If you’re trying to choose between an electric skateboard and an electric scooter, you’re already on the right path to finding an enjoyable and exhilarating ride. This guide will get into plenty of differences between these two types of electric transportation devices. But in terms of what they have in common, both the electric scooter and skateboard are extremely fun to ride. These motorized devices can also make your morning and evening commute more enjoyable.
Keeping all this in mind, you really can’t go wrong when choosing between an electric skateboard or an electric scooter. But riders should still be meticulous in their choice here. Both types of transportation have their own applications, uses, advantages, and disadvantages. Using this guide should help you along as you decide between electric skateboards and electric scooters.
Budget ($400) Comparison:
I picked the most popular budget electric skateboards and electric scooters below.
Budget Electric Skateboard | Budget Electric Scooter | |
---|---|---|
Model | Meepo V3 | Xiaomi Mi M365 |
Top Speed | 28 mph (45 km/h) | 16 mph (26 km/h) |
Range | 11 miles (18 km) | 18 miles (29 km) |
Battery Size | 144 Wh | 280 Wh |
Motor Power | 2 x 540 Watts | 250 Watts |
Weight | 16 lbs (7.2 kg) | 27 lbs (12 kg) |
Warranty | 6 months | 12 months |
Max Weight Capacity | 300 lbs (136 kg) | 220 lbs (100 kg) |
Recharge Time | 2 – 2.5 hours | 4 – 6 hours |
Wheel/ Tire Size | 3.5 – 3.9 inch (90 – 100 mm) | 8.5 inch (216 mm) |
Link to Review | Meepo V3 Review | – |
Link to Webshop | meepoboard.com/V3 | amazon.com |
Premium ($3800) Comparison:
I picked the most popular premium electric skateboards and electric scooters. You can find these below.
Lacroix Nazaré Lonestar Dualtron Thunder
Premium Electric Skateboard | Premium Electric Scooter | |
---|---|---|
Model | Lacroix Nazaré Lonestar | Dualtron Thunder |
Top Speed | 45 mph (72 km/h) | 50 mph (80 km/h) |
Range | 60 miles (100 km) | 75 miles (121 km) |
Battery Size | 2152 Wh | 2060 Wh |
Motor Power | No info | 2400 Watts |
Weight | 49 lbs (22 kg) | 95 lbs (43 kg) |
Warranty | 3 months | 12 months |
Max Weight Capacity | 350 lbs (150 kg) | 264 lbs (120 kg) |
Recharge Time | 3.5 – 4 hours | 8 – 16 hours |
Wheel/ Tire Size | 8 inch (20 cm) | 11 inch (28 cm) |
Link to Review | Lacroix Nazaré Lonestar Review | – |
Link to Webshop | lacroixboards.com | usaminimotors.com |
Cost
Both electric skateboards and electric scooters can vary widely in price. We’ve covered e-skateboard costs quite a bit on this post. In case you need a refresher, remember that you generally will get what you pay for. E-skateboard models can cost anywhere from $300 to over $3,000. Factors like the battery size used, the quality of materials, and even the brand name of a skateboard’s manufacturer can influence its price. Luckily, it’s not super difficult to find a board on the cheaper end of things without compromising too much on quality. Our guide on the best cheap and budget boards should help you as you search for a good board that doesn’t break the bank.
E-scooters come with a similar disparity in prices. The most expensive electric scooters can easily exceed $3,000, while some inexpensive models sell for $300 to $500. Just like with skateboards, the quality of materials and the newness of technology can impact the price of a model. Similar technical components in your electric scooter will drive up or decrease its cost. In particular, the power of the motor and the size of your battery can really impact the total price you pay for an e-scooter.
Be sure to define your budget well, regardless of whether you go with an e-board or an e-scooter. We’re reluctant to say that one is less expensive than the other. Truthfully, everything depends on the quality, brand, and performance offered by your device.
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Safety and Brakes
Safety and braking systems are the first main places where electric scooters and electric skateboards diverge in performance. Scooters take the cake when it comes to braking speed and overall safety. Let’s go over some of the main differences in braking between the electric scooter and the electric skateboard.
First, electric scooter hand brakes are connected via hydraulic or cable wires and are operated using a lever. These braking mechanisms look a lot like the brakes that many bicycles use. You just close your hand around the braking handle. The other way to brake on a e-scooter is the foot brake. Using your weight the foot brake will reliably slow down your scooter via friction. These brakes are intuitive and easy to use, which is a big plus for new riders. If you’re just now jumping into the electric scooter or skateboard industry, intuitive designs are definitely going to be a huge plus.
