Mobility: More and more e-scooters - but fewer rental devices

Berlin/Munich. In Germany, there are increasingly more e-scooters. In 2025, almost 1.66 million were insured, according to data from the insurance association GDV. This is around 320,000 more than a year ago and more than double the number in 2022. It is noticeable that the current increase is only due to privately used e-scooters. Their number rose from 1.01 million to 1.34 million. The number of rental scooters, on the other hand, fell from 331,000 to 300,000.

Basically, e-scooters that are used on the road must be insured. The total number of e-scooters in Germany - including those that gather dust in basements or are not insured despite being mandatory - could be even higher. "E-scooters have established themselves as a means of transport for short distances for many people," says Anja Käfer-Rohrbach, deputy head of the GDV.

They are comparatively cheap and take up little space. At the same time, however, Käfer-Rohrbach emphasizes: "However, as the number of vehicles grows, so does the importance of clear rules and considerate interaction in road traffic."

The number of accidents has also increased significantly, as the GDV reports, citing figures from the Federal Statistical Office. According to this, there were a total of 16,496 e-scooter accidents with injuries in 2025, in which 38 people lost their lives. In 2022, there were still 8,341 accidents with personal injury. The insurers counted 11,700 liability damages with e-scooters last year.

It is noticeable that the damage frequency was more than twice as high for rental devices as for private ones: 13 damages per 1,000 insured rental devices compared to 6 damages per 1,000 insured private devices. However, it is not known whether rental devices are driven more or less overall than private devices.

Kirstin Zeidler, head of accident research at the GDV, also points to different behaviors: "Users of their own scooters usually drive a lot, wear helmets more often and are less often on sidewalks," she says. In order to reduce the number of accidents, the GDV suggests that rental companies take clearer action against violations such as drunk driving, several people on one roller or driving on sidewalks.

Furthermore, schools should teach the rules. Many people are not aware that under 21s are prohibited from drinking alcohol on e-scooters - this not only costs a fine but can also jeopardize their future driving license.