Why are electric scooter batteries not so durable?

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.

 

How do electric scooter batteries work?

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.

Indices to measure a battery’s durability

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.

  • Your battery’s output must exceed the motor’s input voltage to get optimal power supply to the motor. To arrive at a battery’s volt, divide the Watt-hours rating by the Amp-hours rating. 1V= 1Wh/1Ah.
  • Ampere-hours stands for the e-scooter battery charge and accounts for the performance of an electric scooter. The higher the charger, the more optimal performance you can expect from the e-scooter. To arrive at the charge, do this, 1Ah= 1Wh/1V.
  • Watt-hours indicate how much energy a battery can store, and this affects the range. So, the higher the energy storage, the more the range you get from the battery. To arrive at the battery storage capacity, multiply the ampere-hours by the volts of the battery (1 Wh= 1Ah * 1V).
 

Reasons why your electric scooter battery isn’t durable

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!

  1. Poor Maintenance

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.

  • Poor Battery Choice

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

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.

  • Long-overdue battery change

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.

Common Maintenance Practices for your E-scooter’s Battery Life

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.

  1. Avoid depleting the power on your electric scooter completely. It significantly affects your battery’s health when you exhaust all its power. It’s good practice to charge before and after use as long as you don’t overcharge it! Never let your batteries go lower than 10-30% before you charge them.
  2. To prevent your battery from overcharging, do not leave your electric scooter charging overnight. Suppose you’re unable to measure when the charge would be complete. In that case, you should periodically check whether your battery is full as you charge.
  3. Ensure you know enough about the type of battery your electric scooter uses, its range, and its capacity. This information would help you know how to care for your battery and adopt safe riding habits.
  4. When you wouldn’t use your scooter for a long time, ensure you charge it fully before storage. Also, it is important to ensure you only use chargers recommended by the manufacturer. Before you charge, allow your electric scooter to cool. Keep your electric scooter and batteries under the right temperature.
  5. Ensure you routinely perform check-ups on your electric scooter to ensure optimal performance per time.

In conclusion

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.

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