Electric vehicle technology has rapidly advanced the past several years. Cars that are mass produced today are now capable of traveling over 300 miles on a single charge! The two biggest developments that has made this possible are superior battery technology and electric motor capabilities.

This technology has transferred rather quickly to the consumer space in the form of Personal Electric Vehicles (PEV). These are commonly known as:

Electric Powered

ScooterSurfer.com is focused on bringing you the latest trends, news, updates, reviews, and buying guides on the best electric scooters available on the market. We also enjoy other PEV’s, so we will also periodically cover Hoverboards, Electric Skateboards, and Electric Bikes. 

Markets change as technology changes. So expect this site to grow and expand over time into other markets.


PEV’s

Why Are Personal Electric Vehicles So Popular?


RECREATION

They’re just fun!


CITY COMMUTERS

Cab’s are expensive, bikes are big and finding parking is a pain. Walking is too slow. A PEV is compact and can get you there without breaking a sweat.


TOURISTS

PEV’s such as Scooters by Bird and Lime are popping up in cities on both Coasts and everywhere in-between!

PEV’s can be for fun or used as an alternative form of transportation.

Electric Scooters

Electric Scooters are basically a 2-wheeled kick scooter that has bolted on to it batteries and an electric motor to drive the rear wheel.  They require the rider to balance on 2 wheels in a vertically-aligned direction, come with a handlebar for steering, and some form of a brake, commonly hand controlled. They are extremely easy to ride with practically zero learning time. 

Adults love these as an alternative form of transportation. Mainly:

  • Compact: The handle folds up, making a very compact package that doesn’t require locking it up at your destination.
  • Convenient: Very easy to take to work and plug in under a desk. And have long range to get you to work and home. ​Or if being a tourist, folding up and sticking in a backpack makes them perfect for sight seeing.
  • Clean: No fuel, such as propane or gasoline. They don’t leak, don’t smell, and are lighter than fuel powered electric scooters. But they don’t have the range that a fuel-powered scooter has.
  • Transportation: It’s easy to pack several of these into a trunk for you and your family/friends. Take them out at your destination and use them around town. No need for an unsightly and troublesome bike rack on the roof or back of your car. 

Hoverboards

​The word hoverboard was made popular by the awesome movie Back To The Future starring Michael J. Fox. In that movie, Marty used a Hoverboard to escape an angry Biff. This hoverboard was basically a skateboard, but with no wheels, and it floated on air. Thus, hover – board. 

While technology has advanced tremendously, we haven’t figured out anti-gravity yet. Today, Hoverboards are commonly known as 2-wheeled boards, but unlike an electric scooter, the hoverboard travels in a horizontally-aligned direction. I’m sure you’ve seen them as they were extremely popular 2 years ago with all the TV ads and all the kiosks in the shopping malls with vendors showcasing them. 

Some of the common traits of a hoverboard are:

  • Self-Balancing: The boards self-balance, and help the rider maintain an upright position.
  • Super Compact: There is nothing to fold. They are fully self contained and are very easy to pack in a backpack.
  • Cool: They are super cool to watch someone riding one of these! 
  • No Handle: There is no handle. You and the board balance and brake as one. As a result, there is a learning curve to these boards, and for some adults, a bit intimidating. But they aren’t hard to learn. 

Electric Skateboards

Electric Skateboards are usually longboard’s with batteries and an electric motor to propel the board. These boards are also very cool. They use four wheels like a regular skateboard, but come with built-in propulsion as well as braking. These boards are awesome, it’s about as close as you can get to surfing on the land. 

The technology in this space is still under rapid development. And a lot of manufacturer’s are looking to become the dominate seller in this market. 

Some of the common traits of an Electric Skateboard are:

  • Skateboarding: You should be familiar with riding a skateboard before trying an electric skateboard.
  • Super Cool: These boards come in some tremendous packaging. They look so sexy. And the technology powering them are truly amazing. 
  • No Handle: Just like a regular skateboard, there is no handle. Usually the rider has a remote control device that wirelessly controls the motor for propulsion and braking. 

Electric Bikes

Traditional electric bikes are bikes with batteries and an electric motor driving the rear wheels. Some are power-assisting and others are full propulsion. Nothing revolutionary here in regards to the form factor. They look and ride like your typical bike.

  • Power-Assisting: the motor supplements the power generated by the rider’s pedaling. In other words, it’s much easier to go up hills with this kind of E-Bike. 
  • Full-propulsion: the bike doesn’t require any pedaling by the rider for propulsion. 

What we plan to focus on at scootersurfer.com are the next generation e-bikes, like the Swagtron above. It’s a bike, but a different form factor that focuses on compactness, convenience, and style. ​

Some of the common traits of E-Bikes are:

  • Bike: It’s a bike. The rider needs to know how to ride a bike if they want to ride an E-Bike.
  • Full-Size: Nothing gained here with an E-Bike. Bike size is the same, and in fact the weight goes up because of the batteries and motor.
  • Practical: Commuters love the E-Bikes. It usually doesn’t require licensing like a moped or motorcycle, and is a great alternative to those forms of transportation. For most older adults, it’s less scary, and a way they can still enjoy bike riding with the grandkids.