If you are thinking about buying an electric scooter than you are probably have a few questions. One of the big ones is how long do electric scooter batteries last? You are going to spend at least a few hundred on a quality electric scooter and you would like it to last a while. How long do electric scooter batteries last? Let’s take a look.
Lithium Ion electric scooter batteries will last between 500 and 1000 charge/discharge cycles if well cared for. For most electric scooter riders this is from 2 to 5 years.
Electric scooters have a range anywhere from 10 miles to 90 miles. The average electric scooter that costs below $1000 has a range from 10 to 20 miles. There are many ways to reduce the range of an electric scooter. Doing any of the following will reduce the range of your electric scooter.
If you would like get the most range out of your scooter you should treat it gently. Slower speeds and slower acceleration will give you more range. Avoid carrying extra weight on your scooter. If you don’t need something where you going, leave it at home instead of bringing it just in case.
To get the most out of your electric scooter battery, you need to give it proper care. Most scooter batteries will leave for several years if properly cared for. At least 2 to 5 years or 500 to 1000 charge and discharge cycles. If you do not take good care of the batteries they could have a much shorter life.
The battery is likely the most exensive part of your scooter to replace if you can replace it. It is also the area you should devote the most attention to care. I heard this saying once. “Most batteries don’t die, they are murdered” it is for the most part true.
These are things that batteries do not like:
Doing any of the above will reduce the life of the battery or worse.
Many scooters these days have lithium polymer or lithium ion batteries. There are still a few hanging on with lead-acid or nicad/nihm batteries but they are few and far between.
Lithium batteries need to be treated with respect. Only use a charger designed for the battery pack in your scooter. Lithium batteries can ignite and burn if over charged or charged too quickly. The fire is hot enough to burn through metal and ceramic. You don’t want one to catch fire. Just because the connector fits from someone else’s charger, doesn’t mean you should use it. See this article from OSHA about lithium batteries and their hazards.
Always keep your scooter charged at least a little. If you discharge lithium batteries too far, they become damaged and can’t accept charge again. Lithium batteries will slowly discharge over time when not in use. They do not self discharge as fast as other battery chemistries but they still do. If you run your scooter until it cuts off due to a dead battery, you should charge it before storage.
Do not leave an electric scooter on a charger unattended. You shouldn’t hook it up to charge and then leave home for a few hours and hope for the best.
Heat can damage your scooter batteries. When you are done riding your scooter, if the batteries are hot, let them cool down a bit before charging.
The below video gives some good information on electric scooter battery care.
You should charge your electric scooter after every use. You should never leave your scooter with completely discharged batteries. Leaving the batteries fully discharged could damage them and reduce their capacity.
If you don’t plan on using your scooter for a while you should at least charge it to 50% or above. You should not store it for extended periods at below 50% charge
There are many reasons your scooter may not hold a charge. Did the batteries overheat or get overcharged or discharged too far? These will all damage the batteries and make them no longer work.
Is the battery charger working? There should be some indicator that charging is occurring. Usually by flashing color coded lights on the charger or battery.
Is there damage to the scooter wiring or electronics? Is there is a frayed wire or short circuit somewhere, the battery charger may not function.
The batteries in your scooter are one of the most complex and important parts. If you are not getting the speed and range you used to, the battery may be where your electric scooter fix is needed.
The battery will consist of many cells. That may be wired in series and parallel batches. If you have lithium polymer or lithium ion batteries you may have balancing circuits also. Go here to learn more about Lithium batteries.
It’s common for individual cells to go bad inside a battery pack. You can use a multi-meter to check the voltage of your battery pack when it’s fully charged. It should be equal or slightly greater than the specified fully battery voltage. It it’s several volts less, there is a bad cell in your battery.
As your scooter battery ages and goes through more charge/discharge cycle it’s capacity reduces. It’s peak voltage also reduces which means your scooter goes slower.
The below video shows how to check the voltage of an electric scooter battery and individual cells.
The answer is, it depends on the scooter. Some scooters have water resistance and water proof ratings. You need to check the particular scooter you are interested to see if it has a water resistance rating. To learn more about the IP ratings and what they mean go here.
Many electric scooters have replacement batteries available from the manufacturer. The best chance is to look at the manufacturer website for replacement batteries or customer service contact information. If you can’t find a replacement pack, then you may be able to create a DIY pack using the same cell type as the original pack.
Replacement scooter batteries cost between $50 at the low end and several hundred dollars at the high end. The battery pack was 25 to 50% of the cost of your electric scooter when it was new. You can expect a replacement battery to cost a similar amount.
I grew up back east in Pennsylvania and learned to ski on a family trip to Killington, Vermont when I was 6. I immediately fell in love with the mountains and outdoors and have been skiing across the US and Canada ever since. I went to school for Mechanical Engineering, and have a Master’s Degree in Material Science and Reliability.
I am a total gear nerd and love learning how things work and thinking about how they could be improved. Nothing excites me more than trying out new gear. I’d rather spend 3 hours taking my bike apart and learning how to change something than go to a bike shop. These days I reside in Michigan by the Great Lakes and go skiing, biking, and boating as much as possible.
doug@adventuregearinsider.com
If you have any questions on Big Boy Electric Scooters. We will give the professional answers to your questions.