"don't directly use fossil fuels"
Looks like Maryland uses a significant amount of coal to power their grid, so is this even a good thing?
Looks like Maryland uses a significant amount of coal to power their grid, so is this even a good thing?
https://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/handle/2027.42/5764...
Coal power plants operate in the range of 34% efficiency
Not that that would be a reason not to use scooters in and off itself, since they're be posed to take advantage of grids that will hopefully become more and more renewable over time
It would be interesting to calculate the MPG of these, including the overnight recharging and repositioning done inside a van.
Also, the argument you're making here is called "the long tailpipe" and has been debunked – it's still a win even if the grid has dirty energy because of efficiency gains.
1. Scooters use far less energy than larger vehicles.
2. Generating energy from fossil fuels can be done more efficiently at a power plant than in a small engine.
3. When power generation is centralized, it is easier to substitute it for better, more efficient forms in the future.
It's why electric cars are viewed as being friendly; the grid they're plugged into may still be fossil fuels, but that can change at any time. A gasoline powered car won't change its reliance on fossil fuels until you replace it.