What is the best battery for wheelchairs and scooters?

Wheelchairs and scooters are almost exclusively powered by sealed lead-acid batteries. Regular car batteries are sometimes used for cost reasons, but there is a danger of spillage if a car battery is overturned. Also, regular car batteries are not designed for deep cycling. The demanding cycling regiments of wheelchairs and scooters cause an undue strain on these batteries and shorten their lives. Nickel-based batteries would be lighter than lead-acid but are more expensive and require more maintenance. Lithium-ion batteries would simply be too delicate, and are a bit costly.

A new generation of wheelchairs is being developed that is able to ’stand up’ and climb stairs. These high-tech devices use gyroscopes for balancing. To obtain the extra power needed to run its internal computer and electric motors without adding too much weight, nickel-based batteries are used. The two-wheeled Segway scooter being touted to solve city transportations problems also uses nickel-based batteries.

For additional information, visit www.batterygiant.com