How Long Do Electric Scooter Batteries Last?
No one wants to be stranded in the middle of the road while commuting on an electric scooter.
To avoid this embarrassing situation, it is crucial to know how long your e-scooter battery lasts on a full charge.
Find out how long electric scooter batteries last, and how to optimize battery life in this article.
Here is the short answer to how long electric scooter batteries last:
Electric scooter batteries have a lifespan of one to four years and can last up to one hour on a full charge. Factors like the condition of storage and battery capacity may affect the longevity of your battery. For instance, a monster scooter battery with a capacity of 3000 watts will last longer than a typical budget scooter battery capacity of only 250 watts.
How Many Hours Does an Electric Scooter Battery Last?
The average battery life of an electric scooter is one hour. That said, the model of your electric scooter also determines how many hours your electric scooter will last.
A good example is the EPrime brand of scooters with batteries that last about 40 minutes.
How Long Can You Travel on an Electric Scooter with a Fully Charged Battery?
On the average, an electric scooter with a fully charged battery will take you between 5-40 miles.
The rider’s weight, road conditions, and the number of times the rider starts and stops will affect your scooter battery’s longevity.
What Type of Batteries Do Electric Scooters Use?
Only three kinds of batteries are suitable for electric scooters. These batteries are:
- Sealed Lead Acid Battery (SLA)
- Nickel Metal Hydride Battery (NiMH)
- Lithium-ion Battery (Li-ion, LFP, or LiPo)
1. Sealed Lead Acid Battery
This is the oldest type of electric scooter battery. This battery owes its enduring relevance in the automotive industry to its emotional power.
The Sealed Lead Acid battery offers a high current strong enough to power an engine and keep it running.
One advantage that this type of battery offers over its rivals is that it is much cheaper.
Since most people only use electric scooters occasionally, an inexpensive battery like the Sealed Lead Acid battery is a perfect choice.
However, this battery has a few shortcomings. They are quite heavy and bulky, so moving them around might prove to be a chore.
The factors that determine the longevity of a Sealed Lead Acid battery are environmental temperature, size, and weight of the battery.
2. Nickel Metal Hydride Battery
The Nickel Metal Hydride battery is so-called because of its chemical composition. Most Nickel Metal Hydride batteries are tailormade for specific scooters.
Once the battery breaks down, the user has to replace the NiMH battery with the exact model of the original battery in their scooter.
Unlike Sealed Lead Acid batteries, NiMH batteries are lightweight. Nickel Metal Hydride batteries also last longer than Lead Acid batteries.
Nevertheless, the NiMH batteries might not be the right batteries for you if you are on a budget. This is because they are quite expensive.
3. Lithium-Ion Battery
This type of battery is the newest electric scooter battery type in the market. As a result, they have many advanced features that are absent in their older counterparts, like the NiMH battery.
In addition to their advanced features, Lithium-ion batteries have added benefits. They require less maintenance than other electric scooter batteries.
Lithium- ion batteries also last longer and do not suffer from the memory effect that plagues the NiMH counterparts.
Compared to the NiMH and SLA batteries, they are much lighter.
Toyrider.com, a website about automobiles, estimates the Lithium-ion battery to be about half the size of Sealed Lead Acid batteries.
Due to these features, Lithium-ion batteries are more expensive than other electric scooter batteries.
While some NiMH batteries are as cheap as $20, it is difficult to find an e-scooter lithium-ion battery that costs less than $100.
Best Electric Scooter Batteries
According to our research, here are some of the best electric scooter batteries on the market:
- Lithium Battery for Hero Electric Photon 48/72V (72volts, 48ah)
- Praise Pro/ I Praise/Praise Lithium-Ion 72V 45AH Okinawa Scooter Battery (72volts, 45ah)
- Okinawa Ridge 30AH Lithium-Ion Battery (60volts, 30ah)
- Tunwal Lithino Li Lithium-Ion Battery (60volts, 26ah)
- Electric Scooter Batteries Indus Drift (60volts, 24ah)
- TVS iQube Electric Scooter Lithium Battery (60volts, 24ah)
- Ather 450× Battery and Charger (48volts, 30ah)
- 48V 28AH Tunwal Sports 63 Lithium-Ion Battery and Charger (48volts, 30ah)
- Lithium Battery for Hero Electric Flash La (48volts, 28ah)
- Lithium Battery for Hero Electric Optima (48volts, 26ah)
- 48V/24AH Okinawa Raise Lithium-Ion Battery (48volts, 24ah)
- Lithium Battery for Indus Yo Xplor 48V 24AH (48volts, 24ah)
- NBpower 48V 17Ah LG Cell Lithium-Ion Battery (48volts, 17ah)
Why Won’t My Electric Scooter Battery Hold a Charge?
