How Do E-Scooters Charge?

We’ve all been there – flipping through page after page of a user manual in search of information we need but just can’t find. That’s why we’ve put together this handy guide for present and future e-scooter owners. In it, we cover the following topics:

1. How to charge your e-scooter
2. Types of e-scooter batteries
3. Tips to extend e-scooter battery life

The idea behind this guide is to provide all the useful information you need so that you’ll not only better understand the hardware you’re riding, but also be able to expertly answer the question, “How do e-scooters charge?”

How to charge your e-scooter

There are only three things you need to charge your e-scooter:

1. Your e-scooter (of course)
2. The original or OEM charger
3. A working plug socket

And there are only three steps you need to follow to charge your e-scooter:

1. Plug the charger into the plug socket. If the charger has a light, it should turn green to indicate it’s on.
2. Connect the charger to the scooter’s charging port. The scooter should indicate it’s charging.
3. Let the scooter charge till the battery is full, then disconnect the charger.

It’s that simple.

You can charge your e-scooter anywhere you like – at home, at work, in a restaurant or anywhere else in public – just as long as you have access to a working plug socket (all The E-Scooter Co. products can be charged in any plug socket).

Types of e-scooter batteries

There are typically four types of e-scooter batteries, each one coming with its own pros and cons. Provided below are some of their key features.

	Pros	Cons
Lithium-ion	high energy density (offering a longer range) low self-discharge rate (and so don’t drain quickly when not in use) high voltage (which means fewer cells are required to power the e-scooter) low maintenance they don’t suffer from memory effect (in which a partial charge can lead to the battery holding less charge)	they age, and their charging capacity dips after 500 to 1000 charge/discharge cycles difficult to travel by plane with large lithium-ion batteries heat-sensitive
NiCd (Nickel Cadmium)	can operate through a high temperature range low maintenance inexpensive	not as powerful as other battery types contains Cadmium, which can be difficult to dispose of and toxic to the environment self-discharge during storage
NiMH Nickel Metal Hydride	high energy density safe lightweight	expensive long charging times poor performance in extreme temperatures self-discharge during storage
Sealed leak-acid	reliable inexpensive	bulky in size, heavy in weight poor energy density long charging times

TLDR: in comparison to the other battery types available, lithium-ion carries with it the most benefits and greatest convenience when it comes to e-scooters. That’s why it’s the most commonly used battery for e-scooters. 

All of our products here at The E-Scooter Co. use lithium-ion batteries. 

Tips to extend e-scooter battery life

A typical Lithium-ion battery ages, and its capacity will dip after 500 to 1000 charge/discharge cycles. While this might not sound like a lot, it means you can easily travel between 3,000 to 10,000 miles. And remember – a dip in capacity does not mean that the battery life will plunge to zero. Yes, the range might diminish, but gradually, by 10 to 20% at first.

In this section, we focus on the best practices to follow to extend your battery life.

1. Use OEM chargers

If you damage or misplace your charger, we strongly advise you to pick up the OEM or original equipment manufacturer’s charger (you can find them on our site under E-Scooter Accessories and Parts). Third-party or generic battery chargers might cost less, but they’re more likely to damage your battery – it’s a lot more expensive to replace an e-scooter battery than it is a charger.

2. Don’t drain the battery down to zero

Lithium-ion batteries degrade when their charge drops below 2.5V. We suggest you avoid letting the charge fall below 10%. And if you’re thinking about storing your e-scooter for the winter, then remember that most manufacturers recommend charging the battery to 50% first, and to periodically top up the charge. 

3. Avoid high temperatures when charging

Since lithium-ion batteries are heat-sensitive, it’s a good idea to charge them when they’re cool (and not immediately after a trip or in the blazing sunshine). It also helps to charge them at room temperature – between 10°C and 25°C.

4. Avoid riding immediately after charging

Again, this is due to heat-sensitivity issues. Your batteries heat up when they charge, and the last thing you want is to put them under strain by heading out for a ride the second the battery charge hits 100%. Give them some time to cool down.

5. Operate in the “Sweet Zone”

Research indicates that using lithium-ion batteries when they’re in the “sweet zone” of a 30% to 80% charge means less stress on the batteries than a full charge cycle – and it can considerably improve battery life. 

6. Don’t charge while sleeping

We know some of you might object to this, but we recommend it for two reasons: (1) for your own safety, in case something goes wrong, and (2) to avoid overcharging your batteries. The latter shouldn’t happen as our e-Scooters have inbuilt protection to prevent overcharging from damaging the batteries, but still, it’s always best to err on the side of caution. 

We recommend establishing a charging routine for your e-scooter. You can find out your battery’s charging time by looking at the manual, the product information page on our website, or using this handy calculation: battery capacity (Ah) ÷ charger current (A) = charge time (h).

6. Keep your e-scooter clean and dry

This is a no-brainer, and we can’t recommend it enough. Batteries and water just don’t mix, so make sure you keep your e-scooter dry, and whenever you get the chance, give it a wipe down.

If you’re looking for more information on e-scooters (or are considering buying one), then check out our buying guide, our page on safety and maintenance (in which we cover battery maintenance), or browse our blog for reviews and articles. 

Hopefully our tips will be useful to you, and will help you get the most out of your e-scooter battery. Safe riding!