Most e-skateboards use the regenerative braking system an electric motor offers. Since electric skateboards are controlled via a wireless remote control remote you initiate the brakes with the remote too. This is normally done by pulling the remote wheel or knob backward. The connection between remote and eskate is normally pretty stable but there is definitely a potential threat involved. Disconnects are very rare but can happen. I wrote down additional electric skateboard safety tips in my blog post.
Winner: Electric Scooter
We also have packed our expertise into Blog Posts about the Best and Safest Electric Scooter Gear.
Make sure to check them out
Range
Electric scooters generally offer more range than e-skateboards. As you probably know, the range of a device is directly determined by the size and power of its battery. Many electric scooters are able to use larger, more powerful batteries than electric skateboards. Some electric scooters have incredible ranges; the occasional model can offer a range of 100 km or more! Make sure to check out our Post on the Electric Skateboards with the longest Range.
Winner: Electric Scooter
Fun Factor
Being totally honest, it’s hard to say whether you’ll have more fun on an electric scooter or an electric skateboard. Some riders prefer one, and some prefer the other. But for me, the choice is clear when it comes to pure fun. There’s nothing like gliding along on the road on an electric skateboard. Scooters are a lot of fun, but they don’t offer the carving and flow states that skateboards can provide. After all, longboarding was developed to emulate the excitement of snowboarding while away from the slopes. What is there not to love when you’re carving down a hill?
Fun isn’t everything, so don’t let our opinion here dominate your decisionmaking process. Electric skateboards might be more fun when we’re just thinking about the carving experience, but the top speed, range, and safety associated with electric scooters are also important factors in our comparison.
Winner: Electric Skateboard
Top Speed
The top speed of a device can vary a lot, depending on the quality of your model and the power of its motors, among other factors. Check out the fastest electric skateboards here in our blog post. But if we’re directly comparing top-shelf e-scooters to top-shelf e-skateboards, the edge on top speed generally goes to electric scooters. Because of the larger frame, scooters can often accommodate more powerful motors. The most powerful motors in the industry can achieve speeds of over 60 miles per hour, nearly as fast as some cars on the highway!
Because of the bigger wheels and the high braking ability of many e-scooters, these devices might be able to handle high speeds better than electric skateboards. Of course, there’s always a risk associated with any high-speed adventure. But e-scooters with developed braking systems and a small learning curve can really help to make high speed riding less dangerous.
Winner: Electric Scooter
Weight
To the uninitiated, it might initially seem like electric skateboards are the clear winner when it comes to weight. They’re much smaller than electric scooters, in both size and gross weight. If you are curious how much eskates weigh check out my blog post.
But in reality, the portability of most scooters might actually be a bit higher, despite their higher net weights. You can push an electric scooter, which might make transport a bit easier. The downside is that you can’t carry these heavier models up a flight of stairs or a hill so easily. Compare this to an electric skateboard. Eskates weigh considerably less, but they also can be carried around under your arm, in a special skater’s backpack, or even on a normal backpack with a deck hook attachment.
Weight will matter to some riders more than others. If you plan on commuting through frequent buses or trains, the light frame and portability of an e-skate might be ideal for you. You can check out the best lightweight and portable electric skateboards here in our article. Otherwise, being able to push your device alongside you can be a valuable benefit to an e-scooter.
Winner: Electric Skateboard
Commuting and Practicality
The electric scooter probably has the edge when it comes to commuting and practicality. First of all, e-scooters generally offer a better average range than most e-skateboards. But even when range is out of the equation, most riders will find that it’s easier to ride a scooter for a longer distance than a skateboard. Of course, this depends heavily on the specific models being compared. Some electric skateboards really minimize shakiness and work well on long commuting rides. Having the handlebar in front of you can go a long way in making longer rides easier, though.
Both skateboards and scooters can attain high speeds. Some electric scooter models can hit speeds almost on-par with average cars on the roadway. If you’re in need of a fun but quick and effective way to get to and from work or school, an electric scooter may be right up your ally. If you are curious about the best electric skateboards for commuting check out my article here.
Winner: Electric Scooter
Comfort of the Ride
Like we mentioned above, this is going to depend on the specific model of skateboard or scooter you choose to go with. Both electric scooters and electric skateboards can come with features to maximize comfort and limit shakiness.
For skateboards, comfortable rides come from a combination of large wheels, flexible decks, and add-ons like foamy grip-tape. Grip-tape can similarly improve the riding experience on electric scooters. But scooters also have the added advantage of the handlebars. This can reduce the stress on your calves and feet, especially as you hit bumps or inconsistent terrain.
