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Micromobility is here to stay, and it’s changing how we experience urban life for the better. With Unagi’s membership program, you can enjoy all the benefits of a top-tier electric scooter without the sky-high price of ownership or the inconvenience of ride-sharing.
We’re excited to celebrate Unagi’s 5th Anniversary, and we want you to join the fun! To thank you for your support, we're hosting an exclusive $10,000 Airbnb giveaway. No purchase necessary—just enter for your chance to win! Hurry, the giveaway ends on 10/4/2024!
In today’s fast-paced world, finding an efficient and cost-effective mode of transportation is crucial. E-scooters offer a convenient and eco-friendly way to navigate urban landscapes. Unagi stands out not only for its superior design and performance but also for its affordability and unmatched rental program.
While e-scooters have been gaining popularity due to their convenience and relatively low cost, they have been getting more attention lately for another reason: battery fires. It's important to understand the potential dangers associated with the battery technology that lies at their core.
In South Carolina, electric scooters exist in a sort of legal gray area. There's no statewide legislation that specifically addresses them.
Understand which personal electric vehicle is best, the choice between an electric bike or electric scooter might already be made for you by some critical factors, including portability and storage capacity.
There are very real reasons why you may need to ride your electric scooter manually.
In this article, we'll tell you what makes e scooters unsuited for manual operation. As well as those emergency situations when you may well resort to use your electric scooter manually.
Let's dive in...
If you're one of the millions of Americans considering making the daily commute to work and back on an electric scooter - you definitely want to sign up for speed, agility, smoothness and comfort.
Which you won't have with a kick scooter. And the effort needed to constantly manually push to keep your scooter moving. It can simply be too much trouble.
Firstly, kick scooters should not be confused with electric kick scooters. They're NOT the same.
Electric 'kick' scooters - is just another name for e scooters - 'stand-up' scooters driven by a wheel hub electric motor, and powered by a battery.
A kick scooter - is only ever used manually. It requires you to power the scooter forward with one or two kicks at the start. And continuing to use one foot to kick away from the ground or pavement to keep going.
Great fun for children and teens playing outdoors and going on short trips accompanied by an adult. But not really an ideal option for the daily urban commute.
Most models of electric scooter are not designed for manual use. They're not the easiest to push or ride without motor assistance.
So why treat your electric scooter like a kick scooter if you don't have to? Damage can be caused - to you and your e scooter. If your scooter cuts out when you're far from your destination, you should consider using public transport or taking a taxi home.
Most electric scooters are hard to ride manually because of:
The average weight of an e scooter is 13 kg (28.6 lbs) but can range up to 22.6 kgs (50 lbs) or more. Heavy and bulky electric scooters tend to have a combination of larger and heavier frames.
The extra bulk can be a real challenge to be pushed manually over a short distance let alone longer distances.
Some types of electric scooter are designed to be compact and, therefore, highly portable. This means a focus on the key features of lightweight construction and foldability for easy storage. Particularly, the handlebar folding mechanism.
This class of e scooter is purpose-built to be light, and easy to ride for short urban commutes. But it also means they:
A rider's weight has to be considered. In some cases, a heavier rider will simply need to exert more physical effort to keep the scooter moving forward.
Manual riding will, therefore, be more demanding, especially over longer distances. Which can quickly lead to exhaustion, and being unable to continue.
It's strongly advised to catch public transport for continuing the journey, or if a long way from home.
It's sometimes mistakenly thought you can "save battery energy" by riding manually, like a regular scooter.
An electric scooter's 'range' depends on its rechargeable battery. As with most electric vehicles, however, your make and model of electric scooter will have its own battery capacity.
How far your e scooter will travel on a single charge will rely on its battery type and cells. As well as other factors, such as total weight carried, riding style, and ground conditions.
Most scooters will carry lithium-ion batteries produced by major brands such as LG or Samsung. But not always. Some low budget scooters may be powered by a lower capacity battery.
The ability of a battery to store and deliver energy is determined by:
-and-
A smaller battery capacity is generally unsuited for a longer manual ride. If your e scooter runs out of stored energy it will soon need recharging. Double-check your battery capacity first. And you should always ensure its fully charged before starting any ride.
An electric battery tends to perform most efficiently within a specific temperature range.
If you ride your e scooter in during temperature extremes - of either very hot or very cold - you may experience some drastic affects. It could mean reduced battery power and range.
Riding your scooter manually in extreme temperatures is no exception, and could cause a costly electronics malfunction.
Different ground surfaces and terrains will directly impact the effort needed to manually push and ride your e scooter.
Loose gravel, for example, creates ground friction, and natural resistance to moving your e scooter forward.
The increased effort can:
Ultimately, you may not be able to safely travel very far at all on any rough and uneven riding surface.
Manually riding on particular ground surfaces can also put your e scooter at risk of potential damage.
If they enter the wheel hubs you could potentially have issues with:
Additionally, excessive vibrations, judders and jolts from riding on gravel can:
Many tires fitted to an electric scooter have a diameter of up to 11 ins. This is considered wide enough to cause sufficient surface friction - and therefore, resistance to movement - without motor assistance.
An e scooter fitted with smaller tires of around 8 ins may also not be well-suited to be used manually.
Especially, over uneven surfaces and rough terrain, such as gravel roads or green areas.
An electric scooter with no suspension - or inadequate suspension - may deliver excessive shudders and vibrations that could throw you off balance when ridden manually. Hardly a pleasant, comfortable experience.
Electric scooters have a higher and wider deck than kick scooters.
An unnatural posture is not just awkward. It can also add to:
Similarly, short handlebars may not give you enough grip to keep your electric scooter stable when manually riding, especially on uneven ground or rough terrain.
You may feel the handlebar on your electric scooter has worked slightly loose over a period of time. It's not uncommon on some scooters.
