HOW TO MAKE AN ELECTRIC SCOOTER FASTER
Let's face it, most of us who buy an electric scooter secretly love the thrill of speed. But, we quickly become satisfied with the speed of our scooters and we start thinking: how can we get more speed from our scooter?
The question is – CAN we get more from our electric scooters? The topic of accelerating your scooter is likely to come up with 'can your scooter go faster - and this will depend on the make and model of what you already own.
I'm writing this simply because some scooters are easy to hack to get them to unlock that extra bit of speed, while some scooters simply can't be made to go faster.
Making your scooter faster can be done in several ways, some of them quick, easy and doable by anyone (without technical know-how) and others that may require an element of "geek" or expertise in electronics regarding batteries and controllers. In this short, impactful article, we look at some clever ways to get more speed and power out of your scooter.
Can your scooter be made to go faster?
The question is an important one – if your scooter simply isn't capable, your options will be mostly limited to things like losing weight and increasing tire pressure.
So how do you know if your scooter is “hackable” or not?
Well, first some things you can check
More hacking speed
- tickicon You can access the controllers
- tickicon Controllers are removable
- tickicon The battery pack is accessible
- tickicon Motors are based on hubs
- tickicon The wheels are pneumatic
Less hackable speed
- red Chain drive / single motor
- red The motor is brushed
- red Controller inaccessible
- red No accessibility to control panel/firmware
- red Battery pack inaccessible
- red SLA (sealed lead-acid batteries)
Most scooters can be designed to go faster, but the number of speed hacks available really depends on whether or not you have access to the scooter's controllers/firmware and whether or not you can change controllers or put in another battery .
Some scooter enthusiasts have even been able to swap hub motors, but you'll really need a good level of know-how to find motors that fit and have the right power for the battery and controller.
Electric Scooter Speed Hack 1 – Remove Speed Limit Cable/Firmware
Surprisingly, more than 40% of scooters sold worldwide from 2020 to 2021 were limited by a speed limiter. This is done so that the scooters can be sold legally in certain geographic regions.
For example, the maximum speed a scooter can travel in France is 15.5 mph, this is the same speed allowed by scooters in the UK under the rental scheme.
Different countries have different speed limits – this is why scooter manufacturers often ship their models with limiters.
There are 2 types of speed limiter on any electric scooter (made according to regulations) and they are:
WIRED SPEED LIMITER
This is usually a wire that runs a connection between the throttle and the controller, limiting the power output from the controllers to the motors. Different scooter models will have different implementations – but most manufacturers make it relatively easy to remove the wire (via a clip or plug) which, when unplugged, will remove all power limitations from the controller.
You should check if your scooter has a hard wire speed limiter, if so you can remove it to unlock extra power/speed.
FIRMWARE SPEED LIMITER
The firmware speed limiter will usually be implemented at the control panel, but some scooters also have firmware throttling in the controller. This can get a little more complex.
Firmware speed limiters use the software on the control panel/LCD panel/controllers to limit the power output.
On some scooters with common LCD control panels you will be able to access the speed and power output settings via "P SETTINGS", on other LCD panels such as the one that comes with the XIAOMI M365 you will need to connect via the APP interface (bluetooth) to push a flash ROM which directly updates the firmware of the scooters.
Removing the speed limiting wire or firmware/software from your electric scooter will allow you to unlock the full potential of the motor/controller. MOST electric scooters under £500 to £1,000 (those using very basic LCD panels) are more likely to be unlockable via software flashing over Bluetooth apps.
Larger/more powerful scooters that use the generic color LCD displays (shown above) typically limit the power using the P settings
One of the most popular LCD displays is the LT01/QS-S4 LCD Accelerator which has a plethora of built-in settings.
The most common P parameters associated with power limitation are P8 (Motor Power) and P12 (Acceleration Speed).
This is probably a no-go for most scooter riders – especially since finding a replacement controller for your scooter can be tricky. In addition to this, some scooter controllers will also require a battery upgrade.
However, upgraded controllers are another way to increase the top speed and acceleration of your electric scooters.
Sometimes called an “ESC” or electronic speed controller – these are responsible for managing power as well as distributing power to your scooter’s motor.
The controller works on a basic I/O system, the throttle commands the required amount of power, the controller will send more power to each motor – controlled by your throttle.
Smarter speed controllers will include things like “bursts” that allow higher AMP output to improve acceleration and overall power output.
Aside from your scooter's motors, your speed controller can also be a limiting factor. If you have a scooter with a small/low amp/low current controller, the motors power output will often be less than what the motor is capable of taking.
To unlock MORE speed on your scooter, you may be able to replace your controller with an aftermarket controller (or a custom controller).
Googling your brand of scooter + custom controller/upgraded controller can help you purchase an off-the-shelf controller with easy installation. Purchasing a custom controller will often allow you to unlock more speed and power settings without having to upgrade the battery.
However, using a custom controller is likely to void your scooter's warranty and may not be good for the battery.
If the controller draws MORE current than the battery can handle, it could damage the battery.
We recommend people experienced with our Mangosteen scooter technology and battery technology to look into this method of gaining speed.