Is Rainy Weather Safe For Your Electric Scooter?

For people who are new to electric scooters, the primary concern they have is whether or not they can be used in the rain. Electric scooters are fun to ride, can be taken anywhere and have environmental benefits. However, considering that it runs on batteries and is electric, people have the fear of getting electrocuted. While the fear is common, the chances of one getting electrocuted are extremely low. But, it doesn’t mean that the e-scooter won’t be affected by the rain. 

Riding the e-scooter in heavy rain or through flooded streets and deep puddles can severely damage its battery including the electrical system and circuitry. That is why the manufacturers generally don’t recommend taking the electric scooter out in the rain. 

We know that you are still confused. This is why we have created this guide to help you understand how different factors can affect your electric scooter during the rain. 

Let’s jump right into it. 

How Electric Scooter Gets Affected In The Rain

Everyone has learned that water is a good conductor of electricity. However, science shows that water in its pure form doesn’t let the current flow through it. Instead, it is the free flowing ions that produce current. Rainwater has salts and acids in it, which causes dissociation of ions. So electricity can be conducted through it, and it can damage the e-scooter.

When an electric scooter comes in contact with rainwater, it can get damaged in the following ways:

• Short Circuit: As electricity in water flows through all parts of the scooter, it can connect circuits that were not meant to be connected. Therefore, a short circuit happens. 
• Corrosion:  An electric scooter consists of metal parts. When these parts come in contact with water, they get corroded. This may not happen at once, but continuous exposure to water can damage the metal. 

Other than these, the display or hard drive of an electric scooter can also get damaged with the impurities in rainwater. 

Things To Consider While Taking Electric Scooter Out In Rain

If you are taking your electric scooter out in the rain, there are a few factors that you must keep in mind. These pointers will assist you in getting the answer to your query.

1. How Heavy Is The Rain?

The intensity of rain should be the very first factor to consider. If the rain is so light that you don’t need an umbrella to cope with it, then taking out your electric scooter won’t be a big problem. However, the quality and model of your vehicle plays a crucial role here.

If the company itself claims the scooter to be water-resistant, then you can take it out in low rains without any worries. But in case your scooter belongs to an unknown manufacturer, you should prefer not to take any risks by getting it in contact with rainwater.

On the other hand, you should not take the scooter out if the rains are heavy. No matter how good your scooter’s quality is, taking it out in heavy rains can severely damage its parts. 

2. What Is The Temperature Out There?

Are you planning to take your scooter out when it is raining below freezing temperatures? You need to think twice before doing that. It may seem safe to ride in low-temperature rains, but it makes your electric scooter’s battery and motor work more than usual circumstances.

These overloaded vehicle parts tend to fail way before their shelf life. And if you overload your electric scooter, again and again, they might stop working in between your rides, and you will get stuck.

In case you can’t avoid taking your electric scooter in the low-temperature rains, use them wisely and don’t recharge them immediately. Wait for the scooter and its battery to cool down. Then only put it on charging mode. It will ensure that no disaster happens with the battery.

3. How Long Do You Need To Ride?

Another factor you should consider while taking your electric scooter out in the rain is the duration of your ride. Even if the showers are low and the temperature is moderate, you should avoid going on long rides on the scooter. This will help you in multiple ways:

• First, it won’t put much stress on your electric scooter’s parts like battery and motor. This will avoid damaging them. 
• Second, you can return home easily in case you get stuck somewhere with the scooter.

While shorter rides will reduce the risk of failure, there is no guarantee with that. So even if your electric scooter stops working due to the water, you won’t have to drag it a long way.

4. Where Do You Need To Go?

No, we are not keeping a check on your whereabouts. We just want to warn you that you should not be getting into high standing rainwaters. You must know that waterproof and water-resistant are two different terms. Let’s understand them first:

• Waterproof: For a thing to be waterproof, it must not allow any fluids to pass through its surface. That means even if you leave that thing dipped in water for long periods, there will be no harm done to the product.
• Water-Resistant: On the other hand, water-resistant means that a product can bear a few splashes of fluid. But if you expose it to excessive fluids, it will be ruined.

So when your electric scooter states, “water-resistant,” that a little exposure to water will not harm it. However, if you dip it in high standing water, it may get permanently damaged.

5. What Are The IP Ratings?

IP ratings help you in knowing how resistant your electric scooter is against different foreign bodies. You will find a two-digit number in the IP rating of your vehicle. The first number indicates its resistance against solids like dust, and the second number indicates its resistance against fluids. So, in this case, you should focus on the second number.

Here is what you can make out from the given digit.

• 8: Your electric scooter can stand up to several hours of water immersion.
• 7: You can immerse the scooter into the water, but not for a long period.
• 6: The scooter can withstand pressurized water stream from all directions, but not immersion.
• 5: Water jets can be used on the vehicle from any direction, but the pressure should be kept low.
• 4: It will only bear splashes of water, and everything else will damage its parts.

You can check how well your electric scooter supports water, and then take it out on a rainy day.

When you consider all these points before taking your electric scooter out in the rain, there will be fewer chances for you to damage it.

A Guide For Riding Electric Scooter In Rain

You must have concluded from the above points, that it is not safe for you to ride an electric scooter in the rains. But if you are in a situation where taking out the vehicle is inevitable, you should follow the below-mentioned points. They will ensure that you don’t end up ruining your riding experience.

1. Don’t Speed Up

Rains reduce the friction of the roads. So, like any other vehicle, your electric scooter tends to slip more when the roads are wet. If you speed up in such situations, you may end up slipping and hurting yourself. Keep the speed moderate and check that the breaks are working fine so that the vehicle remains in your control.

2. Don’t Worry About Shocks

If you think that you may get stuck in an electric shock while riding the scooter in the rains, you are overthinking. Most of the scooters have grips and standing decks made from rubber. And in case you are not aware, electricity doesn’t pass through the rubber. Therefore, there is no worry about getting an electric shock.

3. Avoid Puddles

As stated earlier, high standing rainwater is not suitable for your electric scooter. So when you get it into puddles, it will affect its interiors as well as exteriors. Here are a few problems that this water can create for your vehicle:

• When you go through a lot of puddles, water ultimately gets into the battery case, causing it to fail. If not at once, it will reduce the overall lifespan of the battery.
• Exposing your electric scooter to excessive water can corrode the internal as well as external parts of it. So the overall appearance and working of the vehicle will be affected.

If you want to avoid these issues, keep your electric scooter away from puddles.

4. Check Visibility

Rains significantly reduce the visibility on the road. Therefore, you must check how the weather has affected the visibility and only get out when it is clear to see up to a few meters. You should also remember that the visibility factor is not only for you. It applies to everyone on the road. So no matter how carefully you are driving, the chances of an accident increase when the other person can’t see you.

Conclusion

Riding any vehicle in the rainy weather is a task in itself. The trouble increases when you are riding an electric scooter, as you need to keep yourself as well as the scooter safe from the water. A simple solution is to avoid taking out the electric scooter in the rains, especially when your scooter is not resistant to water.

In case your vehicle is resistant and can’t avoid taking it out, you must keep in mind all the guidelines and factors mentioned above. Only then will you be able to ride it safely.