Electric scooters are sleek and efficient vehicles that uses rechargeable batteries for their necessary energy. With the technological advancement, e-scooters are now equipped with the most-modern Li-Pro batteries but previously used the lead-acid ones. So, what kind of battery does an electric scooter use? Also, can you interchange between these battery types for e-scooters?
Electric scooters typically use either lead-acid batteries or lithium-ion batteries. Lead-acid batteries are the older and more traditional option. They are affordable but tend to be heavier and bulkier compared to lithium-ion batteries. On the other hand, lithium-ion batteries are lighter, more compact, and offer higher energy density. So, these batteries are the preferred choice for many modern electric scooters.
We will explore the different types of batteries commonly used in electric scooters, their features, and how they contribute to the overall performance of these vehicles. So, are you a potential buyer, an existing e-scooter owner, or simply curious about the technology behind these vehicles? This article will serve as a valuable resource to enhance your understanding of electric scooter batteries.
What Kind of Battery Does an Electric Scooter Use
An excellent electric scooter is bestowed with many lucrative features, including good batteries. Let’s find out the batteries and how they work.
Lithium-ion Battery( Li-ion):
Li-ion is the most expensive yet very popular in the market for its advanced features and longevity. Moreover, this is the lightest one among the electric scooter batteries. It weighs almost half of the Sealed Acid battery and lasts three times longer than that. It lasts almost for 3-5 years. They also deliver better operations with less maintenance. They offer excellent energy density, which is 10 times more than SLA batteries. But these lithium batteries are very costly and run out early if they get overcharged. These batteries can explode badly if they get overcharged. Again, There are 5 types of lithium batteries.
- Lithium Cobalt-oxide: These batteries are suitable for high power but have less thermal stability
- Lithium Manganese-oxide: They come with high thermal stability and safety measures but have a short life span.
- Lithium Nickel Manganese Cobalt-oxide: This one is also quite good but is less stable mechanically.
- Lithium Iron Phosphate: This offers a long lifespan with better thermal stability and safety issues.
- Lithium Nickel Cobalt Aluminum-oxide: High lifespan and power make it a great choice, but this one is expensive.
So, all of them are specially made for delivering some benefits while having a trade-off between safety, longevity, or thermal stability.
Nickel Metal Hydride Battery( NiMH):
These batteries are also prevalent and have been reigning in the market for many years. The most impressive feature of this battery is it doesn’t explode or leak acid when punctured. This makes it safer than other batteries. Again, it can prevent overcharge. They are 30% lighter and have a longer lifespan than Sealed Acid Batteries. Sometimes they are created specifically for the electric scooter that they come with. It takes 6 to 7 hours to recharge these batteries.
Using a smart charger with a temperature sensor to recharge this battery is a wise decision. These batteries are also pretty expensive.
Sealed Lead Acid Battery (SLA):
This is the oldest battery that has been used in electric scooters. The best side of this battery is it offers immediate power. Moreover, it’s comparatively less expensive than all other cells. These batteries are found mainly in inexpensive child electric scooters.
But this SLA battery has some major drawbacks. It is much heavier and larger in size.
As a result, the scooter becomes less portable with these batteries. They can store less very little energy compared with their size. They have only 400 charge cycles and takes 7 to 8 hours to get recharged. The lifespan of these batteries depends on the surrounding temperature and quality. They deliver meager output at low temperatures.
Hence, we’ve to be careful about recharging. Different electric scooters can use different batteries. For instance, an electric scooter for a hill area needs a powerful battery while an electric scooter for commute can go with a less powerful one. So the battery type has a great impact on the quality of an electric scooter.
Final Words
Did you find out what kind of battery does an electric scooter use? I hope you get a clear idea about batteries. Rechargeable batteries are one of the most massive parts of electric scooters.
So choosing a lightweight battery makes the electric scooter portable and easy to ride. The recharging system has a lot to do with the efficiency of batteries. Overcharging or deeply discharging makes them less efficient and shortens longevity.