Blog
Oil prices and demand for scooters - cross elasticity
2nd July 2008
High gasoline prices is having a classic cross-price elasticity of demand effect. Sales of bicycles, scooters and motorcycles are up. Sales of sport-utility vehicles are down as consumers respond to the changing real cost of getting about town using a motorcar.
Market demand for scooters is said to be soaring in many parts of the USA - here is a link to an article in the Dallas News. Pure economics and a certain nostalgia seem to be two driving forces behind the shift in the pattern of demand. And as sales of scooters rises, so too does the demand for complementary services such as motorcycle-safety courses and scooter riding equipment such as helmets, gloves and motorcycle jackets,
Geoff Riley
Geoff Riley FRSA has been teaching Economics for over thirty years. He has over twenty years experience as Head of Economics at leading schools. He writes extensively and is a contributor and presenter on CPD conferences in the UK and overseas.