Tips When Riding an Electric Scooter During Winter

Since it’s currently the winter season in Australia, electric scooter riders should be wary of how the cold temperatures can affect your electric scooter’s performance. If you live in areas with snowfall, then it’s best not to use electric scooters in snow. However, if you must ride them in snowy or cold conditions, here are some tips for riding an electric scooter during winter.

The best e-scooter for winter

Before sharing tips for riding during winter, let’s find out what kind of electric scooter is best for winter riding. In general, off-road electric scooters like the Mearth GTS Series perform best in snowy or cold conditions since it has larger tyres, better grip, and more battery capacity compared to commuter electric scooters. However, here are also ideal qualities to look for if you want an electric scooter that can ride during winter:

• Uses pneumatic tyres
• Uses wider or larger tyres with deeper patterns for better traction
• Strong brakes and anti-lock braking systems (ABS)
• A high-quality and high-capacity battery
• Has an IP water-resistance rating
• Has dual motors for more power and better control

Tips When Riding an Electric Scooter During Winter

Change your tyres

If you’re riding in snowy paths, your regular tyres might not be able to handle it. So, it’s best to change your regular street tyres to wider or off-road tyres. Wider tyres will offer more stability in slippery paths. Meanwhile, tyres that have a deeper tread offer better traction for snowy or slippery paths. If you can’t change your tyres, one thing that you can also do is to slightly lower your tyre pressure. Slightly softer tyres help make it more slip-resistant. Just make sure that the tyres are not too soft, so you don’t sacrifice handling.

Take care of your battery

Cold temperatures affect the performance and capacity of your electric scooter battery. So, electric scooter riders must take better care of their electric scooters and batteries during the winter season. First of all, each unit has an ideal electric scooter temperature listed in its specifications. When storing your electric scooter, aim to keep it inside a warm area. This will prevent your e-scooter from freezing and from your battery depleting.

When it comes to battery maintenance, don’t charge your electric scooter after riding in the cold. Charging it in a cold state can shock the battery. So, leave the battery at room temperature before charging it. Also, if you will not be using your electric scooter for the whole winter. Make sure to charge before storing. Never let your battery charger empty.

Check out this article for more information on how to care for your electric scooter battery during winter.

Inspect your electric scooter before riding

Even when it’s not winter, always check your electric scooter beforehand. However, it’s even more important to check your components during winter to know if some parts have frozen or have been damaged due to the cold.

Make sure that your brakes, lights, tyres, and controls all work well. More importantly, check if you have enough battery stored for your trip. Remember that cold temperatures can also drain batteries easily. So it’s best to have an extra battery ready, just in case it runs out.

Electric scooters with an upgradeable battery, such as the Mearth X Pro, are perfect for winter rides since the extra battery gives you more battery capacity, resulting in more range. If you need an electric scooter with more power and range, Mearth offers an exclusive deal for the Mearth X Pro and external battery bundle every Friday this July!

Slow down

When riding in winter, make sure to ride at a slower speed and avoid speeding up. In areas with snowfall, paths can get slippery. So, for your safety, avoid riding at max speed. Also, riding at a slower speed will help you conserve your battery’s energy. Since the cold temperature can deplete your battery quicker, riding at high speeds and using more of your battery will reduce it more. Ride in a safe and practical manner to get the most of your electric scooter during the cold season.

Dress warm

Lastly, don’t forget to dress warmer. Unlike riding a car or public transportation, you have no protection against cold winds. Dressing warmly and comfortably will help you stay focused on the road. It will also make your riding experience better, especially when you are riding at night.

Aside from dressing warm, make sure to wear protective gear when riding. Since roads in snowy areas tend to get slippery, protective gear will protect your head and body in case you fall. Regardless if it’s winter or not, make it a habit to wear a helmet and protective gear.

Hopefully, this electric scooter guide will help you ride safely during the winter season. Overall, it’s better not to ride electric scooters during winter for you and your electric scooter’s safety. However, if you must ride during winter, remember the tips mentioned above and ride safely.