Collection: Electric Scooters Hobart

Discover the hidden wonders of one of Australia's most charming cities from the comfort of an e-scooter. With its vibrant metropolis set against natural parks and historical attractions, Hobart is a city that will surely delight you. 

The capital city of Tasmania is the country’s second oldest capital city, just behind Sydney. Home to around 250,000 people, it is one of the least-populated capital cities in Australia. 

But despite its sparse population and relatively smaller area, it is a premier tourist destination, drawing almost a million visitors between 2022 and 2023. This is thanks to the city’s unique mix of natural attractions and cultural and historical landmarks, including architecture that witnessed Hobart’s 19th-century convict era. 

If you want to learn more about Hobart’s heritage, visit the Convict Penitentiary Chapel and the Cascades Female Factory, two of the few remaining convict-built buildings, and the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery that houses fossils, paintings, and Aboriginal artefacts.

Nestled at the foot of the majestic Mount Wellington, Hobart offers no shortage of scenic natural views. You can hike or ride to the mountain's highest point on one of its many trails, or you can head off towards the gorgeous Bruny Island, where you can swim, kayak, or go whale-watching.

Before the day ends, take some time to explore the Greater Hobart metropolitan area. Visit the popular Museum of Old and New Art (MONA), shop for souvenirs in the open-air Salamanca Market, and enjoy a meal in one of the city’s many cafes and restaurants. 

Hobart is a remarkable city that unfortunately suffers from problematic public transportation.

The city centre itself is compact and walkable, and you will find a very high concentration of commuters who usually take the bus—the most affordable way to get around Hobart.

However, commuters often complain about late arrivals and last-minute cancellations, overcrowded buses, and a lack of drivers. If you are rushing to an important appointment, you may have to take a taxi, which can be expensive.

And while Hobart has a relatively low car ownership rate compared to other major Australian cities, the city's infrastructure was not designed to accommodate its growing population. As a result, the city suffers from heavy congestion, despite having fewer cars on the road.

More problems occur the farther away you move from the central business district (CBD), where residents of outlying suburbs suffer from limited access to buses and other forms of public transportation.

Fortunately, Hobart has taken a progressive approach to electric scooters, giving its residents and tourists a more convenient way to get around the city. 

The state of Tasmania implements some of the most relaxed electric scooter laws in Australia. Considered a personal mobility device (PMD), for you to be able to ride an e scooter in Hobart, it should be:

• Less than 125 cm long, 70 cm wide, and 135 cm high
• Less than 45 kg
• Not capable of exceeding 25 kph

Thus, if you want to travel around the city’s central business district, your best choices are lightweight electric commuter scooters with moderate speed and power.

You also need to be 16 years old or older to ride an electric scooter, although children under 16 can still ride one if it does not exceed 200 watts and 10 kph. 

Electric scooters in Hobart can be ridden on footpaths (where they cannot exceed 15 kph) and shared paths, bicycle paths, and some local roads with a speed limit of 50 kph (where they cannot exceed 25 kph).

Finally, electric scooters do not need to be registered or have third-party insurance.

With these liberal e-scooter laws in place, there is no reason why anyone who lives in Hobart shouldn’t own one.

Hobart residents enjoy a mild temperate oceanic climate characterised by warm and humid summers and cool and wet winters. Compared to other Australian cities, it receives fewer hours of sunshine per day. 

Being surrounded by mountains protects the cities from cold winds. On the other hand, its coastal location can bring forth sudden rain—causing an otherwise sunny day to turn dreary. 

For this reason, if you are planning to tour the city on an electric scooter, make sure to prepare for unexpected downpours. Aside from bringing a raincoat or an umbrella, make sure you use a water-resistant electric scooter that is equipped to ride through rain and puddles. 

Adventurous riders are bound to have a lot of fun in Hobart, as this city is quite known for its hilly terrain. If you are a resident or planning to stay in the city for a while, it is best to invest in an all-terrain electric scooter with excellent hill-climbing capabilities.

For those in search of adrenaline-pumping rides, take your electric scooter on the challenging trails to the summit of Mount Wellington. Just be sure to watch out for steep descents and sharp bends! 

However, hills can be a bit daunting if you are new to scootering, so we suggest sticking to the city’s CBD, where there are beginner-friendly paths and roads for electric scooters. You can also enjoy the flat and paved trails of New Town and the Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens—both perfect for relaxing and scenic rides. 

You may also find fellow e-scooter riders zooming around Hobart’s popular attractions like the Salamanca Market and the historic district of Battery Point.

Riding e scooters in Hobart is safe and widely encouraged, but riders are expected to obey specific rules and regulations. Riders must:

• Wear an approved electric scooter helmet.
• Obey the speed limits.
• Not carry a passenger or an animal.
• Not actively use their mobile phone while riding.
• Not ride under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
• Give way to pedestrians on footpaths and shared paths.

In addition, if you are looking to ride your electric scooter in Hobart at night, you need to make sure your device has:

• A white headlight
• A red rear light 
• And a red reflector visible from the rear

Keep all these guidelines in mind and enjoy your ride around the city!