How to Charge Electric Scooter Without Charger?
The majority of the electric scooters in the market come with lithium-ion batteries, the same type found in most cordless devices, i.e., phones and laptops. Charging these batteries is child’s play if you have the original charger. But what if you don’t have the charger in your hands? Maybe it’s been broken or lost, and you need to recharge the battery. In such a situation, you look for “How to charge electric scooter without charger?”
In this article, we’ll briefly explain a few methods to assist e-scooter enthusiasts in charging scooters without chargers, making them road-worthy, and keeping their capacity cells in good condition at all times. So, let’s get started! Before getting started if you know How do Electric Scooters Work? you can understand better.
How to Charge Electric Scooter Without Charger -3 Methods
In general, any power source can be used to charge normal batteries, but it’s not possible when we talk about lithium-ion batteries. Li-ion batteries require a CC/CV (Constant-current or Constant-Voltage) Charging system. At the start, the battery takes a constant current, usually between 0.5C-1C, with C being the battery capacity in amp-hours. As the charging continues, the voltage increases until it reaches a fully charged float voltage.
Without a proper charging source, this process will become a bit cumbersome. However, you can use a variable power Supply, a portable car jumper, and a universal power adapter as a charger alternative to charging the battery. Read the below listicle for a brief of these methods or if you want to know How to Charge an Electric Scooter?
Method 1: Charge With Variable Power Supply
For this method, you don’t need to be an expert; with little knowledge and a few tools, i.e., screwdriver, voltmeter, and power supply pug, you can carry out this process and make it possible to re-ride your scooter. It requires about 3-8 hours of charging time. Although the process might sound complicated, following the steps below will make it easy.
Locate the Battery and Remove the Screws
Locate the battery in your scooter and carefully remove the screw and deck held with screws.
Disconnect and Remove the Battey
Now you’ll see a rod gripping the battery; remove it. Look for 2 wires holding the battery with the scooter engine’s +ve and -ve terminals. Unplug these from related areas; remove the battery from the scooter carefully when everything is disconnected.
Connect the Battery to the Power Source to Recharge it
Every battery has 2 wires (normally red and black); connect the black wire with the negative electrode and the red wire with the positive electrode of the power source. Set the power supply voltage to about 4.20V/cell and current to about 20% of your battery’s capacity; when the battery is rated as 10AH, set the power supply output to about 2AH.
It’ll start the charging process. However, you need to ensure to create a proper airflow while charging the battery to prevent overheating of the battery, which can badly affect its unit’s overall performance. Also, connect the battery to a voltmeter to check the charging level.
Wait for the Charge to complete
The average battery charging time is about 3-8 hours, but sometimes it can go long. So wait for it to complete. When the current from the power supply falls to about 3% of the scooter’s rated capacity, the scooter is fully charged.
Reinstall The Battery to Scooter
When charging is complete, it’s time to install the battery back on the scooter. Place it in its fine position on the scooter, plug the wires with terminals again, and tie the screws back.
Also read: How to fix an electric scooter?
Method 2: Charge Using a Portable Car Jumper
Portable car jumpers is a device that has the capacity to store higher powers compared to ordinary batteries. Thanks to its huge voltage, you can manipulate it to charge e-scooter batteries. And actually, it’s the best method of how to charge electric scooter without charger. The below guidelines will assist you to charge the battery with this portable and flexible jumper.
Remove the Battery
First, you need to remove the battery from the scooter following the steps mentioned in method #1.
Connect the Battery To the Car Jumper
The car jumper has red and black cables indicating the positive and negative terminals. Connect the red cable with the Positive electrode of the battery and the black one with the negative terminal. Then double-check for possible power leaks and secure connections. If you observe any flaw, fix it.
Turn the Jumper On to Start Charging
Now proceed to the next step and turn the jumper on. It’ll start the progression of current from the jumper to the battery. Leave the jumper and battery in the same condition for about 20 minutes. Don’t intercept charging before that time, as it can result in electric shocks that can prove dangerous not only for the battery but also for yourself. After 20 minutes, you’re free to check the charging level. If it’s not yet completed, then wait for it until it rashes to 100%.
Disconnect the Jumper and Reinstall the Battery to the Scooter
When the battery is fully charged, turn the jumper off and detach it from the battery. Allow the battery to cool for a few minutes, and then reinstall it to the scooter by following the reverse way you followed to remove the battery.
Method 3: Use a Universal Power Adaptor
A universal adapter comes in handy when you look for ways “how to charge electric scooter without charger?”. You can surely use it to charge any of your devices, as it has keys to set the output current and voltage to meet the requirements. For a better understanding to charge your scooter with this device, follow the below steps
Plug the Power Cable into Adaptor
Find the appropriate connector cable, plug it into the adapter, and connect it to a power supply (i.e., an electric socket). Afterward, connect the connecting cable to the charging port of the scooter.
Set the Voltage and Current on the Adapter
Check the user manual for voltage and current requirements of your scooter’s battery (usually Voltage= 4.2V/cell and Current=20% of the battery capacity)and then set it on the adapter so that it can supply the required output during charging. It’s an important step that can result in battery overheating and damage if not performed properly.
Leave it to Charge
Leave the battery to charge until it reaches its 100% capacity. There’s an LED indicator on the battery that will turn red during charging and green when the charger is complete.
Disconnect the Adapter when Charging is Complete
Disrupt the power adapter when the green light appears (or you have reached your desired charger). Hurrah! Your scooter is again ready to go on the roads.
Guidelines to Charge Electric Scooters Without A Charger
While charging your electric scooter without a charger, you must always keep the following tips in mind to prevent any uncalled situation and favor the battery’s health.:
- To prevent any type of damage during charging, always using the original Charge is recommended, but if somehow you lost the one, pick the brain of a consult before trying a new thing.
- Ensure the battery has at least 30% to 40% charge before storing it; it’s good to prolong the battery’s lifespan.
- Never charge a battery just after the ride, as it may heat up the battery.
- When manually charging the battery, it may get hot; in such case, wait for it to attain normal temperature before reinstalling it to the scooter.
- All the batteries require different times to get charged; some may take just 2-3 hours, while others may reach about 12-24 hours, so always consult the user manual to have an idea of the exact charging time for your scooter’s battery.
- To check the charging level, you can use a voltmeter; if its reading shows a 12 -13 voltage, then the battery is full, and you’re good to go now, but if the reading is below that level, then it indicates that battery still needs a power supply to get fully charged.
Also, read about the Best adult kick scooters.
FAQs
1- Can I use a fast charger to get the electric scooter charged quickly?
If you’re in a hurry and want your scooter to charge in less time, you can use a fast charger, i.e., a 12V charger.
2- What can I use to charge my electric scooter?
You can use the original charger of your scooter or any battery charger specifically designed for Lithium-ion or sealed lead-acid batteries as long as its voltage, pin polarities, and Amperage match those of the original charger to charge your electric scooter.
3- Can you charge a scooter battery with standard AA batteries?
Yes, you can, but these are not much efficient and take too much time.
4- How often should I charge my scooter battery?
You should charge your electric scooter at regular intervals of a day or two or after each ride.
Conclusion
Hopefully, now you understand “how to charge electric scooter without charger?”. All the methods described here are practiced. The ball is in your court to select the one that suits you the most. However, at the end of the day, you may not find some of these options that much reliable, and looking for a permanent solution may be to order a duplicate battery from the manufacturer. In case you can’t get the original one, then using one of the above is always an option.
Happy Riding 🙂!
