Electric Scooters
Technology : Are you planning to buy an electric scooter now or near to now? Then in this article, you’ll be getting brief insights about the both advantages and disadvantages of electric scooters, and precautions to be taken to maintain an electric scooter.
Electric scooter’s pros and cons over conventional scooter’s
Advantages of electric scooter
Less air pollution
The first and foremost thing that comes to mind when we think of electric vehicles is that they’re environmentally friendly. Conventional scooters emit a lot of hydrocarbons into the environment through burning fuels. But as the electric scooters run through electricity, they do not emit hydrocarbons into the environment. Hence they accommodate fewer greenhouse emissions.
We can not say that electric scooters contribute to zero greenhouse emissions. Because the electricity used to run these scooters is largely from the burning of fossil fuels. This, in turn, produces greenhouse emissions.
Less noise pollution
On a large scale, the sound emitted by millions of vehicles contributes to a large extent of noise pollution. Conventional scooters are so robust and contain complicated mechanisms. These emit a lot of sound while running.
On the contrary, electric vehicles barely produce any sound. The mechanisms involved in the electric scooters are so simple when compared with the conventional scooters. Hence produces very less sound.
Low maintenance and running cost
Since the electric scooters run with simple mechanisms, the maintenance cost is low compared with regular scooters.
The running cost can be low in electric scooters as there is no petrol cost involved while running. It can run on the charging of the battery. Unlike electric scooters, regular scooters run on fuel. So, when both costs are considered, electric scooters can have low running costs in the long run.
Less weight
As discussed, electric scooters have very few mechanisms and fewer parts involved in comparison to regular scooters. So, it’s a little less weight than the conventional scooter.
As there are fewer parts present in the electric scooter, it can accommodate more storage space and can be used to transport items.
Disadvantages of electric scooters
Less battery life
When thinking of the disadvantages of electric scooters, this comes to mind for most individuals. Less battery life of an electric scooter is one of its main disadvantages.
Most electric scooters batteries last up to a year and cost around 13,000 to 20,000 to replace. The cost can vary depending on the company, range, and warranty. Batteries have to be changed once their capacity decreases or if they are damaged.
Less range and less power
It is also another major disadvantage of running electric scooters. The maximum distance an electric scooter can travel would be 100km. And, each time, it takes at least 5 hours to charge. So, this becomes a barrier if someone wants to cover long distances with an electric scooter.
And the speed is also less when compared with the conventional scooters. Although the electric scooters today are performing much better than the ones that were introduced in India earlier, it still lacks power over the conventional scooters.
Why do electric scooter batteries explode
First of all, to know why electric scooter batteries are exploding, let’s know what these batteries are primarily made of.
A battery is made of many cells. Each cell contains an anode, cathode, and a separator to separate both the anode and the cathode.
In a lithium-ion battery, ions move from anode to cathode or cathode to anode and there’s the transfer of energy during this process. This energy in turn is stored in the form of electricity inside the battery and is responsible for the running of the electric scooter.
The separator separates both anode and cathode. A short circuit occurs when both the anode and cathode come into contact and results in the explosion of the battery.
So, we can say that in most cases, the explosion is mainly caused due to the malfunctioning of the separator.
What causes the malfunctioning of the separator
Due to the advancement in technology, batteries are made even more compact. So, as a result, the separator is also made thin. So, it gets vulnerable to getting damaged easily.
There are two main reasons which were identified as causing the damage to the separator. They are due to electrical instability and external shocks.
Electrical instability
Electrical instability is a condition caused when the battery is charged either less than or greater than the rated capacity. Charging lower than the rated capacity leads to under-voltage and more than the rated capacity leads to overvoltage. Both of these conditions are dangerous and are prone to result in a battery explosion.
External shocks
These are the pressures that are exerted on the battery externally. It can happen when a battery falls from a certain height, it can result in separator damage and in turn lead to battery explosion.
Another external shock can also occur while charging and discharging the battery.
Generally while charging, the batteries expand a little and while discharging, they compress a little. This difference sometimes can also create pressure on the separator and can result in it’s damage.
Preventive measures
Thermal management to minimize explosions
It is the most important thing to observe to avoid electric scooters exploding. We have to make sure to maintain the battery at room temperature. It should be left neither in hot temperatures nor in very cool temperatures.
Never leave your electric scooter parked in the hot sun. Because it increases the temperature of the battery and it is not safe to drive.
The heated-up batteries are prone to catch fire very quickly. So, if your electric scooter gets heated up, move it away from the flammable substances.
If it gets heated up more while running it, stop for some time and run after it gets cooled down.
In case your scooter catches fire, never try to extinguish it by yourself, because It can be dangerous. And, always call the emergency services to get help.
Always keep your battery charging levels between 20 to 80 percent.
Always ensure to use a good-quality charger cable to charge your vehicle.
