Battery Care Guide

Welcome

You've set up your new scooter or powerchair and you're almost ready to go. Before your journey, familiarise yourself with the warnings, usage tips and helpful information within your user manual as well as our quick battery care guide to ensure you get the most out of your new product.

PLEASE NOTE: This information provides an overview of battery charging and is intended as a supplement to the product manual. It is always recommended to consult the product manual before charging your battery as it contains important model specific information.

General Guidelines

• Use the charger provided with your scooter or powerchair, or a CareCo replacement. Avoid aftermarket and unofficial chargers as these may damage your product and batteries.
• Ensure your scooter or powerchair is switched off before, and when charging.
• Charge in a well-ventilated area, away from heat sources, open flame and exits.
• Charge your scooter or powerchair following the recommended advice and avoid undercharging & overcharging to prevent premature damage.
• Consider temperature and environment when storing your scooter or powerchair for long periods of time, as these can affect both your scooter or powerchair and your batteries.

Find our batteries and chargers online

Need a replacement or a spare battery for your scooter? Find the one that fits on our website.

[QR Code: Scan me to find out more]

Visit: www.careco.co.uk/mobility-scooters/batteries-chargers

Which Batteries Do I Have?

Mobility scooter and powerchairs come with a range of different batteries, but the most commonly used are Sealed Lead Acid (SLA) batteries and Lithium Batteries.

Sealed Lead Acid (SLA)

[battery-icon] Sealed Lead Acid (SLA) which includes: Absorbent Glass Mat (AGM) & Gel batteries

• Cost effective
• Easy to recycle
• Low self-discharge rate

[Image: A Sealed Lead Acid (SLA) battery]

Lithium batteries

[battery-icon] Lithium batteries which are longer lasting and 75% lighter

• Lightweight
• Fast charging
• Energy efficient

[Image: A Lithium battery pack]

The quickest way to check which type of battery you have is by reading your product manual, and if you're still unsure, contact our customer support team.

Charging Your Sealed Lead Acid (SLA) Batteries

Keeping your SLA batteries fully charged at all times when your scooter or powerchair is not in use is a great way of ensuring that your batteries stay healthy and ready for when you next need them.

Our simple guide shows the best regime to follow whenever charging your sealed lead acid batteries:

Lead Acid Battery Common Questions

Question: Why does my product use two SLA batteries?

Answer: Your scooter/powerchair operates on a 24V system, meaning that two 12v Batteries are required.

Question: Will a higher ampage battery make my scooter go faster?

Answer: No, higher ampage batteries will mean you can travel further with your scooter/powerchair as long as they fit in your battery tray and are compatible.

Charging Your Lithium Batteries

Unlike SLA, we recommend charging your lithium batteries as often as required. If you're operating your scooter or powerchair on a regular basis, you may find the need to charge more than others who use their scooter or powerchair less often.

Our simple guide shows the best regime to follow whenever charging your lithium batteries:

Lithium Battery Common Questions:

Question: Do I need to charge my lithium batteries after every single use?

Answer: It's dependant on the journey. If your product has a range of up to 25 miles, and you travel 5 miles a day, its not necessary to charge every single day. However, if you find yourself travelling further, it may be necessary to charge more often.

Question: How long will my lithium batteries last?

Answer: Most lithium batteries last for 1,000 charge cycles before noticing a drop in performance, however this is dependant on usage, operating habits and general maintenance.

Charging Your Batteries In 5 Simple Steps

1. [❓] Find a suitable space.

   It's normal for your charger to become warm when charging, so place it in a location that gets plenty of air circulation.

2. [?] Connect your charger to the charging port.

   Make sure your product is switched off, and the charging port and plug are free of dust and debris.

3. [?] Connect your charger to a wall socket.

   Unless stated in the user manual, we recommend plugging the charger into a wall socket after connecting to the charging port.

4. [▶️] Switch on and begin charging!

   Switch on the wall socket and follow our simple charging guide to correctly charge your batteries.

5. [✅] Switch off when charging is complete

   Switch off the wall socket, then remove the charger from the charging port when charging is complete.

What Else Affects Battery Performance?

As well as charging habits, your battery performance is dependent on terrain, weather, and other factors which should be considered when travelling around. Being aware of these effects will ensure you get the most out of your batteries and make sure you're ready for the journey ahead.

Factors Affecting Performance:

• [⚖️] Weight Capacity

  Exceeding the weight limit means more power is needed when moving around.

• [⛰️] Terrain

  Frequently travelling over rough terrain and steep gradients uses more battery power, resulting in a reduced range.

• [?] Tyre Pressure

  Flat or underinflated pneumatic tyres will mean electrical components have to work harder to get you from A to B.

• [?️] Temperature

  Operating your scooter or powerchair in extreme temperatures can result in more frequent charging.

Final Tips

• [?] Servicing & Maintenance

  Keep up to date with general maintenance and regular servicing to ensure your product and batteries work as intended for their expected lifetime.

• [✈️] Going away on holiday?

  Check with your airline before travelling to find out if your batteries are suitable for air travel.

For further information, please contact our customer support team.

Compliance Information: We ensure that all of our Lithium battery-based products are compliant with & tested according to British Standard 7176-31 'Lithium-ion Battery systems and chargers for powered wheelchairs' where applicable and that the lithium batteries themselves are manufactured in accordance with BS EN IEC 60086-4. We gather Material Safety Data Sheets and Testing Certificates to ensure that all batteries are fully compliant for the UK market. As lithium batteries are classified as a Class 9 Dangerous Good during transport, we also obtain the UN 38.3 Certificate – a requirement which must be met to allow air, sea, road or rail transportation.