The battery of an electric scooter is perhaps the most important consideration to make before purchase. Standardly, every manufacturer tries to ensure that the best batteries are deployed in producing a battery.
How bad is an e-scooter with a small range because of a poor battery?
Nonetheless, understanding batteries, their ratings, and what makes their efficiency reduce over time is important to understand why your electric scooter battery isn’t durable. Before we delve into the reasons, let’s discuss a little about battery mechanics.
Electric scooter batteries are either Lithium-Ion (Li-ion), Lead-acid, or Nickel Metal Hydride Batteries. Of all these batteries, Li-ion Batteries are the best because they are lighter, discharge slowly, and store more energy per weight than the other batteries. This make electric scooter expensive for their battery.
Lithium-ion batteries also have easy maintenance compared to the rest. Lead acid batteries are cheaper, heavier, take a lot of time to recharge, and are dogged. They can withstand various forms of abuse and rough use.
Nickel Metal Hydride batteries are equally weighty, safer than Li-ion, and take longer to charge. They are also more expensive than Li-ion batteries but feature better battery tech than Lead acid batteries. There are three different types of Li-ion batteries; of the three, Lithium-Manganese (INR, NMC) is the best. The other types (Lithium FerroPhosphate LFP and Lithium Polymer LiPo) are not as efficient as INR and NMC batteries.
Information about a battery type would give you a good understanding of the advantages and disadvantages of each battery. For example, lithium-ion batteries are the best but are expensive and shouldn’t be stored fully discharged. Although Nickel metal hydride batteries are safer than Lithium-ion (they overheat and may explode), they are more expensive and take longer to charge.
The indices for measuring a battery’s durability are; Voltage, Ampere-hours (Ah), and Watt-hours (Wh). Volt measures how fast power it can move to the motor/battery. Hence, a higher voltage means efficient/optimal power delivery per time.
An electric scooter’s battery may not be durable for varying reasons. Ideally, most batteries should last 1-3 years before a significant decline in their performance becomes apparent. After this range of years, a significant decline in performance is possible and can be excused. Let’s get to it!
Irrespective of the quality of a battery, poor maintenance can reduce the performance of a battery quicker than you expect. Proper maintenance of batteries requires routine checks, periodic charging, and storing them in regulated temperatures.
A poor battery choice would never be durable for your electric scooter. This is why you should pay attention to the battery manufacturer and other product information when purchasing an electric scooter.
For example, buying nickel-metal hydride or lead acid batteries means a slower charge rate, prioritizing the storage room temperature and other maintenance requirements. If your battery doesn’t meet the standard for optimal performance of your electric scooter, it will always feel inefficient.
Charging issues can affect the durability of your battery. Using the battery till it’s totally discharged, using the wrong chargers, and overcharging can reduce the performance of your e-scooter battery.
Users must be wary of overcharging their batteries or charging with the wrong chargers. Charging issues would ultimately reduce the half-life of your battery. This would ultimately affect your range, as power would be used up quickly.
A battery that is long overdue for a change would not be durable for use. Although manufacturers often list a longer battery life span, performance may decline based on maintenance and use.
Related: Learn how you can protect your electric scooter battery life
A battery that’s not durable may be undergoing a decline in performance because it’s due for a change. A battery’s life span would never appreciate; it’s more likely to decline for every use. This is why priority should be placed on maintenance to ensure that your battery serves you optimally for a long time.
We have established that an electric scooter’s battery would only be less durable if it’s a bad product, has been used over the years, or is poorly maintained. Since maintenance is core to optimal battery performance per time, we must discuss maintenance tips for your battery. Take note of the following maintenance tips to maximize your battery’s health.
The durability of a battery declines either because it is a poor product or because the user poorly maintains it. The solution to the former is to purchase or replace the battery (if you have a warranty). Ensure you prioritize good maintenance practices to get optimal performance from your battery.