How to choose your future electric scooter?
Electric scooters are coming fast because they meet the needs of urban users: easy to use, economical in the long term, non-polluting, silent, they allow people to escape traffic jams and discover their environment in a different way.
The range of electric scooters is growing: we offer you an overview of the criteria to determine your choice.
Autonomy of an electric scooter
Electric scooters are adapted to commuting: in France, the average distance between home and work is less than 8 km, as noted by INSEE in its statistical study on commuting. For a long time, autonomy was the main obstacle to buying an electric scooter.
The range of an electric scooter depends on several factors:
The weight of the scooter
Battery capacity
Controller performance
The power of the engine
The weight of the driver
The driving style
The relief
Battery maintenance
In practice, an electric scooter without a 50 cc equivalent permit travels an average of 60 kilometres per load. The manufacturer’s data concerning the autonomy of an electric scooter most often correspond to unrealistic operating conditions: in a straight line, at 20 km/h, without braking or turning, at a temperature of 25°C, with a driver weighing 50 kilos….. This is why we recommend that you reduce the autonomy announced by the manufacturer by 20% to estimate the autonomy in a real situation.
Some models can carry two batteries under the seat: the advantage is the possibility of doubling the range. This is the case, for example, for:
Niu N1S
Pink Mobility PinkStyle
PInk Mobility Pink Up
The battery of an electric scooter
As with electric cars, electric scooter batteries have grown considerably in recent years. Gone are the lead, polluting, heavy and anemic batteries. The current models are all equipped with lighter Lithium batteries, with better autonomy and longer life. On average, a battery undergoes about 600 charging cycles before its capacity – and therefore the autonomy of the electric scooter – decreases by at least 20%. At a rate of 60 kilometres covered per charge (variable according to the models), a battery makes it possible to cover 36,000 km, i.e. nearly 9 years of daily use for journeys from home to work of an average of 8 km… enough to see the future.
The battery is the most expensive part of an electric scooter: its price often represents more than 30% of the total value of the electric scooter. At the time of writing, an additional battery for the NIU N1S scooter is available at €1,400 including VAT, while the scooter + its battery are charged approximately €2,900 including VAT. Things are not expected to improve in the future with the explosion in global demand for battery production, the price of lithium should logically increase in the coming years.
The life of the battery will depend on how well you take care of it.
The maintenance tips are simple and similar to those of any NVEI:
Do not allow the battery to fully discharge, below 15% of its charge level the battery’s recharge “memory” may gradually be altered.
In case of prolonged non-use (more than 15 days), it is recommended to disconnect the battery from the electric scooter and store it with a 50% charge level.
The storage temperature must be between 10°C and 25°C.
Electric scooter warranty
The manufacturer’s warranty on an electric scooter is comparable to the warranty on a gas powered scooter: the models are generally guaranteed for 2 years against manufacturing defects. An electric scooter has on average 3 times less mechanical parts than a petrol scooter. This significantly reduces the risk of failure.
In the event of a defect detected, after contacting your reseller, a warranty can be put in place. The warranty covers labour and parts to be replaced resulting from a defect in the specifications of the electric scooter (for example: problems with the engine, the display on the dial, etc.). The elements not covered by the warranty are the wearing parts: tires, pads, brake shoes, bulbs, wheels and axles.
The battery is also covered by a 2-year warranty, with some manufacturers limiting it to 600 charging cycles (which represents 30,000 km covered, more than enough to cover 2 years of use).
The cost per kilometre of an electric scooter
The cost per kilometre of an electric scooter, excluding the initial investment (scooter, equipment) and insurance and maintenance costs, is essentially based on the number of Kw consumed to recharge the battery.
On average, it takes 0.60 € to travel 100 km (source).
For 5,000 km travelled per year (a little less than 14 km per day), it is therefore necessary to count 30 € of recharging cost…..derisory compared to the cost of fossil fuels.
The power of an electric scooter
The motor power of a 50 cc equivalent electric scooter varies between 1,000 and 4,000 Watts. 50 cc equivalent electric scooters fall into the so-called “L1e” category, which limits the power to 4,000 watts to be accessible without a licence from the age of 14. Above 4,000 watts, the device is considered a 125 cm3 and requires a B permit and a 125 cm3 training. Most often the motor is integrated into the rear wheel, as is the case with NIU.
Two types of power must be distinguished: nominal power and peak power (sometimes called “peak power”).
You will sometimes hear about power “at its peak”. What is it about? This is a relatively unimportant value because it has very little impact on the driving experience. Peak power is the maximum power that an engine can achieve in a very short period of time (usually less than one second). An electric scooter with a rated power of 1,500 W can, for example, deliver 3,000 W in a short period of time in a fast start situation or on a steep slope. Peak power is achieved over short periods of time because it overloads all components.
The nominal power of an electric scooter is the one to be taken into account: it is the ability of an electric motor to deliver continuous power (for 20 minutes for example) in a given environment: temperature between 20 and 25°C, engine powered by a battery with a constant discharge capacity, with a regular engine speed, etc.
