Storing your electric scooter and its lithium battery during the winter without damaging them

To ensure your lithium battery survives the winter without damage, it should be stored at a half-charged state in a cool, dry place, away from heat and anything that could potentially cause a fire, and checked periodically. The two most common mistakes that can be costly are leaving the battery fully charged for months or neglecting it and letting it completely discharge until spring. Here's the method we use in our workshop, for the battery and for the rest of the scooter.

Why storage matters

A lithium battery ages even when it is not in use. This aging process, even when the battery is at rest, is accelerated when it is stored fully charged and when the temperature is high. Conversely, a battery that is stored with too low a charge will continue to discharge slowly due to self-discharge and the small amount of power consumed by its Battery Management System (BMS). If the voltage drops below the low voltage threshold of the cells, it can become dangerous to recharge and may even become irreparable.

The French National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (INRS), in its information sheet on charging lithium batteries, recommends that, for extended periods of non-use, the battery should be removed from the device whenever possible and stored at a partially charged state in a cool environment, away from any heat source.

Preparing the battery

1. Bring the charge level to the midpoint. Ride until you reach approximately the halfway point on the battery gauge, or charge until that level is reached. If your BMS (Battery Management System) is connected, the voltage readings from each cell group will provide a more accurate indication than the display gauge.
2. Check the condition. No swelling, no recent impacts, no unusual odors, no signs of moisture. A battery that raises concerns should not be stored; it should be inspected.
3. Disconnect what's consuming power. Turn the scooter off completely. If it has a kill switch, like our racing kill switch, or if the battery is easily disconnected, isolate it: some displays and accessories continue to draw power even when the scooter is turned off.

Choose the location

The ideal storage location is cool, dry, and temperate: neither a freezing garage, nor a sun-drenched veranda, nor a room next to a boiler. Moderate cold won't damage a battery at rest, but repeated freezing and humidity are detrimental to the electronics and connectors.

Also, consider fire safety. Even when at rest, a lithium battery with several kilowatt-hours of capacity represents a significant amount of energy:

• Keep it away from combustible materials (cardboard, wood, textiles, flammable products)
• Never in a stairwell, hallway, or in front of an emergency exit
• Ideally, in a room equipped with a smoke detector.

The rules regarding co-ownership and the workplace are addressed in our guide on how to charge your electric scooter in a co-ownership building, and the mechanisms of fire are explained in lithium battery fires: understanding and prevention.

During the winter: Regular maintenance is key

Approximately once a month, check the battery charge level. If it has dropped significantly, recharge it to around the halfway point, following the usual guidelines: battery at room temperature, using the charger designed for it, charging monitored, and disconnected when complete. A battery that loses a significant amount of charge within a few weeks without being used should be inspected, as a group of cells or the BMS (Battery Management System) may be the cause.

Getting back on the road in the spring

1. Allow the battery to return to room temperature for several hours if it was previously cold. This will prevent charging cold cells and allow any condensation to evaporate.
2. Perform a full charge, and leave the charger plugged in for a while after the "full" indicator light comes on: this is when the BMS passive balancing system is working.
3. Take a first, gentle ride, paying attention to the battery range and how the vehicle accelerates.

The rest of the scooter

• Tires: Make sure to inflate them to the correct pressure; a tire that has been deflated for months will become deformed.
• Cleaning: Remove mud and de-icing salt, which can damage the aluminum and connectors.
• Brakes: Check the condition of the brake pads and the feel of the lever before resuming.
• Fasteners and steering: Winter is the perfect time to address any play in the steering column or questionable tightness of fasteners.

If you still choose to ride during the winter, our guide "Riding an Electric Scooter in Winter: Staying Warm" explains how to protect the battery in cold weather.