Using A Scooter For Food Delivery

Using a scooter for food delivery is an excellent way to do deliveries with apps like DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Grubhub. Indeed, a scooter (or ebike) is my preferred way of completing food deliveries. There are two reasons why I think using a scooter is a better option than a car for most people: (1) a scooter is faster than a car in an urban setting, and (2) I save money on gas and maintenance, which means I’m able to reduce my expenses. If you think of a scooter as an investment, it becomes an even better decision. A decent scooter isn’t that expensive and you can earn your money back fairly quickly depending on how much you work.

In this post, we’ll take a look at how I use a scooter for food delivery, the financial benefits of using a scooter, and some of the best scooters to use for food delivery based on my experience using different electric scooters.

Using A Scooter For Food Delivery

To begin, let’s start with why a scooter is a good option when it comes to food delivery.

If you’re working in a city, scooters often have a big advantage compared to cars since they can get through traffic, cut through areas that cars can’t get through, and go onto sidewalks and bike lanes – not to mention they don’t have to deal with parking. When you think about it, the best areas to work are usually downtown areas with a lot of traffic and limited parking. Using a scooter makes it much easier to avoid the traffic and parking problems that come with cars.

The scooters I recommend all have top speeds of around 20mph. Some high-powered scooters can hit speeds of 40mph even. In short, you can go plenty fast on most scooters, especially when you remember that you don’t have to deal with traffic.

If you want to use a scooter for food delivery, you’ll want to consider two things. First, you’ll want to use a scooter with enough range for the way you want to work. The longer you want to work, the more range you’ll need. If you’re just doing deliveries as a side hustle, a cheaper scooter with less range will probably be good enough.

Second, you’ll want to think about how you’ll carry your orders. Some people opt to attach baskets or crates to their scooters, but the easiest way to carry orders will probably be to get a good food delivery backpack. I have a backpack that I got from Uber Eats many years ago that has served me well. It has space for multiple orders and has dedicated drink holder spots in it. You’ll want to get a backpack with similar features.

The Financial Benefits Of Using A Scooter For Food Delivery

The financial benefits of using a scooter for food delivery are significant. Most people drastically underestimate the costs of operating their cars. Recent data from AAA has the yearly operating cost of a car at over $10,000 per year (or about $894 per month). The most obvious cost you’ll face with using a car is filling it up with gas. The more you drive, the more gas you’ll have to use. In addition, the more you drive, the more wear and tear you put on your car, which means your maintenance costs will go up.

Other costs of using a car are less obvious. Depreciation is a cost that most people don’t think about – that is, the value of your car goes down as it gets older and gets more miles on it. If you’re doing deliveries using your car, your car will become less valuable, which is a real cost that you’ll notice when you sell your car or trade it in later.

Finally, there are costs that become more likely the more you drive. Things like parking tickets, for example, might not happen regularly, but the chances of getting one increase the more you drive. Other costs, such as getting into a car crash, also increase as you drive more. These costs aren’t guaranteed, but the chances of having to pay a traffic or parking ticket will go up as you drive more.

In contrast, an electric scooter avoids many of these costs. Electricity costs for a scooter are essentially negligible. Maintenance on a scooter is also minimal, with most maintenance tasks being affordable. When you consider how expensive using a car is, not to mention the upfront cost of buying a car, an electric scooter can make a lot of sense. Even an expensive electric scooter will be thousands of dollars less expensive than operating a car.

Some Recommended Electric Scooters For Food Delivery

So, now that you know the benefits of using an electric scooter for food delivery, what are some scooters I recommend for food delivery? Here are a few that I personally use and have had a good experience with:

Varla Eagle One – The Varla Eagle One is an excellent high-powered electric scooter with a lot of range and speed. This scooter can get up to 40mph, but I usually ride it between 20-25mph. The range is good and I can use this scooter all day and cover plenty of ground before it runs low on battery. The price is also excellent.

