With such high gas prices, why isn't Europe flooded with scooters again?

Question

They consume little gas, and are convenient to park.

Answer 1

I don't know the definitive answer, but here are some theories I have:

Public transportation in large cities is awesome. Why use a gallon of gas to power a scooter for a month when you can use no gas?

Riding weather in Europe is limited. It's cold most of the year. As a scooter rider myself, I've found that riding in weather cooler than 70 F (21 C) is too cold. The temperature and amount of air whipping by is something many people don't consider. I've found that it rains a lot as well with the mountains trapping the cloud systems. Who wants to scoot in the rain?

Basically, Europeans have gotten used to dependable, covered transportation.  I live in the US, though, where the increase in the price of oil is more noticeable. I have see a lot more scooters on the road.

Answer 2

European fuel prices, priced in their local currencies have gone up very little in the past two years, around 10%.  In USA Dollar terms they have skyrocketed.  That is because the dollar has drop a huge amount compared with other currencies.