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Learning Curve
There isn’t much to debate here. It’s quite a bit easier to learn how to ride an electric scooter than an electric skateboard. If you’re experienced at riding skateboards, it’s not too hard to adapt to a newer motorized model. But for most riders, scooters are intuitive and easy to get the hang of. The braking system is more intuitive, there’s less balance required, and acceleration doesn’t require as much special technique as skateboards.
If you’re looking for an electric skateboard, be sure to consider the high learning curve associated with the hobby. It isn’t hard to learn how to skate, especially with the wealth of Youtube Channels, online blogs, and resources dedicated to educating newbies. Still, if you’re a new rider and a bit of a slow learner, an electric scooter could be a good way to enter the high-speed and fun world of electric transportation devices.
Winner: Electric Scooter
Rules and Regulation
In the United States especially, it’s tough to pin down specific laws. Each state has its own set of regulations concerning when and how motorized devices like electric skateboards and scooters can be used on the road. Because of this wide variation in rules and regulations, it would be irresponsible for us to suggest a one-size-fits-all approach to staying within the law as you ride your device.
As a very general rule, most jurisdictions will group regular skateboarders and scooter riders with other non-vehicle occupants of the road, including bicyclists and rollerbladers. Adding the electrical component to the equation complicates things a bit, as some electric skateboards can reach much higher speeds than regular skateboards or longboards.
Most jurisdictions will issue tickets for riders who fail to adhere to traffic laws on their devices. Your jurisdiction might also prohibit non motor vehicles from exceeding a certain speed limit, or from using certain lanes.
We’d like to be more help on the legal front, but it’s tough to say what the rules are without knowing where you plan to ride. Because many states have fundamentally different legal definitions of what constitutes a given type of motor vehicle, it’s impossible to provide a definitive guide on the laws governing electric skateboards and scooters. We recommend that you search on your state’s legislature’s website for terms like “motorized skateboard” or “electric skateboard” to get a better idea of the laws in your area. Addionatily a helpful resource is my guide on electric skateboard legality.
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Maintenance
Maintenance cost is probably the closest we come in this comparative guide to a complete tie. Electric skateboards and electric scooters generally use relatively similar components, especially when it comes to propulsion and range. Both devices should generally come with an enclosed system to house the most important technical components.
Some e-skateboards come with removable batteries that’s surely a plus! Electric scooters have been available and the center of industry attention for a bit longer than e-skateboards, but electric skateboarding has really taken off in the past decade or so. You may have trouble finding maintenance tools and replacement parts for either your e-skateboard or your e-scooter.
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Style and Recognition
E-skating definitely has the edge when it comes to style, recognition, and community. Electric scooters have been around for many years, but the high-octane pastime of electric skateboarding has led to the explosion of a huge and exciting community of skaters. Because skateboards are still uncommon when motorized, they turn heads like few other devices on the market. Electric scooters are very practical, but pedestrians usually won’t look twice at someone darting along on a quick scooter. But if they turn their heads to see you flying down a hill on a motorized skateboard? Yeah, that will definitely get some attention.
Electric skateboarding also has the stronger community, at least in my opinion. Fans of the electric scooter certainly share information, tips, and tricks. But Electric skating has its roots as a relatively niche extreme sport, and this kind of common interest has really bonded people together. It’s not uncommon to quickly become friends with a fellow e-skater you see while commuting throughout the city to work or class. Additionally, you can find Eskate (ESK8) group rides in almost every major city. The sense of community and the shared interest in electric skateboarding can be a great tool as you continue to learn and dive deeper into the hobby.
Winner: Electric Skateboard
Conclusion
There are pros and cons to both the electric skateboard and the electric scooter. While e-scooters have been around for a bit longer, e-skateboards are gaining popularity every year. If you’re looking to choose between these two types of devices, this guide should give you a few comparison points to consider. As a general rule of thumb, electric scooters provide a bit more stability and practicality, while electric skateboards are more fun and exciting. But as always, you might try both and come out with an entirely different opinion. That’s the great thing about electric transportation devices; their uses and applications are nearly endless.
Whichever option you go with, be sure to take advantage of the unprecedented wealth of online resources available to help you along the way as you get used to your device!
Hi! Do you know of a scooter and skateboard combo? Like it can be used either way? (Not a scooterboard). Thanks!
Hey Paula,
No, I am not aware of such a combo, sorry.
Best,
Daniel
Choosing a skateboard or scooter may depend on the age bracket of the rider. I opt for a scooter for my kids. This is because I know that a scooter is safer than a skateboard. Besides, they can easily create balance and learn to skate fast and safely.
Hey Robert,
sure, age is also a deciding factor.