How to Charge an Electric Scooter
Kids are excited about riding electric toys, and a scooter is a top-shelf product they will fall in love with. And parents want to get the best electric scooter for kids that is durable and quality. Thus, you may wonder how to charge the electric scooter properly to foster its longevity.
Several aspects should be taken into account when it comes to power consumption. Here, we’d like to outline useful tips on battery life monitoring and charging.
How to Charge an Electric Scooter Properly?
Generally, electric scooters come with a display or indicators that show you the battery is low. When it’s high time to charge your scooter, restore the power to the fullest. You’ll be notified with a green light or something when the refreshing process is over.
To charge an electric scooter duly, it’s recommended to check the manufacturer’s instructions first. Modern e-scooter brands provide their customers with such information. In addition, here are some general steps you may follow to charge your scooter.
- Detach the battery from the wheeler to get it charged. If you’re not sure how to do it, check the product’s description first.
- Alternatively, some modern e-scooter models don’t require removing the battery. They have a built-in design, so you can plug it in right away. Again, check this info on the manufacturer’s website or instructions.
- Plug the charger to the power outlet. The light must turn green.
- Plug the charger into the port in the scooter. There’s usually a signal that shows you the restoring process is being held.
- When the battery is revived, remove the charger from the outlet and the port. And you are ready to go!
Ηow Long Does It Take To Charge An Electric Scooter?
The range can vary but on average, it takes about 6 to 12 hours to recharge a wheeler. Some models claim their restoring time needs only 2 to 4 hours. Some parents may leave the scooter to be charged overnight, so their children can enjoy the ride the next day.
The time spent on recharging the wheeler depends on the battery type used in your scooter. So let’s have a look at the main battery types and their characteristics.
Types of Scooter Batteries
One of the crucial parts of scooter safety is checking the battery condition. Make sure it’s fully charged before your kid hops on the wheeler. When purchasing an electric scooter, it may come with one of the three types of batteries: Lead-Acid, Lithium-Ion, or Nickel battery. So what’s the difference?
Lead-Acid Battery
The Lead-Acid battery is an inexpensive gear that is presented in most kid’s electric scooters. Such batteries have been produced for many years for various vehicles, including golf cars.
However, the lead-acid battery is deemed as a low-powered one, compared with other batteries. Besides, it has a heavy build and it takes more space than newer types. That’s why more powerful two-wheelers like e-scooters for adults don’t usually contain the Lead-Acid battery.
Some electric scooters for kids have an SLA (Sealed Lead-Acid) battery. This type is commonly used in small vehicles and lamps. The battery life is around 3 to 5 years, which is enough for kids’ toys.
Lithium-Ion Battery
This type is extremely popular for implementing into electronic devices like laptops, smartphones, as well as electric scooters. The battery is characterized by solid longevity and charging capacity. In fact, the Lithium-Ion battery is a few times durable than the Lead-Acid battery, so it will live longer. In addition, such gear doesn’t release CO2 emissions, so you can store the e-scooter with no worries.
Having said that, Lithium-Ion batteries have their drawbacks too. They are quite pricey compared with its competitors, hence, you’ll need to fork out when purchasing an electric scooter with a Lithium-Ion battery. Moreover, the lithium salts used in the battery are highly sensitive to extreme temperatures. Thus, there’s a little risk of the battery explosion.
The average lifespan of the Lithium-Ion battery is claimed from 2 to 3 years.
Nickel Battery
Nickel batteries were originally used in satellite applications and cars. But nowadays the range of devices with the Nickel battery has expanded immensely. This type is commonly used in electric wheelers as it doesn’t require much space and it’s lighter than the Lead-Acid battery. Besides, the Lead-Acid scooters may slow down by the end of the operating time, while the nickel scooters don’t.
This gear is more budget-friendly than the Lithium-Ion battery, having solid charging capacity. And extreme temperatures don’t affect the Nickel batteries as much as the Lithium-Ion ones. However, the Nickel battery tends to have a “memory effect” while being recharged before the battery is completely off. This can make a negative impact on the overall energy capacity.
Speaking of longevity, the Nickel Battery life is up to 5 years, which is decent.
Scooter Charging Guidelines
In order to prolong your scooter’s lifespan, here are some tips that are worth consideration.
- Don’t charge your wheeler right after the ride. Leave the scooter for a while to cool down and then plug it in to restore. This affects the battery’s life circuit.
- If you see the battery is low, recharge it. Don’t leave your two-wheeler discharged for days or even weeks.
- If you’re planning to not use the vehicle for a long time, fully charge it first. Use a safe place for storing your scooter, preferably, out of the living place.
- Use a charger from the same manufacturer if possible. Generally, kids scooters come with a charger, so there won’t be issues with it.
- If you need to renew the charger, don’t purchase used chargers. It’s better to ask the manufacturer to restore you the charger.
- Don’t use your chargers that are made for non-scooter vehicles like cars or bikes. This could completely damage the battery, so you’ll need a new one.
- Follow indicator signs to find out when the battery is recharged. Don’t unplug the charger until the power is fully restored.
- Check the charger occasionally for damage or flaws. In case of a faulty cord, change it immediately.
These tips may help you make an electric scooter live longer and provide safe conditions for storing. Being aware of these guidelines you can have a blast by scooting for long.
Conclusion
Riding a scooter is a fascinating outdoor activity little riders are obsessed with. And riding an electric scooter is even more thrilling as it brings fast speed and extra features. While kids are fond of the toy, parents are interested in its staying power.
Thus, you should know how to charge an electric scooter in order to prolong its lifespan. You may find it helpful to check out our charging guidelines to enjoy the wheeler for years. The more careful you treat your vehicle, the more times you’ll have a spin on the e-scooter.
If you’re still in two minds whether or not to buy a riding toy for your child, here’s the article that reveals how safe electric scooters are for kids. Check what the best age is to start scooting.