{"id":33693,"date":"2023-01-18T18:55:26","date_gmt":"2023-01-18T18:55:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.electricscooterinsider.com\/?p=33693"},"modified":"2023-01-18T19:01:13","modified_gmt":"2023-01-18T19:01:13","slug":"electric-scooter-batteries","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.electricscooterinsider.com\/electric-scooter-batteries\/","title":{"rendered":"Electric Scooter Batteries: A Beginner’s Guide"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
From voltage, amp-hours, and watt-hours, to 18650 and 21700 cells, there\u2019s a lot to know when it comes to electric scooter batteries.<\/p>
To help you understand how battery power is measured, as well as different types of electric scooter batteries, we\u2019ve created this guide.<\/p>
We also give tips on how to prolong battery life and share the key things to look out for when maintaining and replacing a battery.<\/p>
<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t \n\t\t\t\t\t\tVoltage (v), amp-hours (Ah), and watt-hours (Wh)- what do they all mean?\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t \n\t\t\t\t\t\tLearn about the different types of electric scooter batteries and discover which is best.\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t \n\t\t\t\t\t\tLearn about how long batteries last and how to improve battery life.\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t \n\t\t\t\t\t\tEverything you need to know about maintaining and replacing batteries.\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t Battery voltage is the amount of electrical potential that a battery holds. Commonly referred to as electric pressure, it\u2019s the measured strength of electricity flowing through a circuit.<\/p> Electricity is the flow of free electrons from a positive to a negative terminal, and voltage pushes the electrons to move in the same direction resulting in an electrical current. Without it, the electrons would move around randomly.<\/p> To simplify this, think of the circuit as a garden hose. The voltage flowing through the circuit (i.e. from a battery to other electrical components) is the water pressure in the hose. It\u2019s this pressure that makes current flow, thereby delivering power.<\/p> Typically, electric scooter batteries fall into one of these six buckets: 36V, 48V, 52V, 60V, 72V, or 84V.<\/p> In general, the higher the voltage, the more energy that\u2019s stored and the greater the electrical pressure. An example of this is battery power being funneled to a motor. Here, a higher voltage means a faster acceleration because of the high electrical pressure.<\/p> <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t An amp-hour (Ah) is a unit that tells you how much electrical charge can be supplied within an hour. It's calculated by multiplying the number of amps by the time they're supplied.<\/p> For example, if a battery is rated as 1Ah, it can deliver a current of 1 amp for an hour. However, it's not always that simple; if you have a 10Ah battery attached to a device that requires 10 amps of current, it will last for one hour. But if you connect it to a device that requires 5 amps, it will last for two hours.<\/p> The higher the amp-hours of an electric scooter battery, the greater the capacity of energy stored. Here, a higher figure equates to longer mileage.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t Watt-hours are used to measure battery capacity. They are a measurement of electrical energy that\u2019s equivalent to one watt of power expended for one hour.<\/p> It\u2019s calculated by multiplying the battery's voltage by its amp-hours.<\/p> For example, a 36V 10Ah battery has 360Wh of electrical energy. This equates to approximately 25-30 miles of range.<\/p> Like amp-hours, the higher the watt-hours, the greater the capacity of energy stored. Here, a higher figure equates to longer mileage.<\/p> Ultimately, watt-hours is the key metric used for comparing battery performance.<\/p> <\/a><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t Lithium-Ion batteries are the most common type of power supply used in electric scooters. They are a relatively recent development but have become more popular than other battery types such as those that are lead-acid.\u00a0<\/span><\/p> When you discharge a lithium-ion battery, lithium atoms on the negative side of the battery become ionized. The electrochemical potential of this reaction starts a flow of electrons around the circuits attached to the battery. Lithium is used for this because it\u2019s highly reactive and gives up its electrons easily, acquiring an electronic charge in the process.\u00a0<\/span><\/p> These types of batteries are generally more expensive than others but offer a range of benefits, making them the go-to option for electric scooters. Not only are smaller and lighter than others, but they also require less maintenance, last longer, and are significantly more efficient.<\/span><\/p> <\/p> Lead-acid batteries were first used in the 19th century and are less expensive than those made with lithium. However, despite their low price, they're not as commonly used because they're larger, need relatively high levels of maintenance, and are less efficient.<\/span><\/p> Inside a lead-acid battery are tightly packed sheets of lead that are submerged in sulphuric acid to allow for a controlled chemical reaction. Here, the lead gives up electrons which then flow through the electrical circuits that the battery is attached to.<\/span><\/p> Most manufacturers consider lead-acid batteries to be too big and heavy to use in their electric scooters. However, because they're so much cheaper than lithium-ion batteries, you can still find them in some budget and kid's scooters. For example, Razor offers a range of affordable kid's scooters that run on rechargeable 12V sealed lead-acid batteries.<\/span><\/p> Nickel-metal hydride batteries were the next step in innovation from lead-acid batteries. They utilize nickel hydroxide and another metal to produce a flow of electrons through a circuit from negative to positive. They are about 30% lighter than most sealed lead-acid batteries and last longer.