Riding an electric scooter is not only a lot of fun, but for some owners, it’s their only mode of transportation. That means that when the weather gets rough in the wintertime, they’ll need to either rough it out on the electric scooter or walk. But is it really safe to ride an electric scooter in the winter?

Should you stop riding your electric scooter in the winter?

Technically speaking, yes. For safety reasons, it’s better to not ride an electric scooter when snow hits the ground. That being said, if you would rather throw caution to the wind, then you can ride an electric scooter when the temperatures drop to freezing. However, there are a few tips that you should follow.

Voltage Rider notes that staying warm and safe are the primary goals when riding an electric scooter in the cold. Of course, “staying warm” refers to the rider wearing the proper clothing for riding in the wintertime. And “staying safe” means equipping the scooter properly for winter riding and caring for it so it stays in good shape until spring.

Buying the proper electric scooter tires for winter riding is important

Since the scooter’s tires are the only things that are connecting it to the actual ground, it’s important to get a proper set of winter tires for it. Just like with car tires, winter scooter tires use a softer compound to provide stability and traction. Believe it or not, there are actually studded winter tires made just for electric scooters – check out these Xulong off-road studded tires on Amazon.

Ensure that the scooter’s battery is charged up and well-maintained

If you’re going to ride an electric scooter in the winter, then you’ll probably notice that its range will be greatly affected. In that case, Voltage Rider recommends the following:

• Make sure that the battery is not cold before you start charging it
• After riding the scooter, bring the battery inside the house (or a place above 41 degrees Fahrenheit) so it can slowly warm up
• Increase the number of charges
• Never heat the scooter battery to make it warm up quicker

By adhering to these steps, your scooter’s battery life should be prolonged through the winter.

Keep your electric scooter clean after every ride

When riding your electric scooter in snowy conditions, it will most likely get really dirty. All that mud, slush, and snow aren’t kind to any vehicle that trudges through it, so it’s important to keep your scooter clean. There are rust-protection sprays that you can use on your electric scooter to keep it from corroding. Also, you can use water to clean the scooter, but be careful, remember not to submerge any non-waterproof parts and keep moisture away from the electrical components. In those spots, you can use a hairdryer to cut down on the drying time.

The winter can affect your riding style

Lastly, if you plan to ride your electric scooter in the snow, then you may need to change your riding style. Considering you’re riding in the slippery wet stuff, as opposed to perfectly dry asphalt, it could be worth it to follow these tips:

• Ride steady and don’t make any sudden or jerky movements when on the scooter
• Ride defensively – This mean paying attention to the other cars and people on the road and steering clear from danger
• Avoid riding through deep water, like large pothole puddles
• If you must ride your scooter in the dark, make sure to dress in bright or reflective clothing

Just because it’s wintertime and the white stuff is starting to fall from the sky, that doesn’t mean that you need to park your electric scooter until the temperatures start to warm up. By following these aforementioned steps, you should be able to ride your scooter safely in the wintertime with relative ease. If not, you can always just walk.