Scooter Sam

The explosion in popularity of mobility scooters for elderly or infirm customers has created a side along business of battery replacement and chargers. Companies that previously manufactured car or motorcycle batteries have rushed to put new designs on the market in the hopes of attracting customers looking for better options for their scooters. Many of these companies have particular deals for purchases in bulk, saving considerable amounts of money on batteries than normally cost upwards of fifty dollars. It is difficult to find mobility scooter batteries in stores, so direct ordering from online catalogs is the best means of finding the best deals.

When looking through scooter batteries, there are several things to consider before purchase. The battery discharge is an important function, as all batteries have a certain life span and capability during peak cycles. A gel cell battery — meaning one that is more expensive, but does not degrade quickly — is the best option for wheelchairs or mobility scooters. Gel cells have excellent cycle life spans, outlasting a wet cell (the cheaper equivalent) considerably. An AGM battery, another higher quality option, works nearly as well as a gel cell if the rate of discharge does not drop below fifty percent efficiency.

Range and use of a battery are determined by size. The amp hours of a battery will be the effective gauge for how far a scooter can travel before needing to be repowered; a thirty amp hour battery will go no further than ten miles, while a one hundred amp hour battery doubles that range. Size and weight of the wheelchair will similarly affect total distance, but battery power is the main component of extending the travel cycles. Physical size is also important as some wheelchair casings are not meant for certain battery models whether small or large; make sure that the battery is compatible with whichever model purchased — the company will often have a list of which batteries will fit.

Lifespan of mobility batteries depends mostly upon how heavy the model (and user) will be and thus what physical strain the battery will be under. Just like car batteries are not transferable to different engines, so too are scooter batteries often manufactured for single design use; at the same time, however, third party battery manufacturers have many options on the market for one size fits most scooters. Check online sites for product availability; if you believe a certain battery fits your needs best simply check to make sure it is compatible with the particular brand of mobility scooter.