6 easy ways to extend your electric kick scooter battery life

Maintaining your electric scooter’s battery is crucial to enhancing the performance of your e-scooter. The battery not only powers your e-scooter but also impacts its speed and range, so it is important to take care of the battery and maintain it. One of the most appealing aspects of buying a NIU KQi electric kick scooter is the little maintenance it requires.

However, there is one exception. Improper use and charging practices can drastically reduce the battery life of a scooter. However, proper care can extend your battery life and keep your electric scooter on the road for years. Lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries power most electric scooters, including the motor, lights, electronic brakes, digital displays, controller, and other accessories. Lithium-ion batteries are highly efficient, long-lasting, and powerful. They can be charged and discharged many times without losing capacity.

Now let’s take a look at the best way to extend your scooter battery life effortlessly.

1. Keep the kick scooter in a dry environment at optimal temperature

It's important that you do not keep your electric scooter battery in a cold environment or under direct sunlight for extended periods on a hot day. You want to maintain a dry environment for the battery, whenever possible. Extreme environmental conditions might damage the battery, reducing its life span.

Extreme heat and cold can affect the performance of lithium-ion batteries (you may have experienced this if your phone has suddenly drained quickly in the winter) as they put a strain on the battery, preventing it from charging or holding a charge efficiently. Such exposure can severely reduce the battery's life span over time.

All NIU KQi electric kick scooters offer the most advanced scooter battery technology. While Li-ion batteries are already highly advanced, NIU uses ternary lithium battery cells, which are used by high end EV manufacturers. They are a special version that provides high energy density and increased low temperature performance, all in a smaller footprint.

However, they should not be exposed to temperatures below freezing or above 104 degrees Fahrenheit (40 degrees Celsius) for long periods. Electric scooters should be kept inside at all times to keep them dry and out of the elements.

2. Always use the correct scooter charger

Every e-scooter, like the batteries that come with them, is distinctive in its own way. As a result, you want to make sure you always use official charging adapters.

Essentially, each portable electric scooter will have its own charger that it will work with. Though some NIU kick scooter chargers are interchangeable, you should only use an official NIU brand charger. Third party, unsupported chargers may cause irreversible damage to your battery.

3. Charge the e-scooter battery at the right time

If you've been on a lengthy kick scooter ride, it may be best to give the battery at least 30 minutes to cool down. After that, you can charge it without any concern.

This helps to regulate the internal battery temperature. High quality kick scooters (such as the KQi series from NIU) already include battery temperature regulation, so this is typically not an issue in those circumstances.

4. Avoid overcharging your electric scooter battery

While it's vital to charge your battery regularly, it's also critical not to overload it. Generally you don't want to leave your electric scooter plugged into the charger for more than 12 hours.

All NIU scooters include NIU Energy BMS (Battery Management System) technology that prevents damage from overcharging, so you have peace of mind at all times. Even still, you may consider purchasing a wall outlet timer that will shut off the electrical current to the charger after the timer runs out.

You can also use the scooter at 90% charge. It does not always need to reach 100% charge before being unplugged.

5. Charge to 50% when storing your electric scooter

Li-ion batteries last longer when they are kept at a constant charge, so if you need to store your scooter and won't be using it for more than a week or two, charge it to about 50% before putting it away.

If the scooter is not used frequently, try to charge the battery at least once every 30 days. After long term storage, you can try to charge the kick scooter first if you find that it does not immediately turn on.

If the battery is not charged for more than two months, the Battery Management System (BMS) on a NIU kick scooter may enter a "sleep state". This will require you to contact a service center to activate the BMS again.

6. Deep-cycle regularly

While it's perfectly normal to drain and charge your battery as your needs see fit, it is also very helpful to deeply discharge your battery sometimes to maintain battery capacity.

The most typical way is to drain the electric scooter's battery regularly. To put it another way, ride the scooter at a typical speed on a flat road until the battery dies. You can do this every 3 months. After the discharge is complete, charge the battery up to 100% again.

This not only helps your battery longevity, but it can also help the BMS to more accurately reflect your battery capacity on the kick scooter dashboard.

Understand the range and battery capacity of your scooter

Good riding practices, such as accelerating carefully and giving yourself plenty of stopping time, will help extend the life of your battery, both during a single ride and over time.

High quality electric kick scooters, like the NIU KQi3 Pro, can provide up to 32 miles (50 km) of range per charge, which is ideal for commuters. It's important to understand that these range limits are tested in ideal laboratory scenarios, with flat road conditions.

Your mileage may vary depending on rider weight, outdoor temperature, road conditions, and a number of other factors.

The bottom line

The battery is a key component of the electric scooter design. Battery life can be greatly extended with proper use and daily maintenance. Even though NIU electric kick scooters have exceptional performance and guaranteed quality, they must be properly maintained to fully utilize their potential.

If you follow these guidelines and properly care for your electric scooter battery, it can last for many years. Some NIU riders have traveled over 60,000km (32,282 miles) without replacing their battery -- proof that you can keep going and going!

To upgrade to a NIU, check out our Shop for the full lineup of kick scooters that will meet any need!

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