Most people don't know the lifespan of an electric scooter. That's because there are so many factors that go into determining how long escooters last. You may think that it all depends on how often you ride or what kind of terrain you're riding on, but those things only matter to a certain degree.
How Long Does an Electric Scooter Last?
On average, Electric Scooter can last anywhere between 3 to 5 years. In most cases, durability depends on the make and model and usually the more expensive the electric scooter is the better the quality of its components which as a result, the longer it will typically last.
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The truth is, the battery will determine how long your still can enjoy the full potential of your electric scooter and if the battery dies out prematurely then there is nothing anyone can do about it other than replacing the battery entirely ! Luckily for riders with this issue, we have some tips on how to extend the life of your battery and keep your e-scoot rolling like clockwork!
More on The Average Lifetime of an Electric Scooter?
The lifespan of an electric scooter depends on a lot of things. There are a lot of models available in the market from various manufacturers.
Not all of them are well-made, nor do they include quality components. That affects the lifespan of the electric scooter enormously.
Usually, a low-priced electric scooter can start showing issues after a year. However, scooters that are manufactured from the top brands can offer you a long-term performance of up to 2 or 3 years.
Amongst different components of a scooter, the battery has more effects on the lifetime of an electric scooter. The scooters usually equip lithium-ion batteries or lead-acid batteries (SLA). Some of them can also include a nickel-metal hybrid battery (NiMH).
The lithium-ion batteries are mostly used as they are compact and lightweight when compared with the other types. They also offer long-lasting performance when compared with the other models.
If the electric scooter arrives with a quality lithium battery and other quality parts, then it can last up to 5 years. They also require minimal maintenance. On the other hand, the SLA and NiMH battery is prominent in size when compared to lithium batteries. They also require frequent maintenance for longevity.
How Many Miles Will an Electric Scooter Last?
Whether it's about the e-scooter's range or the overall mileage the two-wheeler is capable of, one thing is certain: top-brand scooters tend to last for more miles.
An e-scooter, like the Dualtron Storm Limited, can provide 74 miles from one charge cycle while low-budget scooters—such as the Fluid Horizon—can foster much less range, and consequently mileage.
Typically, most e-scooters can provide 10 to 80 miles per charge but that depends on the total payload being hauled, battery specifications, and ride conditions. Remember that if you handle your scooter well, it will be more likely to reach its mileage and range potentials.
As stated earlier, most e-scooters can realistically deliver around 3000–5000 miles throughout their service life. Occasionally, you may come across electric scooters that deliver less or more than this mileage range.
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Factors That Decrease the Lifespan of an Electric Scooter
Your e-scooter needs constant care and attention like all other vehicles to perform at its best for as long as possible. Not doing this will hamper your e-scooter's performance and decrease its lifespan.
Factors That Affect the Lifespan of Your Electric Scooter
- One major factor that can decrease the lifespan of privately-owned e-scooters is the way riders charge their batteries. To help it last its longest, never completely deplete the scooter's battery before recharging it. Also, if you use an old e-scooter, avoid leaving it plugged in while the battery is full. Doing so puts your scooter’s battery at risk of getting damaged or, even worse, catching on fire.
Newer electric scooters come with overcharge protection circuits that block the flow of electrons to the battery once it’s full. You may not need to worry about overcharging if you use a modern e-scooter. - Again for older e-scooters: make sure not to ride the e-scooter in harsh weather and conditions that are not ideal for its electronic components. Many (not all) e-scooters that are UL2272-compliant typically have an IP rating which indicates their level of protection against different weather conditions.
How Long Do Electric Scooter Batteries Last?
Generally speaking, this depends on how well you take care of your electric scooter. Having said that, for the average e-scooter battery, you can get 300–500 full charge cycles. After 500 charge cycles, you should expect to start recording a loss in battery capacity.
If your e-scooter has an average range of 20 miles, then your battery's top-performing days can see it crunch out 6000–10,000 miles. In reality, though, this range for most average electric scooters stands between 3000–5000 miles.
For higher-end scooters, 800–1000 charge cycles seems very realistic since they’re usually equipped with high-end packs.
How to Extend the Lifespan of a Battery
Every battery will eventually die, but you can stretch out its duration of service if you treat it right. How can you do this?