\u00a0<\/span><\/p> Nickel-metal hydride batteries are better suited to electric scooters than lead-acid batteries because they save weight and can take you further on a single charge. However, they've mostly been replaced with lithium-ion batteries because they're still relatively heavy, can discharge when not in use, and are likely to deteriorate after just 200 cycles.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t FST batteries tend to be lithium-ion batteries manufactured in China. They're relatively cheap and are often selected by electric scooter manufacturers when they want to keep costs down.<\/p> However, while they're safe and effective in the short term, they aren't built to the same standard as high-quality batteries from name brands like LG, Samsung, or Dynavolt.<\/p> <\/p> Name-brand batteries are designed to deliver their peak performance for up to 500 charge cycles. This gives you 3 to 5 years of charges that deliver identical performance to the first time you used them.<\/p> A simple way to think about this is to imagine charging your phone. Just as your phone battery decays the more you charge it, the cheaper FST cells used in scooter batteries do the same. In brief, this means that your scooter\u2019s maximum range will consistently get shorter the more times you charge it. High-quality batteries, however, prolong battery life meaning they deteriorate at a much slower rate.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t The lithium-ion batteries used for electric scooters are made of many single cells combined into one big pack. They almost look like someone has strapped lots of AA batteries together.<\/span><\/p> <\/p> The numbers 18650 and 21700 refer to the physical size of the cells in the battery. 18650 batteries have cylindrical cells that measure 18mm in diameter and 65mm in length, while 21700 batteries contain cells that measure 21mm in diameter and 70mm in length.<\/span><\/p> Because the cells in 21700 batteries are larger, they have more capacity. As a result, 21700 batteries provide more power, meaning significantly longer mileage.<\/span><\/p> <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t The best battery for an electric scooter is a lithium-ion battery with 21700 cells, made by LG, Samsung, Dynavolt, or any other well-respected brand. These batteries will be lightweight, efficient, long-lasting, and deliver optimal performance for hundreds of charge cycles.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t <\/p> <\/p> <\/p> <\/a><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t A charge cycle is a process of charging a battery and discharging it as required into a load.<\/p> The term is typically used to specify a battery's expected life since the number of charge cycles affects battery performance.<\/p> All batteries are different, but a good-quality one can provide peak performance for up to 500 charge cycles. The peak performance of a battery is when it's operating at its optimum level and can deliver close to the amount of power indicated by its watt-hour rating.<\/p> After a battery has been charged beyond its optimum number of cycles, it will continue to power the scooter, but you'll begin to notice a shorter mileage.<\/p> As a general rule of thumb, cheaper batteries deliver fewer charge cycles, meaning performance decay is quicker.<\/p> <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t The maximum mileage figure given in the specifications of electric scooters is calculated by running the scooter under standard testing conditions.<\/p> This consists of a 165 lbs person riding the scooter over flat terrain in the slowest speed setting. The battery is fully charged and then ridden until it is fully discharged. The miles traveled under these conditions are recorded as the scooter's maximum mileage.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t Most scooter riders don't weigh 165 lbs, won't stay on flat terrain, and want to make the most of their scooter's top speed.<\/p> To calculate the mileage based on real-world riding, a good rule of thumb is to multiply the maximum figure by 55-65%.<\/p> This will give you a far better idea of how long a single charge of your scooter battery will last with a heavier rider, undulating terrain, and using the fastest speed setting. For example, a manufacturer's maximum range of 20 miles will be closer to 11-13 miles in the real world.<\/p> <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t To increase the life of your battery and make it last as long as possible, there are several things you can do:<\/span><\/p> Depending on the battery that your electric scooter has, you may want to employ the 80\/30 charging rule.\u00a0<\/span><\/p> By never letting your battery drop below 30% and only charging it up to 80%, you can significantly slow its rate of degradation and prolong its life. This is particularly useful for older batteries (especially metal hydroxides) since it\u2019s best to keep batteries operating within a given range and limit their recharge cycles (commonly referred to as the memory effect).<\/span><\/p>How is Battery Power Measured? - 3 Metrics You Need to Know\n<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
Voltage (V)<\/h3>
Amp-Hours (Ah)<\/h3>
Watt-Hours (Wh)<\/h3>
Understanding Different Batteries<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
Types of Batteries<\/h3>
Lithium-Ion<\/b><\/h4>
Lead-acid<\/b><\/h4>
Nickel-Metal Hydride<\/b><\/h4>
Battery Brands: FST vs Name Brand (LG, Samsung, Dynavolt)<\/h3>
Battery Cells: 18650 vs 21700<\/h3>
Which Battery is Best for an Electric Scooter?<\/h3>
Pros and Cons of Different Battery Placements<\/h3>
Stem<\/span><\/h4>
Pros<\/b><\/h4>
Cons<\/b><\/h4>
Deck<\/b><\/span><\/h4>
Pros<\/b><\/h4>
Cons\u00a0<\/b><\/h4>
Removable<\/b><\/span><\/h4>
Pros<\/b><\/h4>
Cons<\/b><\/h4>
Battery Life: How Long Do Electric Scooter Batteries Last?<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
Charge Cycles and Peak Performance<\/h3>
How is the Maximum Mileage Figure Calculated?<\/h3>
How to Calculate Mileage Based on Real-World Riding<\/h3>
How to Increase Battery Life<\/h3>
1. Prolong Battery Life Up to 4X By Using the 80\/30 Rule (Depending on Your Battery)<\/b><\/h4>