'We Wanna Be Treated As The Same': Philly E-Rider Group Says Electric Skateboards, Scooters Future Of Transportation
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - There's a different kind of travel in Philadelphia and chances are you've seen it yourself. We're talking about those so-called "e- riders."
Let me zip you around town with a group that sees the future of transportation. They use electric skateboards and scooters and they are prominent in Philadelphia.
According to a recent study, there were over 38 million e-scooter rides in the U.S. in 2018. Even more if you count motorized skateboards. In fact, the global small electric vehicle market is expected to zoom past $28 billion just five years from now.
In Philly, these e-rides technically have not been approved for street use. However, there is a group looking to expand the local culture of e-ridership.
"Basically as a group we create group rides, basically a sense of community. We use it as a platform to build relationships - almost like a bike group," Matthew Nichol said.
Nichol runs Philly E-Riders, and that group is here to educate and have fun.
"It is a brand new niche recreational activity and we want people to be informed about it. We don't want people to think we're out here making a mess, a havoc of the city. For most of us, it is actually a commuting device," Nichol said. "I ride it almost every single day. I probably, in a single day, will do about 19 miles."
Jason Smith is a member of Philly E-Riders, and he also travels to be a part of the group.
"I ride probably two to three times a week. I come down here from West Chester to meet up with the fellas and we go out on community cruises," Smith said.
The e-riders also want to make sure that you're paying attention to a growing segment of commuters.
"We are just kinda like the bikes that are on the street already. And for us, the biggest thing is that we wanna be treated as the same," Nichol said.
And despite moving up to 20 miles per hour, and being inches off the ground, Smith says his board actually gives him peace of mind for one reason.
"Traffic. One of my main things is I hate traffic," Smith said. "And we can get to our destination a lot quicker. Like I said, you can get from the Schuylkill River over to the Delaware in about eight minutes. If you could do that in a car, I'd like to see that."
