Electric scooters in West Bengal: what to know before you buy used

You are buying a battery with a scooter attached

On a used electric scooter the battery is the majority of what you are paying for and the one part you cannot inspect by looking. Everything below is about judging it indirectly.

Ask for these

• Battery health from the app, shown to you on the day, not a screenshot from months ago.
• Real range on a full charge, and take the honest answer over the brochure figure. A scooter rated for 120 km that does 75 is normal after a few years; one that does 40 is a battery near the end.
• Warranty status. Most battery warranties run several years and transfer to the next owner, but only if the transfer is done properly. Check it is still in force and what it actually covers.
• Charging habits. Left on charge at 100 per cent permanently, in Kolkata heat, is the hardest life a battery can have.

Charging, realistically

Most owners here charge at home from a normal socket. Confirm you can actually run a cable to where you park, because that is the difference between owning one easily and not at all.

Running costs

The saving against petrol is real and is the reason to buy one. Just count the battery as a part with a life, not as something that lasts as long as the scooter.