scooters in Christchurch.jpg
E-scooters in Christchurch.jpg
File:Sosnowiec Hulajnogi Elektryczne.jpg
Sosnowiec Hulajnogi Elektryczne.jpg
File:Different Electric Scooters in Long Beach, CA - 2023-3-15.jpg
Different Electric Scooters in Long...
File:E-scooter with Pneumatic Tires.jpg
E-scooter with Pneumatic Tires.jpg

+ 3 more

More to explore

What is Nepedia?

A free, ad-free encyclopedia for children. Every article is written at five reading levels, so the same page works for a five-year-old and a fifteen-year-old — use the level switcher above to see this one change. No account needed to read.