Can scooters really be green? Yes!

They are all the rage in crowded European and Asian cities and are gaining a foothold in urban America. The popularity of scooters is skyrocketing due to increasing gas prices – and it’s not surprising. The average scooter will hold about 1.5 gallons of gas, around $6 at the pump.

Vespa just one make

Some riders equate the Vespa (Italian for “wasp”) brand as a generic term for all scooters and that’s not accurate. As evidenced by the accompanying list, there are many brands out there.

One local Vespa dealer, however, expounded on the green aspects of his products. “All of our Vespa models are ‘green,’” said John Beldock, owner of Erico Motorsports of Denver and Lakewood. “They are all Euro 3 emission rated, which is a higher standard than required by the EPA in the United States.

“The scooters average about 70 mpg, with a couple models capable of near 100 mpg,” Beldock said. “MPG is one thing that is normally focused on but scooters actually provide much more ‘green’ advantage than just fantastic mileage.”

Size doesn’t matter

If you can ride a bicycle, you can easily ride a scooter. Colorado law requires a motorcycle endorsement on your driver’s license to ride a scooter with an engine size of over 50cc’s on the streets. The scooter must also be properly licensed by county of residence. If your scooter is less than 50cc, all you must do is register your scooter inexpensively with the State of Colorado and renew it every three years.

Many green models have a powerplant right under that 50cc limit and, while they don’t have the acceleration of a sports car, they’re not exactly slow off the line. Just stay off the main throroughfares and the freeways and you’ll
be fine.

A scooter means less maintenance, expense

“Another thing often overlooked is the fact that scooter engines are lubricated by less than one quart of oil, meaning oil changes produce less than one-eighth the amount of waste of the average four-wheel vehicle,” Beldock said. “This form of resource conservation (and waste reduction) is multiplied by the fact that much less rubber is consumed (tires), as well as brake pad material and other fluids.”

Saving money also leads to greater enjoyment riding a scooter. “I drive my scooter first because it is fun and puts a smile on my face,” said David Westman of Denver. “I drive my scooter second because it gets over 70 mpg, which turns that smile into a big grin. I pretty much ride it year-round and use it to commute to work just about every day – even today in the rain!”

The price of scooters is relatively low. For around $2,000, you can get a decent scooter brand new.

Are scooters really green?

To be called “green,” a scooter must adhere to Euro 3 regulations, which require a four-stroke engine, employing separate gas and oil tanks. You don’t have to mix the gas and oil as you would in a two-stroke model. Propane-powered scooters with direct injection are out there but tough to find. Straight electric scooters are available, using much less energy at a higher cost, but the range is limited. Piaggio, a division of Vespa, is working on a hybrid model that promises a savings of 20 percent on gasoline usage.

Continuously variable transmissions give the rider the most efficient mode of acceleration and greatest gas savings, but you take a power hit at the same time. But hey, all you have to do is twist the throttle and go.

To sum it up

“Much of what makes scooters environmentally friendly is the fact that they combat traffic congestion,” Beldock concluded. “By keeping traffic moving, we shorten the time that engines are running, in four-wheel vehicles as well as the scooters themselves. The simple fact that parking is much easier also means that trips around the block jockeying for parking are eliminated.”
~ Tim Coy