India currently boasts over 1.3 million electric scooters, which continues to increase daily. With approximately 90 brands selling their scooters in India, only one question dominates the minds of many vehicle owners. And that is how much does it cost you to replace the battery of these electric scooters.
If you have recently purchased an electric scooter, you must change its battery after 4-5 years, or even earlier, depending on your usage. However, it’s important to note that the battery will eventually need replacement.
So, after investing hours in research and contacting individuals in the electric scooter industry, I have compiled a list of battery replacement costs for electric scooters in India.
Read – TVS iQube Battery Replacement Cost!
Table of Contents
How much does it cost to replace the battery of an electric scooter?
The cost of replacing the battery in a two-wheeler or four-wheeler vehicle depends on its capacity. The replacement cost will be higher if the battery has a higher capacity capacity. That’s why it is pretty evident that electric scooter batteries for two-wheelers are priced lower compared to batteries for four-wheelers.
You can easily calculate your scooter battery replacement cost by dividing the scooter price in half. I have observed that 40% to 50% of the scooter’s price is included with the battery cost. Take the example of the Ola S1 Pro: the overall cost of the scooter is about 1.5 lakhs rupees, and the battery replacement cost is Rs 89,000, 59% of the scooter’s price.
How electric scooter batteries are priced?
The cost of any battery is determined by three factors: capacity, brand, and quality. However, capacity is the most crucial among them. Let’s examine each point in detail.
Per kilowatt hour (kWh)
The current price of electricity per kWh in India ranges from Rs 18,000 to 25,000. These prices can vary over time due to import taxes, manufacturing costs, and inflation.
Brand
Different brands sell batteries at varying prices. For example, the Ola S1 Pro offers a 3.97 kWh battery priced at 89,000, which equates to around 22,000 per kWh. On the other hand, the Bajaj Chetak has a 3.04 kWh battery priced at 72,000, making the per kWh battery cost approximately 24,000. As you can see, there is a difference in price between these two brands.
Quality
Never buy batteries from a third-party website because I have seen that most of these websites are selling duplicate and recycled batteries. You can only get a high-quality battery for your electric scooter from the service center where you purchased the vehicle.
List of electric scooter brand and their battery replacement price.
| Brand | Model | Battery Capacity (kWh) | Life in years(max) | Battery Replacement Cost (INR) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ola | S1 pro | 4 kWh | 7 years | Rs 87,298 |
| Tvs | IQube | 3.04 kWh | 5 years | Rs 68,500 |
| Ather | 450X | 3.7 kWh | 5 years | Rs 60,000 |
| Bajaj | Chetak | 2.9 kWh | 4 years | Rs 50,000 |
| Hero | Optima CX(Single) | 1.53 kWh | 3 years | Rs 30,000 |
The life span of electric scooter batteries.
The average life of an electric scooter battery is 5 years, which can be increased or decreased as per the usability.
Remember, vehicles with low range are much more likely to get their battery replaced quickly as they are charged multiple times.
Almost every lithium-ion battery has a 1000-charge cycle, which means you can charge and use your battery from 0% to 100% in healthy condition 1000 times, and after that, the battery’s performance gets weaker and needs to be replaced.
Most electric scooters can run 50,000 to 70,000 km after a new battery replacement. You can increase your scooter battery by following these tips.
Tips to increase the battery life of electric scooters.
These are some tips that are really helpful in preserving and increasing the battery life of electric scooters.
- Keep your battery safe from sudden rise and fall in temperature. Significantly high temperature degrades battery life fast.
- Keep the battery percentage of your electric scooter between 30% and 80%. And avoid discharging and charging it fully.
- Avoid using your scooter at high speed or using sudden acceleration. Keep the optimal speed between 40 kph – 60 kph to avoid putting strain on your battery.
- Use less multimedia. As most electric vehicles today have a big screen, most people watch videos and listen to a song. This can drain your battery, but you can avoid it to save battery.
Conclusion
Spending Rs 50k to 70k at once is quite expensive for many vehicle owners. But if you compare this money with a petrol vehicle, this battery value is about 30%, still less than what you would have spent on all those years refilling the fuel.
Electric vehicles are 10 times cheaper compared to ICE(fuel) vehicles. This means that you will save 10 times more money each year, which you can save to replace the battery after 5-6 years.