I actually don’t think it’s that absurd. It definitely is hype but I think e-scooters and (far more) e-bikes actually are a huge innovation in personal transport, not in pure tech but in effect on lifestyles especially when you factor in cost.

I have a cargo e-bike I use as my daily driver, taking the kids to school, picking up groceries etc. If they didn’t exist I’d probably have to pay for (and deal with) a car. A lot of food delivery drivers are on e-bikes. If governments fully embraced them they could change the way a lot of cities look.

But bikes aren’t scooters.

Here in Barcelona a lot of people dont have a car and there is no space for a bicycle. The scooter folds up easily and is easy to store away. When i was going to the office, people just bring them to their desk and plug them in during the day to charge. Some companies are now providing storage and charging areas for both scooters and ebikes.

scooters are great for apartments where there's no concept of bike parking / storage I absolutely hate having to bring my monster of an ebike down from 8th floor (via elevator thankfully). Scooters can use a large backpacks for storage instead as well.

Scooters can also be transported in a car trunk. A similar convenience in a foldable ebike sets you down a few thousand quid more.

They serve a very similar purpose. Bikes are better across town and scooters more so across neighborhoods but it's a spectrum.

I stand corrected.