Joyor Electric Scooters – Joyor is a scooter company that makes several electric scooters at an affordable price point. I don’t remember the exact model I have, but when I bought it, it cost around $700 and might be one of my best-value scooters for the price. What I really like about Joyor scooters is the range – all of them have excellent range, a good top speed, and are affordable.

Hiboy Scooters – Hiboy is one of my favorite companies, selling excellent ebikes and scooters at good price points. I use the Hiboy S2 and Hiboy S2R for shorter delivery runs (these scooters are very affordable but lack extended range, so they’re only good for quick delivery runs). Hiboy also sells more expensive high-powered electric scooters that can be used for longer delivery shifts.

Final Thoughts

Using a scooter for food delivery is an excellent way to reduce your expenses and increase your earnings. Whether it makes sense will, of course, depend on your market, but I’d say in many cities, using a scooter for food delivery will work better than using a car.

If you are thinking about using a scooter for food delivery, give it a try. The great thing is that scooters aren’t that expensive and if you use them for food delivery, you can earn your money back pretty quickly.

This post may contain affiliate links. Financial Panther has partnered with AwardWallet and CardRatings for our coverage of credit card products. Financial Panther, AwardWallet, and CardRatings may receive a commission from card issuers. Some or all of the card offers that appear on the website are from advertisers. Compensation may impact on how and where card products appear on the site. The site does not include all card companies, or all available card offers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any of these entities.

More Recommended Ebike/Scooters

Check out these other ebikes and scooters I've reviewed:

Urban Arrow Ebike – Last year, I made one of the largest purchases I’ve ever made – I bought a $9,000 electric cargo bike from Urban Arrow. In my Urban Arrow review, I will discuss what it is and why I decided to buy this bike, as well as discuss how impactful a bike like this can be on your journey to financial independence.
Troxus Explorer Step-Thru Ebike – The Troxus Explorer Step-Thru is a fat-tire ebike that I’ve had the pleasure of riding for a while now. It has amazing power, great looks, and awesome range. If you’re looking for a great fat-tire ebike that offers a lot for the price, the Troxus Explorer Step-Thru is definitely one for you to consider. Check out my Troxus Explorer Step-Thru Review.
Hovsco HovBeta Ebike – The HovBeta is a folding ebike with great specs and a lot of interesting features, and importantly, it’s sold at a good price point. I’ve had a blast commuting with it and using it to do deliveries with DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Grubhub. Check out my Hovsco HovBeta Ebike Review.
Vanpowers Manidae Ebike – The Vanpowers Manidae is a fat tire ebike that I’ve been riding as my primary winter commuting bike and have also been using it to do food delivery with apps like DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Grubhub. After clocking in a decent number of miles with this ebike, I wanted to write a post sharing what my experience with the Vanpowers Manidae ebike has been like. Check out my Vanpowers Manidae Review.
Sohamo S3 Step-Thru Folding EBike Review – A Great Value Folding Ebike – The Sohamo S3 Step-Thru Folding Ebike is an entry-level folding ebike that offers a lot of value for the price point. I’ve been riding the Sohamo S3 for a while now, putting the bike through its paces, and I have to say, this bike has exceeded all of my expectations. Check out my Sohamo Review.
KBO Flip Ebike – The KBO Flip is an excellent bike. I’ve had a great time riding it and think it’s a versatile bike that can be used for a lot of purposes and can fit a variety of lifestyles. It’s worked out great for me as a general commuter bike and as a food delivery bike. Check out my KBO Flip Review.
Hiboy P7 Commuter Ebike – The Hiboy P7 is an excellent electric commuter bike that’s offered at an affordable price point. The range and speed of this bike are both very good, so you won’t have any trouble getting anywhere you need to go with it. As a food delivery vehicle, this is also good – with how much range it offers, you’ll be able to work all day on a single charge. Check out my Hiboy P7 Commuter Electric Bike Review.
Himiway Escape Ebike – The Himiway Escape is an interesting bike for anyone looking for a moped-style ebike. If you’re a gig economy worker, the Himiway Escape is particularly interesting and it’s possible to think of it as an investment, especially if you can opt to do deliveries with the Himiway versus using a car. It’s not cheap, but you can definitely make your money back when you compare the mileage you’ll put on your car versus using an ebike. Check out my Himiway Escape Bike Review.
Espin Sport Ebike – The Espin Sport is a good ebike for someone who is looking for an ebike that feels and rides more like a regular bike. There are many ebikes that are really only bikes in name. In reality, they’re basically electric mopeds. The Espin Sport, by contrast, is a bike you could probably ride without the battery and you’d feel like you’re just riding a regular bike. Check out my Espin Sport Review.
Varla Eagle One Scooter – The Varla Eagle One is an excellent scooter that can make sense for a lot of people. It can work as a primary mode of transportation. You can use it to work on gig economy apps like DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Grubhub. And it can also be a recreational vehicle if you’d prefer to use it for that. Check out my Varla Eagle One Review.
Varla Falcon Scooter – The Varla Falcon is an excellent scooter that offers a good amount of power at a lower price point compared to more powerful scooters. It’s not exactly an entry-level scooter, nor is it a high-powered scooter. I think it fits somewhere in-between those two categories – an intermediate scooter if I had to give it a category. Check out my Varla Falcon Review.
Hiboy S2 Scooter – The Hiboy S2 is an excellent entry-level commuter scooter that's perfect for someone looking to save some money in transportation costs and improve their commute. Check out my Hiboy S2 Review.
Hiboy S2R Scooter – The Hiboy S2R is one of the more interesting electric scooters I’ve been able to test out. It’s not a high-powered scooter, but for an everyday transport option, it’s very useful, especially given some of the unique features that it has. Indeed, for the price, the Hiboy S2R might be the best value scooter I’ve used. Check out my Hiboy S2R Review.
Fucare H3 Scooter – The Fucare H3 is a fun scooter and I’ve enjoyed testing it out. For a daily commuter or quick trips or errands, the Fucare H3 is probably the scooter I’ll use. It’s portable and easy to maneuver, so it’s just easier to take on the road when I need it. Check out my Fucare H3 Scooter Review.

