Can I ride an electric scooter on the pavement?

Can I ride an electric scooter on the pavement?

Electric vehicles are gaining popularity as the technology becomes cheaper and more widely available. They're cheaper to run and maintain than a petrol vehicle, and they're better for the environment too. The most important thing to remember with an electric scooter is that it's still subject to the same rules of the road as a petrol scooter.

Our M488 folding electric scooter is classed as a PLEV, which stands for personal light electric vehicle. It's not classed as a road vehicle due to its power and low maximum speed, and so can't legally be used on public roads. This rule obviously extends to the pavement too, as it would be dangerous to use the same space as pedestrians. The M488 can currently only be used on private land, such as your home or off-road space.

Our Go electric scooter is classed as a road legal vehicle, and so the Highway Code applies. Part of this covers the use of vehicles on the pavement, which is the space intended for pedestrians. Just as with petrol scooters, you can't legally ride an electric scooter on the pavement. The Go has a top speed of 30mph, and so would be dangerous to ride in a space intended for pedestrians. Because it has the same top speed as a 50cc scooter, there's no need for you to be riding it on the pavement anyway.

This rule doesn't cover parking however, or accessing an off-road driveway. As long as you're only pulling onto the pavement to park, you're allowed. Just be wary of any people walking or cycling near you when you do so. You'll have to be even more wary than if you were riding a petrol scooter because electric scooters are incredibly quiet, and it can be very easy to catch people off guard.

If you're looking for a cheap and economical scooter to get you from A to B, the Go is a great choice. It's legally a road vehicle, and because it's electric it's very cheap to insure and is exempt from road tax. This also means you have to follow the Highway Code and not ride it on the pavement at any time. Similarly, because the M488 is a PLEV, it can't be used on any public road or pavement.