How far you can ride your e-scooter primarily depends on the vehicle's battery. But there are also a few other factors that can affect the range. In this blog post we explain what you need to pay attention to so that you reach the best possible performance with your e-scooter.
General - Battery characteristics of your electric scooter
One of the most important factors is the capacity of your battery. It's measured in Wh (watt hours). You can determine the Wh of your battery by multiplying the ampere hours (Ah) and the volts (V) of your battery. Using our VX2 pro GT as an example, this would be the following calculation: 16Ah*48V = 768 Wh. The capacity of the battery is therefore 768 Wh. Now the question arises as to how many watts your e-scooter uses on average, so that we can also determine an effective range estimate. That depends heavily on the following factors:
1) Inflated tires
This is critical: make sure that your tires are fully inflated before every ride. The tire pressure for our tires is not given in bar, but in psi (pound-force per square inch) or in kPa (kilopascal). 1 bar equals 100 kPa or 14.5038 psi. Check the user manual of each model for the recommended tire pressure. Having too little air in the tires can be a serious safety hazard for the rider and and additionally damage various parts of the scooter.
2) Drive straight and on concrete roads/ bike lanes
It's simple physics: Riding uphill uses more energy than going straight or downhill. But the road surface is also an important factor: your battery will last longer on smooths surfaces such as concrete or asphalt roads. Because the rolling resistance on non-asphalted routes such as gravel or cobble stone requires additional energy.
3) Ride evenly and avoid constant braking and quick acceleration
Those who ride evenly get further than riders who go full throttle until just before the stop. So you can increase your range by riding a little slower and not pushing your e-scooter to its limit. Constant braking and quick acceleration also uses up more of the battery's capacity. You can avoid this by riding gently. A lot of energy is also lost when starting to ride. That's why it's worth kick-pushing your e-scooter hard when starting.
4) Save weight
How much you weigh affects the range, as does the vehicle's own weight. The more weight, the more energy is required to set the e-scooter in motion. So on your next ride, leave that extra bag at home if possible.
5) Choose the right weather
The range of lithium-ion batteries can be reduced in cold temperatures. For example, you can reach a bigger range at a temperature of 77°F than at 53°F. Headwind can also affect the range. Depending on the wind speed, these fluctuations are quite significant.
Conclusion
The range of your e-scooter will vary depending on the incline, road surface, riding style, weight and weather. Not all events can be controlled, but knowing these these factors allow you to better assess the performance of your battery and the range you can reach on a single charge.
