How to charge an electric scooter and other tips

How to charge an electric scooter and other tips

At present, many people buy the electric scooter, however they don’t know how to charge an electric scooter. Accordingly, the article will tell you how to charge an electric scooter and other tips.

How to charge an electric scooter

If you know you need help getting around, an electric scooter is the best choice. You have worked hard to find the right battery and practice riding, but the battery will not last forever.

You need to know how to charge an electric scooter so that you can continue to use it. We will discuss various methods of charging electric scooters. In addition, you will learn how to monitor battery life and get useful tips.

Almost every electric scooter is easy to charge, but the method used may vary depending on the brand and model. In addition, many manufacturers have not stated clearly in the manual, which makes you confused and worried that you are doing something wrong.

Therefore, we will discuss the basic steps to charge the battery. This will depend on the type of scooter you have. For example, some models have a built-in battery, while other models require you to remove it first.

Built-in battery

If your electric scooter has suitable options, you only need to plug the included charger into the scooter itself. To do this, you will:

1. Find your charging terminal and plug in the charger
Usually, the charging port of the scooter is located at the bottom of the scooter, sometimes towards the rear wheels. After finding it, you will firmly plug in the charger to connect it. Make sure you are using the correct charger, as the plug and voltage vary by manufacturer and brand.

2. Plug it into the wall outlet
After the charger end is firmly inserted into the terminal of the scooter, it can be plugged into the power source. This is usually a wall socket. Most newer chargers have an indicator light to show you that it is turned on and charging, and how much it has been charged.

3. Unplug the charger while charging
After the scooter is fully charged, you must first unplug the charger from the socket. You can then unplug it from the scooter. Do not plug the charger into the machine for too long, otherwise it may cause damage.

Usually, you can check the LED indicator. Red means the battery is dead or low, and yellow means it needs to be charged. The green light indicates that the battery is fully charged.

Removable battery

Almost all newer electric scooter models use removable batteries because they are easier to charge. For example, some people find it difficult to bend over to plug the charger into the machine. To charge a scooter with a removable battery, you will:

1. Locate the battery and remove the panel with a screwdriver
In most cases, the battery compartment is located under the scooter lathe or inside the bed, and is covered by a protective plate. You need to use a screwdriver to remove the screws from the panel. Once removed, you can reach the battery bay and remove the battery.

Please note that some removable batteries are connected to the cable via plastic connectors. You can remove them by clicking them to slide them out. Then, the entire battery will come out.

2. Remove the battery wire screwed on the terminal
Some large scooters use battery cables connected to terminals using nuts. You need a screwdriver or wrench to loosen them. Make sure to start with red first.

When they are all loosened and all nuts have been removed, you can take out the battery. Before touching the battery cable, make sure that the scooter is turned off. In addition, it is best to avoid touching the metal part of the cable with your hands.

3. Insert the plastic cable into the correct slot
The battery terminals of many scooters are covered with plastic connectors. Therefore, you only need to plug them into the charger until they click into place. Sometimes, there will be a plastic terminal to hold two wires, or you may have two cables at both ends.

If there are two cable ends, insert the red cable into the positive terminal of the charger and the black cable into the negative terminal. Please do not try to force the installation, because your plastic connector may break.

4. Connect the two-pin charger to the exposed wire of the battery cable
With a two-pronged charger, you will have two cables ending in metal posts, ports, or clips. They are designed to provide current and connections to exposed battery wires.

Make sure that the red cable of the battery is connected to the red charger cable. Then connect the black battery cable to the black cable on the charger. Make sure the connection is firm and there is nothing between the connection points.

5. Plug the charger into the socket
Your electric scooter charger has a plug on one end that can be plugged into a wall socket. Plug in the power source and make sure that there is no damage, dirt or moisture. In addition, please check the charger to make sure its voltage is suitable for your battery.

In most cases, the manufacturer will provide a suitable charger to avoid confusion. If this is the case, make sure to always use the charger.

6. Unplug the charger
Once the battery is fully charged again, you should unplug it from the socket. Now, you will follow the reverse steps to reinstall the battery into the electric scooter.

Usually, you can judge the battery level by the LED indicator. Once the indicator light is green, it means it is fully charged.

How to monitor the charging process

It’s easy to get busy and forget to charge your scooter. Most models are equipped with multi-color LED indicators. Red means there is almost no electricity, while yellow means there is still some juice.

