Bikes are for summer and scooters are for youth.

The idea of ​​using bicycles for the summer does not go much beyond the clichés that were activated, first, by the title of the original play (later film) by Fernando Fernán Gómez, and also by series such as Estiu Blue, but the truth is that these unique pedal-assisted means of transportation in Spain in the first six decades of the twentieth century were the only means of personal mobility that many citizens had access to. Then, with the advent of facilities such as Seat 600 As the automobile movement in the country accelerated, bicycles became a sport for some. Later, at the beginning of the twenty-first century, an attempt was made to generalize its use as a means of personal urban transportation, but without much success because those who use it in cities are more of a struggle and choice than a comfort. This space, which was initially occupied by bicycles, then the first scooters, during the decades extending from the twenties to the early sixties, is now occupied by another vehicle, in this case electric: scooters.

The only option

And that is because after the significant increase in prices recorded in the new and used car markets after the pandemic, electric scooters have become the only option for personal urban mobility for young people. This is evidenced by studies such as the one recently conducted by the micromobility company doctorAccordingly, the people who choose these devices the most for their daily mobility are those aged between 18 and 24. Thus, according to this study, 80% of people who move around the city use Electric scooters In this age group. The study also provides other data: 51% of VMP users use them daily and 41% use them in combination with collective public transport options. Why? Well, because if you compare them to a car or a motorbike, they are relatively affordable – a new car rarely costs less than 24,000 euros, a motorbike usually costs over 3,000 euros – and at the moment, it is not necessary to take out insurance. Being electric, motorbikes also do not generate fuel expenses. In short, they are a suitable means of transportation for young people with limited income and little job stability. If their grandparents used to travel by bike, they do so on a motorbike.

Other countries

In Spain, almost a third of daily trips made in VMPs replace trips previously covered by motorized vehicles such as cars, taxis or motorbikes. At a European level, the number of trips replacing other motorized options is 26%, a figure equivalent to eliminating more than 8 million motorized trips per year.