Can You Upgrade Mobility Scooter Batteries for Greater Range?
There are some things you can do to increase the range on your mobility scooter, but is changing the battery one of them?
Do Upgraded Batteries Have Increased Range on Mobility Scooters?
The simple answer to the question of whether or not you can upgrade mobility scooter batteries for a greater range is that it depends on the scooter in question. Upgrading the battery will certainly give you a more significant range, but not every scooter can be upgraded like this.
Upgrading the battery depends on whether you can change the battery size or not. If you can change the battery, then you could replace the old standard battery for a high-capacity battery. Having a high capacity battery – or a more energy-efficient battery – can potentially double the range of your mobility scooter.
Check the manufacturer website or instruction manual if you are unsure if you can change the battery in your scooter or not. The manufacturer will be more than happy to answer your questions, and they may even have their own range of high capacity batteries for your scooter.
Reconditioned Mobility Scooter Batteries for Greater Range
If your scooter isn’t performing as well as it used to, then it could be time to recondition your batteries to breathe new life back into them. You can make batteries last longer and perform better by reconditioning them. Reconditioning is when you fill the battery with distilled water and charge it for around an hour. There should be bubbles in the holes, which is a sign that the reconditioning has worked.
Reconditioning a battery is a great way to get it to perform how it used to. You can recondition a battery up to four times before you have to get a new one. Reconditioning batteries is better for the environment, too, as it can reduce the environmental impact of old batteries by up to half. Buying a reconditioned battery is also a cheaper alternative to buying a new one if you did want to get a new battery to increase the range of your scooter.
Charge Your Scooter Battery Properly
Another way to get the most out of your scooter battery is to charge it properly. Use the right charger for your batteries, or they won’t charge properly and could even become a health hazard. Scooters typically charge through mains power, but you can get car chargers for them. These car chargers plug into the cigarette port of a car. They aren’t as efficient as mains chargers, but they get the job done in a pinch.
Make sure that you fully disconnect the charger from the scooter after charging. Keeping your scooter plugged in can actually drain the batteries, if not damage them in the long-run. Take care of your battery, replace and recondition it when necessary, and upgrade it as needed to get the most range out of every charge.