We recommend that you observe the indicator light regularly to ensure that the battery is charged properly. Once it is green, please unlock it immediately to avoid overcharging the battery.

You may be wondering how long it takes to charge the battery of an electric scooter. The average charging time varies from about three to six hours. However, some models do require 12 hours or more of charging time.

Tips to extend battery life

The battery is known for its long service life. However, they will not last forever. It is a good idea to follow these tips to ensure that it will work for many years to come:

1. Check the charging light when plugged in
When your scooter is plugged into a power source and firmly plugged into a wall outlet or the battery is charged, the indicator light will light up. This indicates that your scooter is charging. The color of the light may be different or may flicker, but this is normal.

It may take 3 to 12 hours to fully charge. It depends on the exhaustion of the battery and the type of scooter you have purchased. To be sure, please check your user manual to see how long it will take.

2. Fully charged every time
Most people will eventually partially charge their scooter because they want to use it again. Although there is no harm in doing this occasionally, it should not be a normal routine. Batteries tend to remember how long they charge over time.

As a result, they may start to operate abnormally or use more power. This happens because the battery knows that it will charge at a certain level of life. It also remembers that it will only be charged to a certain extent.

Make sure to always charge the battery fully, even if it is still in the yellow phase. Also, consider waiting until the red indicator light comes on, but before the battery is completely depleted.

3. Charge the battery before it is completely depleted
Many modern scooters use LED lights to tell you the remaining battery power. A green light indicates a full charge, while a yellow or orange indicates a partial charge. The red light indicates that you should charge the battery immediately.

It is best not to wait until the scooter is completely discharged before charging. Doing so will shorten the life of the battery.

The yellow or orange light indicates that you should consider charging the battery as soon as possible, but you don’t have to do so immediately. Keep in mind that your specific scooter may have different colored indications. Check your user manual to make sure you read the indicator lights correctly.

4. Plug it in to charge after each ride
Some batteries require you to completely drain them before charging them, but e-scooter batteries usually do not. In fact, in many cases, it is best to charge them after each ride.

This ensures that the chemicals in the battery continue to work normally. If you tend to use an electric scooter every day, you should charge it every day after use.

Those who only use the scooter regularly should charge it after riding. Then, when you use it again, check the battery level to make sure it has enough power.

5. If you want to store the scooter, please plan to charge it every month
Sometimes, you may wish to store the scooter in the garage. You might do this in winter when you don’t need it. It is still important to maintain the battery, even if you will not use it for months.

When this happens, you should ensure that the battery is fully charged before storing. Then, fully charge the battery every month to help it maintain its service life and ensure that it will work normally when you ride again.

Usually, the user manual will tell you how long the battery can be used when it is not in use. In addition, it will indicate how far the scooter can ride before the battery runs out.

6. Buy a voltmeter to check the voltage
Older models may not have an LED indicator, so you don’t know if it’s charging or charging. Sometimes, the battery seems unable to hold or accept the charge. If this happens, consider using a voltmeter.

It will help you determine if your electric scooter is charging. If not, your battery may be defective or damaged, or the plug on the charger may be damaged.

Make sure to touch the black lead to the negative terminal of the battery and the red lead to the positive terminal. When testing, your battery should be turned on and plugged into a power source. In addition, make sure that the voltmeter has the same voltage requirements as the battery.

Using the wrong charger

If you are like most people, you want your scooter to be charged quickly so that you can use it again sooner. Therefore, you might consider using a higher ampere charger than the charger that comes with the scooter. Generally, these fast chargers have a power output of up to 6 amps and can charge the battery in just two hours.

However, the use of this type of charger will have a significant negative impact on the service life of the battery. Sometimes, it also affects the running time of the scooter.

In order to extend the battery life of the scooter, it is best to use a slow charger. If you use the scooter multiple times a day in a battery cycle, please consider using a lower power charger and consider charging at night.

It’s never a good idea to use an automatic or motorcycle charger for SLA batteries. They are designed for wet batteries. Therefore, these chargers may permanently damage the device, and the battery may overheat or overcharge.

In conclusion

When it comes to owning an electric scooter, you might think of the fun you will have. Proper care is essential, which means learning how to charge electric scooters. We have extensively discussed various ways to charge your machine in order to prepare for the next ride.

Of course, we also discussed tips for charging scooters and certain things to avoid. In this way, you have all the information you need to perform the operation correctly. Just make sure you read the user manual of the scooter and this useful information.

If you interest in our electric scooter and have any other questions, please let us know in the comment section below.