The average lifespan of a typical lithium battery is given in its advertised amount of charge cycles.
So it makes sense not to charge it too often. A preferred charge schedule should be when the battery dips below 50%. Don't let it go below 10% before recharging, though. And if you need to charge it after a ride, give it sufficient time to cool down before plugging it in. Don't try to ride the e-scooter when it's too cold or too hot.
Most branded e-scooters today come with overcharge protection; this cuts off power to the scooter when its battery has attained a full charge. This means your e-scooter and its battery are safe even if you leave it plugged in overnight. However, I recommend that you don't leave the charger plugged in for long periods after use as a power surge or some other type of electrical anomaly could affect the charger.
Also, leaving the scooter plugged in means that, while it won't overcharge, the charger will keep your battery at 100% capacity for long periods. This can put a lot of stress on the cells of the battery and impair the battery life over time. which may stress its cells and adversely impact the battery life over time.
its recommended you maintain your scooter's battery at 50% capacity during periods when you're not riding it. If you tend to go on long rides, purchase some extra battery packs to keep yourself going without needing a charge.
How Long Do E-scooter Tires Last?
As a rule of thumb, the average e-scooter tire should be replaced after it has covered 2000–3000 miles. Of course, this mileage should be more strictly adhered to if you typically ride through rough terrains frequently, apply the brakes really hard and have visible signs of tread wear on your e-scooter tires.
Also, make sure to always keep your tires at the recommended psi—usually 40 to 55 psi for most electric scooter brands.
The recommended air pressure for your tires will usually be written in the manual that comes with your scooter. Sometimes scooter manufacturers print the psi value directly onto the tires. Lower or higher tire pressures will affect scooter performance and push your tire faster towards damage.
Electric Scooter Parts That Tend to Break
An e-scooter's performance generally declines with time. Sometimes this performance drop might require that you swap out a few problematic components with newer ones.
The e-scooter components that typically break down or degenerate include the battery, tires, handlebars, controllers, etc.
Battery
Rechargeable batteries are bound to become less powerful and inefficient with time. As your e-scooter’s lithium-ion battery is continuously charged and used (a full charge cycle), it will start losing its ability to hold a charge until it eventually needs to be replaced.
Plus there's also the fact that many e-scooters have their batteries under the deck and not on the stem. Such e-scooters have their batteries exposed to the roughness of the trail, which can damage the battery. This is especially for scooters without sufficient ground clearance.
Stem and Handles/clamps
Electric scooters with collapsible stems and handles often experience wobbles as a result of the clamps and hinges in these areas getting loose over time. Putting excess weight on a scooter's stem or folding it frequently can cause its connectors to become loose or experience more permanent damage.
Tires
Tires are the contact point between the scooter and the ground; they bear the brunt of any trail's fury. Over a while, every tire will experience wear, puncture, or loss of pressure. Pneumatic tires are the conventional choice for most scooters as they're less susceptible to puncture, but it still makes sense to change your tires as soon as they become unsafe for riding.
This is down mostly to the wearing of the tire's tread. A worn tire provides less traction on the ground and is, therefore, more prone to accidents.
Controllers
Controllers relay information between the battery and the motor and help decide the acceleration of your e-scooter. When your controller is broken, the e-scooter is essentially an accident waiting to happen as there's no reliable relay of information between the motor and the battery. Usually, a faulty controller can just be swapped out—you'll likely need a proficient technician to do this.
Head and Tail Lights
Headlights and taillights are also prone to damage. Running into a wall or other riders will often take out your lights. In other cases, if there's damage to the wiring that connects the lights to the battery, they'll stop working.
Also, most tail lights are connected to the rear fender, so damage to the fender will inadvertently affect the tail lights.
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Tips to Enjoy a Long-term Performance From the Electric Scooter
Like other vehicles, the electric scooter can get affected by the outdoor environment, which can spin out its lifespan. That is why it is essential to take regular maintenance of the vehicle.
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Parts of a Scooter That Can Be Changed
One impressive thing about the scooter is almost all the parts of the vehicle be replaced except the frame. So, if the parts of the scooter start to worn out, you can simply change them to keep using the scooter. Below, we described some parts of the scooter that can be replaced.