More Recommended Investing App Bonuses

For additional investing app bonuses, be sure to check out the ones below:

M1 Finance ($100) – This is a great robo-advisor that has no fees and allows you to create a customized portfolio based on your risk tolerance. You also get $100 for opening an account. Check out my M1 Finance Referral Bonus – Step-By-Step Guide.
SoFi Invest ($25) – SoFi Invest is an easy brokerage account bonus that you can earn with just a few minutes of work. Use my SoFi Invest referral link, fund your SoFi Invest brokerage account with just $10 and you’ll get $25 of free stock. I also have a step-by-step guide for the SoFi Invest referral bonus.
Webull (20 free stock shares) – Webull's current promotion gives you 20 free shares valued between $3-$3,000 each if you open an account using my referral link. Here’s a guide I wrote about how to earn your free shares using Webull.
Moomoo (15 free stocks) – Moomoo is a free investing app currently offering 2 different referral bonuses if you open an account using a referral link. Read my Moomoo referral bonus guide for more information.
Robinhood (1 free stock) – Robinhood gives you a free stock valued between $2.50-$225 if you open an account using my referral link.
Public (1 free stock) - Public gives you a free stock valued between $3-$70 if you open an account using my referral link.

More Recommended Bank Account Bonuses

If you’re looking for more easy bank bonuses, check out the below options. These bonuses are all easy to earn and have no fees or minimum balance requirements to worry about.