So, you’ve noticed that your electric scooter battery is draining faster than usual. This problem may be because:
- You have a defective battery: If your battery is faulty, you won’t be able to use it for long before it dies.
- You ride your scooter on rough roads: The condition of the road affects how long your scooter battery lasts. While riding on smooth roads will help retain the lifespan of your battery, using your scooter on rough terrains will drain your battery.
- Your battery is old, and it needs a replacement: The longer you use your battery, the faster its capacity decreases. If your battery doesn’t hold a charge like it used to, it may be a sign that you need a new battery. Most electric scooter batteries won’t last longer than four years.
READ NEXT: Will Car Battery Die If Not Used?
How Often Should I Charge My Electric Scooter Battery?
You should charge your battery anytime the battery life decreases. This is because allowing your battery to run down completely will affect its longevity.
Nevertheless, you must avoid overcharging your battery. Take the battery off the charger once it is full and avoid charging it overnight.
How Do You Check an Electric Scooter Battery?
Sometimes, it is best to test your electric scooter battery before riding it to avoid unnecessary pitfalls while on the road. Follow these steps to check your battery:
You need some tools to test your electric scooter’s battery. These are:
- A digital multimeter
- A wrench that is suitable for the screws on the battery
- A set of hex wrenches, and
- A screwdriver
Now, you can go on with your examination:
- Charge your battery for about 7-8 hours.
- Next, disconnect your scooter from the battery to prevent your battery from running during this process.
- Set the function selector on your multimeter to VDC on a value of 200 volts.
- Switch off your scooter.
- Connect the digital multimeter to your battery terminals and check the voltage reading on the multimeter.
- Now, switch on your scooter and ask someone to help you hold it down and attach the throttle.
- Reread the voltage when the throttle is attached to the scooter. Ensure the scooter is still disconnected from the battery.
- If your battery’s voltage rating is higher than or equal to the voltage rating of your scooter, your battery is healthy. When the voltage rating of your battery is lower than that of your scooter, you might need to get a new battery.
How Do You Charge an Electric Scooter Battery?
You can make your electric scooter battery last as long as possible if you follow these tips while charging your battery:
- Charge your battery regularly: If you use your electric scooter often, charge it regularly. Waiting until your battery is completely depleted before charging it will shorten its life span in the long run.
- Charge your battery immediately after a ride: If you’ve just taken your scooter on a ride, charge it immediately. If you wait for hours after your battery life is depleted, it can affect the longevity negatively. For longer rides, you can wait for about 30 minutes before you charging your battery.
- Use an original charger: Most electric scooters have chargers that are specifically made for them. You can buy these chargers in stores if the original charger is broken. Using a different charger may ruin the battery.
- Charge your battery before you store it: If you intend to store your battery away for a long time, charge it first. Joyorscooter.com recommends that you charge your battery up to 40-50% before you store it.
- Avoid overcharging your battery: Electric scooter batteries, especially lithium-ion batteries, can cause fire outbreaks if you overcharge them. Moreover, your battery life will deplete if it is overcharged.
- Charge your battery indoors: If your electric scooter battery comes in contact with cold or extreme sunlight, it will be damaged. Your battery will last longer if you charge it indoors.
READ NEXT: How Long Does a Router Battery Last?
How Much Is an Electric Scooter Battery?
The average electric scooter battery costs between $164-$246. That said, the model and type of electric scooter battery may affect its price.
For instance, Lithium-ion batteries are more expensive than Sealed Lead Acid batteries.
Final Words
Moving around with an electric scooter is fun. That’s why every user, like you, wants their battery to last as long as possible.
We hope that this article has answered most, if not all, of your questions regarding electric scooter batteries.
We will update this article as new information becomes available. Thanks for reading.