The most obvious pros and cons of electric mobility

The most obvious pros and cons of electric mobility and the battery cells used for energy storage are well known, as for example the limited range and effort to recharge electricity into the battery cells. These points are surely the most precious arguments in the practicality discussion of electric vehicles. However, many related points to this discussion have not been considered or paid attention to. Taking the example of an electric two-wheeled scooter, such as the HUGO scooter, which has an estimated range of approx. 50 kilometres per charge of battery. In direct comparison with a petrol powered rival, which can do approx. 110 km this is less than half of the distance that can be covered before refilling. Now, consider: 

• Refilling petrol can only be done at petrol stations, which are not always close to your destination or near to your desired route. 
• How far do you go by scooter from home to destination and home again? Does it exceed 50 km? If yes, consider also to upgrade to a second battery, as HUGO scooter can accommodate 2 batteries and therefore double the range to approx. 100 km. 
• How far do you go before you stop and could withdraw the battery for charging at a common socket outlet? 

Usually, the frequent charging point is the personal home, where there is the scooter parked close to the accommodation and the portable battery can be withdrawn and charged in the apartment at a common socket outlet, using the same energy infrastructure as for light, cooking, heating, etc. 

If we have a closer look to the daily procedure and a charging cycle of the scooter, we will start with unplugging the battery from charging port in the apartment and taking the battery pack back to the scooter. Mounting the battery energizes the scooter and enables to go to the first destination, e.g. work at city centre. Work done, return to home, where the battery pack is removed and carried back to the apartment, to connect it to the charger again. Note that this is also a security feature, as despite its mechanical and electromechanical locking system the scooter cannot be driven without the special battery. Without the battery, the value of the vehicle which is confronted to possible theft decreases significantly. 

Most of the currently available electric vehicles do not feature any removable energy storages, as the state of the art technology for e-mobility batteries is basing on Lithium-Ion cells, which especially for cars adds a lot of weight. As a two-wheeled scooter requires less power to move from A to B and therefore less battery capacity, the battery of HUGO, for example, weighs 8 kg and the scooter has space for 2 batteries. 

Even the battery cells lifetime is still important, but not crucial anymore, thanks to precise battery management systems which provide protection against overcharging and -discharging and make sure that all single energy units within a total battery pack are balances our in terms of electrical charge. 

Many car manufacturers came up with leasing and service contract agreements for the expensive lithium batteries to convince potential customers while eliminating the risk of a faulty battery. With the above mentioned technologies in place and the appropriate handling of the equipment, there is almost no chance to completely damage the battery cells and even when the total capacity slightly decreases during the lifetime it rarely reaches 80% of the initial size. 

Lithium Cells. Reliable and approved technology by in meanwhile innumerable applications. 

Go Contemporary. Go HUGO. gohugo.eu