Speak to anyone who has experienced the theft of their electric scooter and they will describe the woes of attempting to recover their beloved scooter. The entire ordeal is a hassle best avoided and the chances of recovering a stolen scooter are slim. There are a few good ways to prevent your electric scooter from theft, and most are easy to implement and are reasonably inexpensive.
Like in any country, electric scooter theft in the UK is a common occurrence in most busy urban environments and electric scooters are an appealing prospect to would-be thieves. They’re lightweight and easily portable and the reality is most are never found. The MET reported that in London, over 500 crimes were committed with the assistance of electric scooters in 2022.
There are several ways to prevent your electric scooter from theft. First, always use the app lock and set up authentication to your phone or device. The second best way is prevention, so always store your electric scooter indoors whenever possible. If you must park your scooter in public spaces, always use a good lock such as a U-Lock with a cable, or a chain lock.
7 main ways to stop a scooter from being stolen
For electric scooter owners looking to avoid their ride being stolen, there are a few practical ways to ensure your scooter isn’t another crime statistic. Let’s take a look at some simple, affordable, and also free methods to prevent electric scooter theft.
Prevention
Prevention is by far the easiest way to stop your electric scooter from being stolen and it’s often overlooked. Most electric scooters offer a lightweight design that can easily be folded and carried anywhere so there’s really no need to park your electric scooter on the street or in areas where they are likely to be stolen.
Of course, sometimes it’s unavoidable if you’re going into a shop for example and in this case you’ll need to use an excellent lock and app lock for your best chances, although there are no guarantees here!
Do not rely solely on the App lock for your electric scooter
While app locks provide a technological freeze on your electric scooter’s running gear, they do not prevent them from being physically stolen. Thieves will take an electric scooter regardless of if it is app-locked or not (they usually don’t even know), as they can always hock your scooter for parts.
This isn’t to say you shouldn’t bother authenticating your device to unlock the app each time you use it. Your app lock is the first defence against someone wheeling away your pride and joy while it’s unattended. But beware, your in-app security alone won’t prevent your electric scooter from being stolen.
Store your scooter indoors
If you’re using your electric scooter as a means of transport, for example, your commute from home to work, then it’s easy to park your scooter indoors on private property where you can keep an eye on it. Let’s face it, no one is going to steal your scooter from under your desk while you’re working!
Avoid parking your scooter on the street overnight
Of course, you should never leave your electric scooter on the street overnight. Thieves operate at night and in the cover of darkness, they have more time to break any locks on your scooter.
The same goes for leaving your scooter in dark alleys, or in places less frequented by public foot traffic as these places give the thief more time to break your lock and easily steal your electric scooter.
Use an alarm system
Another good way to prevent your electric scooter from theft is to use an alarm system. Electric scooter alarms activate and sound a loud tone when the scooter is disturbed and not unlocked through your app. They are a noisy deterrent that will attract unwanted attention for would-be thieves trying to steal your electric scooter.
Like any alarm system, they rely on attracting attention from people in the area so electric scooter alarms are pretty useless when you’re parking your scooter in areas with nobody around.
Electric scooter theft is often undertaken by using a vehicle or van to quickly remove the scooter from sight and an alarm will not stop thieves from lifting your scooter and stealing it with the aid of a getaway van.
Use a U-Lock
Perhaps one of the best ways to ensure your scooter won’t be stolen while unattended is to invest in a good quality U-Lock. There are plenty of makes on the market but they principally do the same thing, secure your scooter and prevent theft.
U-Locks come in a variety of sizes and some come with an additional cable which can be handy when securing your electric scooter to larger objects such as tree trunks or oversized posts.
When using a U-Lock, ensure you secure it through the main chassis of your electric scooter and then secure it to a large object, such as a bike stand or lamp post. If you have removable accessories like a seat and seat stand, or removable handlebars, then it’s always best to take these with you if you’re leaving for the scooter for an extended period of time.
Use a GPS tracker
GPS trackers are an effective method to track your electric scooter when it is stolen. They are small devices that are usually hidden within the body or components of your scooter and when activated send pings to an app and you can track the movement of your scooter and alert police of its location.
GPS trackers can be excellent for the recovery of any scooter that’s stolen, but always use a good lock to prevent the theft from taking place.
Summary
Preventing electric scooter theft isn’t too difficult with the right precautions. Never leave your scooter exposed in a public place for an extended period of time. Avoid parking your electric scooter overnight or in areas with nobody around.
Make sure you use an app lock and properly authenticated device, buy a good GPS tracking system, and above all else, invest in a good quality lock that you can secure your scooter to immovable objects whenever unattended.