Electric scooters are becoming increasingly commonplace in India, with exciting new models and varieties of scooters from different brands coming up, appealing to the customer base. Scooters in general have been an easy investment for families. They are cheaper than cars and even bikes, and easy to learn. As such, they can empower people in a household to be more independent, especially women and the young. Scooters have long been a part of an Indian household as a secondary vehicle, used for day-to-day errands and the like. Scooters have in general been used for shorter trips and short durations, as compared to a car or bike. The switch to electric vehicles is happening in India at a remarkable pace, as the market of electric vehicles enlarges, with newer technology bringing these vehicles to par with the traditional fuel-based combustion engine vehicles. The rapid change is most clearly noticeable in the recent trends with electric scooters, as there has been a swift incline in the number of electric scooters on the road in India.

In fact, for viewers of this article, you are reading this because you probably own an electric scooter yourself. Presumably, you have just bought a new electric scooter to keep up with the times and give back to the environment, and also because in truth they are much better long-term investments than fuel-based scooters. But now comes the question, how do you deal with the charging? Not to worry. In this article we will be covering different methods to charge electric scooters, how to charge at home and electric scooter charging stations. Keep reading down below to get the answers to your questions.

Also Read: Future Of Electric Commercial Vehicles In India

2 Different Methods To Charge Electric Scooters

Electric scooters, as the name suggests, do not run on fuel but instead are charged through electricity. Then one has to wonder, how do these vehicles charge? Is it as easy as plugging it into any socket? Well, no, but there are two main ways of charging your electric scooters. We have described them below.

Charging Electric Scooters Through Charging Stations

Electric scooters can be charged through electric vehicle stations. These scooter stations have provisions for plugging your vehicle in and charging it. The government has to create more of these stations everywhere to encourage people to switch to electric vehicles entirely. Currently, there are about 6,586 public stations in India Aside from that though, there are many more private stations by companies like Ola. We highlight some of the main cities and the number of stations present down below.

• Delhi- The capital city has a total of 144 electric vehicle stations, with the state government promising to roll out 30,000 charging stations eventually.
• Mumbai- The urban cityscape of Mumbai features 234 stations across the city, with more to surely come.
• Surat- This Gujarati city has 12 electric vehicle stations currently.
• Hyderabad- The capital of Telangana, Hyderabad has 66 current electric vehicle stations.
• Chennai- This city has only 30 electric stations currently.
• Pune- There are 79 electric stations to boast over in this city.
• Bangalore- The tech hub of India has 154 stations of electric vehicles, which is a very impressive number.

But do keep in mind that these cities are where electric scooter charging stations are concentrated, it is not as spread out in the country as it should be. However, the government is working on implementing more stations throughout the country every day. Aside from electric vehicle charging stations though, it’s easy to charge your electric scooter right at home. We have described the same below.

Charging Electric Scooters At Home

Electric scooters come with a standard charging plug and wire, which can be used to charge them at home. This makes it incredibly easy and convenient for people to charge their vehicles whenever they want to at their convenience. The process is as simple as just plugging the wire to the ball, and then connecting your scooter. After it is charged, you can remove the wire and then travel wherever you may want to. There are a few key pointers to note, though.

• Use the right socket- Electric vehicles will mostly all charge with Type-1 or Type-2 sockets. Read the instruction manual of your scooter to understand better
• No need to charge every day- The scooter has a big battery, it is not like a cellphone which needs to be charged every day. The main idea is to keep the battery between 30% and 90% for the best battery longevity.
• Wait for some time before charging- After using your scooter, wait about 10-15 minutes, so it can cool down before you charge it. This ensures the safety of the scooter’s battery.
• Similarly, wait after charging it- Same as above, do not immediately use the scooter after charging it. It is good practice to wait about 10-15 mins both before and after charging the electric scooter.
• Make sure the scooter is not on- This should come as obvious advice, but do not charge your scooter while it is still turned on.
• Use the original charger- Using the original charger ensures proper safety as that charger is designed specifically for your scooter.

The Incredible Rise of Electric Scooters in India

The market rise of electric scooters in India in the last decade has been nothing short of tremendous. 10 years ago, there were only less than 2,000 electric scooters on the road. And now in 2023, there are over 6 lakh electric scooters on the road. This change signifies changing times as India progresses towards a future with the majority of vehicles being electric-powered. The government has already set the goal to produce electric vehicles only after 2030, and by these accounts, the goal is enterprising but remains attainable. The rise of scooters is also aided by similar trends in electric commercial vehicles and domestic vehicles as well.

Electric scooter sales had declined during the pandemic, similar to most automobile sales, but in these post-pandemic years, it has been increasing at a very high pace. Scooters, in general, are not used for driving long distances, and as such the major problem of electric vehicles – the lesser range – become less apparent in these automobiles. The less heavy usage of scooters in society as a whole is what is convincing customers to switch to electric much more in the case of scooters. While a car can be required to travel a lot of distance, perhaps to remote locations where charging isn’t present, a scooter normally will be used for much smaller and menial tasks. As such, the shortcomings will be not as noticeable.

Even then, companies are developing new tech to make these vehicles more and more on par with their fuel-based counterparts whilst differentiating with new features not available elsewhere. Currently, the market leaders are Ola, Hero and Okinawa, but many more companies including industry giants like Honda Motors releasing their version of an electric scooter soon.

Also Read: Best Scooty For Women: Pick Your Ideal Transport Partner

Conclusion

Charging your electric scooter is an extremely simple & safe process. But as with everything, there is a level of safety and precaution to be ensured for good practice. Additionally, there are several electric scooter charging stations which make it easy to charge your vehicle when you’re out. If you are planning a long trip, it’s advisable to plan ahead and see if there are charging stations on the road. Electric scooters are a smart investment to make in current times, as they are a sign of changing times and the shift of the automobile market to electric-powered vehicles. They are cheaper in the longer run, help the environment and save our resources of finite fossil fuels.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q) Can I charge my electric scooter overnight?

Ans: Modern scooters will not have any major issue with charging overnight, however, it can still impact battery life. As such, it’s advisable to disconnect the charger after the scooter is sufficiently charged.

Q) What is the average lifespan of electric scooters?

Ans: Electric scooters have a good lifespan, lasting 4-5 years on average. And many users can also use them for much longer because the maintenance of these vehicles can significantly prolong their lifespan.

Q) What is Type-1 and Type-2 socket?

Ans: Type-1 is the American single-phase socket. Meanwhile, Type-3 is the European and Asian 3-phase socket. Type-2 socket is commonplace in India.