This week’s blog post we are going to give you an insight how scooters were invented and how it changed until nowadays.
The first ever scooter was invented in 1918 by Arthur Gibson and Joseph Merkel. The Autoped, was the first motor scooter to enter production. The Online Bike Museum explains that the Autoped, the first mass-produced motorized scooter ride in the U.S., was “[e]ssentially an enlarged child’s scooter with an engine mounted over the front wheel.” Though some reports claimed it could reach speeds of 35 miles per hour, the steering column operated the clutch and brake, which the museum noted made the ride “unsteady” when it pushed 20 mph.” In 1918 the Eveready Battery Co bought into the company and a battery and coil were fitted to the machine. It was now promoted as an Eveready Autoped.
This fascinating machine represents the world’s first model of scooter. It was the only motorcycle to be built in New York City. Though adopted by the U.S. Post Office and other services – as well as fashion-conscious women in Europe and America – it was also used by New York gang members for easy getaways – they could motor down narrow alleys to escape police in cars behind them.
Eventually due to the USA crisis, Autopeds did not get such a success as they deserver it. But the company did not stop and continuo developing different vehicles.
The first stand-up, gas-powered scooters since the Autoped were released by Go-Ped in 1986. The low-profile design propelled the second great scooter boom into the 1990s, with a big deck in the middle for the rider’s feet and the motor mounted on the back wheel. Personal electronic transportation ultimately became feasible after Lithium-ion batteries, the most effective and environmentally friendly to date, were developed in 1991 and widely employed in consumer items in the following decade. Scooters were once again a popular form of transportation thanks to businesses like Micro and Razor. Go-Ped introduced the first electronic scooter in 2001, and soon after that, rival businesses started creating their own electric scooters.
To conclude, considering that scooters have been around for more than a century, we can only conclude that we think the market will continue to grow in the next years. If you’ve never used one, you should. Tell us what you think scooters will be like in the future.
See you next week,
Doctor Scooter
Doctor Scooter UK