[gnopgnip]

Yes you can still rent them in San Francisco and Oakland, but less than there were a few years ago.

Electric scooters are limited to 15mph, you can get a speeding ticket for exceeding 15mph even going downhill. And they aren't really safe to ride faster, they can't stop quickly. You need a drivers license. You are required to ride in the street or bike lane, not on the sidewalks or paths shared with pedestrians. Technically you can't make left turns in the road either, you need to ride straight across in the bike lane or road then stop and walk through crosswalk. Also not allowed to ride in a crosswalk at all, but many of these rules are not strictly enforced.

Compared to ebikes where the motor can provide power up to 28mph with pedal assist, up to 20mph with throttle only. No drivers license needed. Ebikes can legally use many multi use paths shared with pedestrians. No problems making left turns in traffic. No need to walk in crosswalks because you can ride on the road/bike lane. It isn't surprising they aren't as popular.