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Published at 12/11/2022 – Electric scooter

Exploring the Possibility of Riding an Electric Scooter in all seasons including Winter

Can I ride the electric scooter at any time of the year? Summer, sun, and some breezy wind refreshes your mind. Sure, that's the ideal scene for a trip on an electric scooter. But could you also drive your scooter during colder seasons? What would you have to consider? We have summoned up all of the tips for the entire scooter season, including cold winters!

Driving electric scooters at any time of the year – is that possible?

Eventually, it is up to you whether you are one of the good-weather drivers or want to be on the road with the scooter all year round. However, if you want to cruise the streets during springtime, autumn and winter, there are a few things to consider to get from A to B safely.

Scooter riding during the winter season

In winter, you should generally approach everything a bit slower – also on the roads. The temperatures are dropping, and it's getting colder, so there are a few things to keep in mind to make you and your scooter get through the winter well.

Choose a right winter gear 

There is no bad weather, there is just a bad choice of clothes. We know it’s snowy, wet, and extremely cold but are unu riders putting away their scooters and waiting for spring? With unu, riding is an all-year passion that never takes a break and that is precisely why we are sharing some tips regarding your winter riding outfit. 
  • For winter rides “insulation" is the word and we suggest lots and lots of it.
  • Something snug but not overly tight as you need layering.  Start with the moisture-wicking base layer, add your main insulation layer in the middle and put a waterproof outer shell layer on top.  
  • Use a good quality, insulated helmet. 
  • Remember to grab a neck warmer, as the gap between your jacket and helmet is one of the easiest places for the cold to sneak its insidious little fingers in. 
  • Speaking of warmers, have you seen unu's newest winter accessory – the unu leg warmer? Perfect for winter riding! 
Last and most important, the functionality must always come before looks when choosing riding gear.

Protect your battery

• Always charge your portable battery at room temperature. Below -10 degrees, the ion flow is too slow and long-term damage can occur.
• If you don't want to ride your scooter in winter, we recommend you still charge the unused battery regularly every 2 weeks.
• Due to the high lithium-ion voltage, a charge volume of around 30-50% is suitable for longer storage.

Beware of snow and ice!

Watch out for frost, snow, mud, and icy roads! Drive with extreme caution and extremely defensively in these conditions. Balance is also an issue in winter-like conditions. Maintain a relaxed posture to keep the scooter balanced and to be able to react safely to irregularities in the road.
The brakes must be carefully applied to avoid falls, as ice and snow greatly increase the braking distance. In general, we don’t recommend riding on icy roads, but if you have to, here are some tips for scooter tires. 

Winter-time tires

• Single-track motor vehicles are exempt from the winter tire requirement, but we recommend that you equip your unu scooter with K58 M+S tires if you often ride in snowy conditions. With these tires, you will also be well-equipped from October to Easter.
• Check tire tread and pressure, lights, horn, and brakes. If the scooter is parked longer in winter, the tire pressure should be approx. 3.0 bar instead of 2.5 bar for driving to avoid a flat tire.

Pack the scooter for winter

Of course, a garage or a covered space is best for parking your unu scooter in winter. It should be stored in a dry, not too cold (0-25 degrees) place to prevent metal parts from rusting or rubber parts from becoming porous. If this is not possible, special winter tarpaulins or folding garages can protect the scooter from gnarly weather. Make sure that these are waterproof, winterproof and breathable and are aired regularly. unu has recently launched scooter accessories and our scooter raincover is perfect to tuck your scooter in.

unu scooter hibernation

Hibernation really means the process of slowing down that animals undergo to survive winter months. They hibernate, conserve energy, and survive on very little food. So what does hibernation mean when it comes to your unu scooter? It means your scooter is in a deep sleep and not ready to ride.

Your unu scooter has 3 modes:

READY - The scooter is turned on, parked, or ready to ride.
STANDBY - The scooter is switched off. There may or may not be a battery in the scooter.
HIBERNATION - The scooter is saving battery power and needs to be woken up.
Like animals conserving energy during winter months, if set in hibernation mode, your scooter runs on the internal battery and needs to be woken up before riding. 
We recommend setting your scooter in hibernation mode if you don’t plan to use it for a long time. 
To activate hibernation manually, you need to put the scooter in park mode, close the seat box, and press both brakes for about 15 seconds or until you see the hibernation screen. Release both brakes and tap your key card to confirm the hibernation mode.
Now you can activate Hibernation mode via the app. Here is the step-by-step video about how to do it. 
Here are a few tips on how to hibernate your electric scooter so it will be ready to go when the warmer weather returns.

Riding the e-scooter during spring, summer and autumn seasons

Even if winter is the biggest challenge for scooter fans, you should drive carefully at any time of the year. In spring and autumn, it is often wet, there are leaves on the road and you need to pay attention to this. Even a real summer thunderstorm ensures wet streets and an increased risk of slipping (in the city, be careful with the tram rails). You can generally drive around the area with a scooter all year round if you keep an eye on the conditions and drive with foresight. When it gets too cold, everyone has to decide for themselves.