Will the Mellow skateboard kit's fast charger shorten the life of our battery pack?
If you often need to get back on your motor skateboard in minutes, not hours - you need a fast charger. But common wisdom seems to say that that can harm lithium ion batteries. Will your need for speed hurt your electric ride?
Well, as a rule of thumb, slower charging lithium ion batteries is generally better than fast charging. (although science might be proving otherwise) So why does Mellow offer a fast charger for it's swappable battery pack?
The Mellow fast charger uses about 3 times more current than the standard one, but both use levels that are well within the recommended operating range of the batteries. The actual danger in all types of fast charging for lithium batteries, whether they're in smartphones or electric skateboards, is the risk of damaging high temperatures. This can cause permanent problems within the battery which reduces capacity and even cause more dangerous issues unless the product possesses a system to avoid this. In order to ensure that fast charging is safe for you and the battery, the three major factors involved are designed to work together to monitor and protect:
1. choice of quality brand name cells with robust chemistry
2. a high-end custom battery management system (BMS)
3. a proven, reliable fast charger
Our Samsung model INR18650-20R cells have been the go-to choice in the industry for years for their balance between performance, safety and longevity. They are nestled in our protective PC/ABS battery pack with air-gapped holders and a Goretex membrane for better overall air flow and heat dissipation. Mellow's BMS, custom-designed in our labs, uses multiple temperature sensors with battery level algorithms far beyond basic real-time voltage readings to give more precise overwatch and maintenance. It's microprocessor brain is even capable of shutting down the battery pack completely if the charger were to inexplicably go haywire. Both charge units, sourced from the European tech leader Mascot (founded in 1938), are internationally and even medically certified, use advanced three-step charging, and have protection against reversed polarity and shorts. Both models are proven top-of-the-line products that have been customized with not a little bit of Mellow blue to make your power cable stand out in the jungle under your desk, or at your feet in the pub.
• Standard Charger (link)
• Fast Charger (link)
Help prolong your the cell life of your battery powered skateboard by taking care not to store discharged cells for long periods of time, and especially not in high temperatures. Charge only at moderate temperatures (no cold garages, or inside hot standing cars!) to avoid premature aging.
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