Upgrade ($200) – Upgrade is a free checking account that’s currently offering a $200 referral bonus if you open an account and complete a direct deposit. These bonus terms are easy to meet, so it’s well worth doing this bonus as soon as you can. Here’s a post I wrote with more details: Upgrade $200 Referral Bonus – Step By Step Directions.
Ally Bank ($100) – Of all the banks out there, Ally is, without a doubt, my favorite. At the moment, Ally is offering $100 to customers who open an eligible Ally account and meet the requirements. Here are the step-by-step directions to earn your Ally Bank referral bonus.
Fairwinds Credit Union ($175) – Fairwinds Credit Union is offering a referral bonus for users that sign up using a referral link. Fairwinds has no fees or minimum balance, so this is a particularly easy bonus to earn. Since this is a smaller credit union, my gut instinct tells me this offer won’t be around long, so if you’re in a position to meet the bonus requirements, grab this bonus before it’s gone. Here is my step-by-step guide on how to earn your Fairwinds Credit Union bonus.
Chime ($100) - Chime is a free bank account that offers a referral bonus if you use a referral link and complete a direct deposit of $200 or more. In practice, any ACH transfer into this account triggers the bonus. This bonus is easy to earn and posts instantly, so you’ll know if you met the requirements as soon as you move money into the account. I wrote a step-by-step guide on how to earn your Chime referral bonus that I recommend you check out.
US Bank Business ($900) – This is a fairly easy bank bonus to earn, since there are no direct deposit requirements. In addition, you can open the Silver Business Checking account, which comes with no monthly fees. Check out how to earn this big bonus here.
GO2Bank ($50) - GO2Bank is an easy bank bonus that I recommend people take advantage of if they have an easy way of meeting the direct deposit requirement. I like that it’s easy to open the account and that the bonus pays out quickly. Check out my step-by-step guide on how to earn your GO2Bank $50 referral bonus.
Current ($50) – Current is a free fintech bank that’s offering new users a $50 referral bonus after signing up for an account using a referral link. Current is an easy bonus to earn and also gives you access to three savings accounts that pay you 4% interest on up to $2,000. That means you can put away up to $6,000 earning 4% interest. That’s very good and makes Current an account I recommend to everyone. Check out my step-by-step guide on how to earn your Current Bank bonus.
Novo Bank ($40) - Novo bank is a free business checking account that’s currently offering a $40 bonus if you open a Novo business checking account using a referral link. In addition to being a good bank bonus, Novo is also a good business checking account. It has no monthly fees or minimum balance requirements and operates a good app and website. Indeed, it’s the business checking account I currently use for this blog. Check out my post on how to easily open a Novo account.
Varo ($25) – Varo is a free fintech banking app similar to Chime or Current. It’s currently offering a $25 bonus to new users that open a new Varo account with a referral link. The bonus for this bank is very easy to meet, all you need to do is spend $20 within 30 days of opening your Varo account. Check out my step-by-step guide to learn how to earn this bonus.

Kevin is an attorney and the blogger behind Financial Panther, a blog about personal finance, travel hacking, and side hustling using the gig economy. He paid off $87,000 worth of student loans in just 2.5 years by choosing not to live like a big shot lawyer.

Kevin is passionate about earning money using the gig economy and you can see all the ways he makes extra income every month in his side hustle reports.

Kevin is also big on using the latest fintech apps to improve his finances. Some of Kevin's favorite fintech apps include:

SoFi Money. A really good checking account with absolutely no fees. You'll get a $25 referral bonus if you open a SoFi Money account with a referral link, and an additional $300 if you complete a direct deposit.
5% Savings Accounts. I'm currently getting 5.24% interest on my savings through a company called Raisin. Opening a Raisin account takes minutes to complete, it's free, and all of your funds are FDIC-insured. I explain how it works, why I'm now using it to store my emergency fund and any other cash savings I have, and why I recommend everyone check it out in this review.
US Bank Business. US Bank is currently offering new business customers a $900 signup bonus after opening a new account and meeting certain requirements.
M1 Finance. This is a great robo-advisor that has no fees and allows you to create a customized portfolio based on your risk tolerance. You also get $100 for opening an account.
Empower. One of best free apps you can use to monitor your portfolio and track your net worth. This is one of the apps I use to track my financial accounts.

Feel free to send Kevin a message here.