Should I but a second hand Ninebot which was unused for a year?

[Jasonf20]

Hi,

As the title says I found a guy selling a second hand Ninebot E+ and I am wondering if I should buy it since it sat unused for a year. I am concerned about impact to the battery life.

Should it be OK or would the battery be much worse then it should be?

 

Also, is there any way to verify the model really is an E+?

 

Thanks,

Jason

[Chriull]

26 minutes ago, Jasonf20 said:

Hi,

As the title says I found a guy selling a second hand Ninebot E+ and I am wondering if I should buy it since it sat unused for a year. I am concerned about impact to the battery life.

Should it be OK or would the battery be much worse then it should be?

From http://batteryuniversity.com/learn/article/how_to_prolong_lithium_based_batteries this could mean something between 98% to 65% battery capacity left:

"

Temperature	40% charge	100% charge	Table 3: Estimated recoverable capacity when storing Li-ion for one year at various temperatures. Elevated temperature hastens permanent capacity loss. Not all Li-ion systems behave the same.
0°C	98%	94%
25°C	96%	80%
40°C	85%	65%
60°C	75%	60% (after 3 months)

"

Worst case could be if he let the E+ with already empty batteries sit for a year - then they could be unusable by now.

26 minutes ago, Jasonf20 said:

Also, is there any way to verify the model really is an E+?

There were imho some small differences like screw holes etc which were different between E and E+. Maybe someone here remembers this in detail?

 

[WARPed1701D]

I would ensure it powers on OK and that the protection circuit hasn't killed the battery for good if it was stored empty and self discharged below safe levels. If it powers up I'd ask where and how it was stored. The data @Chriull included shows how the temperature it was stored at make a big deal to battery degradation. I doubt the owner could tell you the charge it was stored at and has likely topped it up by now if the battery is functional.

For your safety I'd consider factoring a replacement battery pack in your purchase decision and replacing it anyway. Use it as a argument to get the price down. A bad battery can mean you eat the ground unexpectedly.

[steve454]

7 hours ago, Jasonf20 said:

is there any way to verify the model really is an E+?

Look at the battery, an E+ has 320wh on the label.  If it says 220wh its a C+ battery.  The batteries could be switched but not likely.

[eddiemoy]

I think it is fine to buy a used Ninebot One.  You will definitely upgrade after you've learned and hit the limit on it.  I wouldn't worry about the battery much.  I only used my Ninebot One for a little over a month, then upgraded.

[Jasonf20]

I already know how to ride. Its very difficult to obatain EUCs in my country so this ninebot is going to be my "upgrade". Thanks for the help

[eddiemoy]

I think the batteries last for a while, a good example is the Airwheel which I bought 5 years ago, charged it tried to ride, gave up, left it in the garage, maybe brought it out for gatherings for a good laugh at people trying to ride it then back in the garage.  It still works fine and still holds a charge.  I wouldn't worry too much about the battery.  You can always replace it if needed.  I think the worst thing for a battery is to let it fun below the charging threshold.  But if it can still charge, that probably didn't happen.