Electric Scooters for Kids

Nearly all of us have been there and done that. Those memorable childhood days, when we as kids and later as teens scooted around on those pretty little scooters for hours on end, remain etched in our memory forever. Even in this digital age of Play Stations, Xbox 360's, computer games and video arcades, the legendary toy scooter still has the same age-old charm and charisma. Like almost everything else, they too have evolved considerably over the years, and today are available in many variants such as the electric scooter, the gas scooter, etc. Kids, and particularly teenagers, seem to have developed a special liking for electric scooters in recent years, thanks to the varieties of designs and features, and affordable prices.

Components
Electric scooters are usually made up of the following components:

• Inbuilt rechargeable battery
• Electric motor
• Chain drive or belt drive
• Front braking system
• Battery power indicator
• Speed indicator
• Handlebar fitted with an accelerator throttle
• Plastic or rubber tires
• Battery security lock

Features
All the electric scooters are fitted with sealed lead acid rechargeable batteries. The battery power and the battery capacity varies with individual scooter designs. Typically, it is a 12 volt 12 amp full-sized battery. Basic electric scooters use a single battery, while the slightly advanced and powerful ones opt for a combination of two or even three batteries. These batteries are fully rechargeable, with each battery having an average life span of around 300 charge cycles. On an average, it takes around 7-8 hours for the battery to be fully charged. Once fully charged, it can last up to approximately 10-15 miles, depending on the road surface, rider weight and riding speed. Depending on the battery power and capacity, electric scooters can reach top speeds of up to 25 mph, making them both safe and enjoyable for kids. Certain advanced scooter models are fitted with accessories like alloy wheels, headlights, front fenders, turn indicators and storage boxes which provide kids with a near-realistic riding experience. Certain companies have gone a step ahead in ensuring that a kid's electric scooter is not restricted to being just a 'scooter'. They have modified them to look like pocket bikes, super bikes, dirt bikes, etc. Consequently, what was once supposed to be a simple electric scooter for kids, has now turned into something much sleeker and more sophisticated.

Benefits
Electric scooters offer many more benefits than their counterparts, the gas scooters. Some of them are as follows:

• Environment friendly: Electric scooters are pollution-free and do not emit any smoke or fumes, unlike gas scooters.
• Convenient to use: The batteries can be recharged through any general power outlet. Also, the scooters are small in size, portable and therefore, can be stored conveniently.
• Noise-free performance: Electric scooters are virtually noise-free when it comes to riding. Also, they have a much more simplistic design as compared to gas scooters and, therefore, are less prone to breakdown or malfunctioning of the working components.
• Extremely cost-effective: The operating cost of electric scooters is just 10% of that of gas scooters. Additionally, the rechargeable batteries are reasonably long-lasting and are covered by a 6-12 month warranty.
• Used by people of all ages: Though electric scooters are primarily targeted towards kids and teenagers, of late they have become popular among adults too. When visiting popular places like malls and department stores, people have no option but to park their vehicles a few blocks away, thanks to packed parking lots. To prepare for such an eventuality, people carry portable these scooters in their cars and ride the distance from their parked car to the shopping mall to save both energy and time.

Modern electric scooters for kids are a classic example of old wine in a new bottle. They provide immense enjoyment and pleasure for both children as well as adults.