Trying to ride your electrical scooter manually when a handlebar is not 100 per cent tight and secure is clearly a huge safety risk. Both to your own safety and the safety of pedestrians, and other commuters.
Most of the reasons why you should not ride an electric scooter manually definitely apply if you have a high - performance racing scooter. And even more so.
E scooter models specifically designed for high-performance and racing are built for speed. This means the body framework, in particular, is constructed to a high-level aerodynamic, lightweight specification.
To achieve an enhanced performance:
Your performance electric scooter may simply be too lightweight to withstand the rigours of manual riding.
Essentially, using an electric scooter manually will simply not give you the same level of riding efficiency as you would when it's used as intended - as an electric scooter.
The distance you may be able to cover by manual operation, alone, will depend upon:
It's essential to always follow the manufacture's instructions and advice on your particular make and model of e scooter. Or risk causing costly damage as well as reducing performance, safety and overall lifespan.
However... there can be specific occasions when riding your electric scooter manually is possible - or the only option you have at the time, including:
Some electric scooters do offer a manual mode. It's a specific setting - usually accessed via cockpit control - that's designed to keep the sensitive components of electric scooters safe when riding without electric power.
A scooter's manual ride mode is also sometimes referred to as:
-or-
IMPORTANT: Always check the manufacturer's user manual and official website for specific details and instructions on when and how you can safely use the manual ride mode. Your model may have strict limitations imposed on speed and range.
You should always ensure your battery is fully charged before starting your ride. Or quite simply, the battery dies on you at some point in the journey. Which can be a serious safety risk, especially if there's heavy traffic around.
Forgetting to charge a very low battery could mean you'll have a completely dead battery, and no charge at all.
Tire flats can sometimes happen during you ride, such as mounting or dismounting a curb. You may only discover you have a flat just before you start your journey. Either way, you may have no time to do a proper repair. Or you don't have an emergency puncture repair kit.
A failing brake system, whether mechanical or electronic, is a most serious safety risk. As soon as your scooter brakes become unresponsive, you must stop and consider manual riding or using public transport.
Any electronic malfunction can affect your ability to control your scooter. This is because each system component is directly connected to the correct functioning of your scooter. From the handlebars to the battery, throttle, brakes and wheel hub motor to front and rear lights.
If you start feeling unwell as you're riding or you've had a minor scrape while maneuvering - you should stop immediately. Before your condition potentially worsens. And consider whether you feel able to safely continue riding manually, use public transport or take a taxi home.
Some electric scooters have regenerative brakes*. Which could also be used to help with conserving battery energy.
*Check the accompanying manufacturers manual and their website.
Regenerative brakes enable the conversion of kinetic energy ( energy created by movement) into electrical energy, and recharge the scooter's battery.
Energy is 'created' when you brake or decelerate. This energy can be used to convert into electrical energy and recharge the battery cells.
The scooter battery can also receive an amount of charge even when riding in manual mode. Although the amount of charge will be less compared to riding under normal, electric scooter power.
Regenerative brakes can:
IMPORTANT TO NOTE: Regenerative braking is most efficient and effective for energy conversion when riding at higher speeds or heavier deceleration. Performance will very much depend on your particular scooter model, travelling conditions and riding style.
There can be some advantages to riding an electric scooter manually. When your battery is not in active use to move your scooter forward.
Pushing your scooter forward manually means you're saving energy and NOT using the remaining charge stored in the battery cells. This will be crucial if:
Manual moving saves battery energy when you only have a limited amount of battery life left, and you need to reach your destination using only the remaining charge.
You can potentially travel a greater distance on a single charge when riding your scooter manually. Powering off your motor and relying on physical effort will save any stored battery charge, and help extend overall range.
Uninterrupted use of the motor places a constant demand upon the battery. Potentially, creating strain, affecting performance, and contributing towards a shortened lifespan.
Much will depend on the capacity and quality of your scooter battery cells.
If you want to help extend the working life of your battery, you could give your battery a "break". But it's always best to use your scooter's 'manual mode', if available.
Riding your electric scooter manually can be used in an emergency, for example, when your battery dies, brakes fail or your tire gets a flat.
It may be better to ride manually if you face a steep hill climb. Or crossing difficult ground surfaces, such as gravel roads or green areas.
Your particular make and model of scooter may be unsuited to riding manually.
You should always use 'manual mode' on your scooter if it has this setting (Check with the manufacturer).
Riding manually requires effort and physical stamina, which may not be for you.
In the U.S., most states don't require a license. For those that do, they usually just ask for a regular driver's license or a learner's permit.
Yes, you can bring an electric scooter on a plane, but it needs to have a lithium battery smaller than 100 watt-hours, which most don't.
Manufacturers advise against riding electric scooters in the rain. The main reasons are: water can fry the electronics, make the ride dangerous, and void your warranty.
“Is my scooter legal?” is a question many are increasingly asking. The micromobility industry is one of the fastest-growing and most exciting in the world—with promises for...in addition to abundances of the basics of time and money savings. And with this pace of innovation comes a struggle for regulation to keep up.
So, you're thinking about joining the electric scooter revolution, huh? You've seen those sleek and stylish scooters zipping around town, effortlessly gliding through traffic, and you can't help but wonder: Are electric scooters easy to ride?
In this guide, we'll break down what defines a lightweight electric scooter, why you should choose one, and the top features you should look for.
Want to get the most out of your electric scooter battery and extend your riding adventures? We've got you covered with our comprehensive guide full of maintenance tips and best practices.
*Disclaimer: Unagi, INC. has used best efforts, but does not in any manner guarantee the accuracy of the below findings regarding electric scooter laws in the United States or internationally. Electric scooter riders or those considering to purchase or begin…
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