Types of Batteries in Electric Scooters
When it comes to the environmentally friendly alternatives of transport, electric bikes and electric scooters are touted as the next best things. They are powered by batteries instead of running directly on gasoline or any other type of fossil fuel. Most electric scooters and electrical bikes are powered mainly by three types of batteries. Here is a low down on them:
NiMH (Nickel Metal Hydride) Battery
These are definitely one of the long serving types of batteries that have been around a long time in the market. NiMH as they are often called is short for Nickel Metal Hydride, the name explains the chemical composition of the battery in just a few words. These batteries are considerably lighter than the main competition in the electrical bike market, the SLA type, and because of their lightweight and constant innovations are on the higher side of the price range.
NiMH batteries are made specifically for the electric bikes they are to be used in. It is important to note that while the NiMH batteries are costlier than the SLA batteries, they are 30% lighter than and have more life in them than a normal sealed battery would have.
Sealed Lead Acid Battery
Sealed Lead Acid batteries similar to the battery mentioned earlier has been around in the battery market for a long time. In the initial stages of the invention of electric bikes and scooters, the SLA batteries, as they are popularly known, were the standard type of batteries used. They continue to be one of the most heavily used batteries by the electric scooter owners. There is one drawback that has always been present in the SLA batteries – they are considerably large in terms of size and have greater weight. Despite those drawbacks, their inexpensive price and easy availability means they continue to be used heavily by bikes and scooter users. The life of the sealed acid battery depends on its surrounding temperatures, size, and quality.
Lithium Ion Battery
The Lithium ion batteries are one of the newest entrants into the battery market and have started to take the market by storm with its new technology. They are the lightest batteries in the market to take and couple that with a life that is nearly 3 times more than SLA makes it a desirable prospect to have at the very least. They weigh in at approximately 15% less than NiMH batteries while are half the weight of SLA batteries.
While other batteries tend to require attention when they are not in use, lithium batteries can be ignored for long stretches of time and yet still deliver the goods when needed. The price of the lithium ion batteries is more than the other two batteries on the list.
