Code of Federal Regulations for Lithium Ion Batteries 49 CFR 175.10

Below is the DOT regulation regarding airline travel with lithium ion batteries.  Up to January 1, 2012, compliance with this regulation has been on a voluntary basis for the airlines.  As of January 1, 2012, compliance is mandatory.

TravelScoot's single capacity Li-Ion battery contains 24 gram lithium and is approved for air travel.

The complete text of 49 CFR 175.10 is at
http://ecfr.gpoaccess.gov/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=ecfr&sid=1cbbd60e3b9ad751579279fd251f54b3&rgn=div8&view=text&node=49:2.1.1.3.11.1.25.5&idno=49.  Sections 17 and 18 apply to the lithium ion batteries.  I have excerpted the text below:

(17) A lithium ion battery-powered wheelchair or other mobility aid as follows:

(i) A wheelchair or other mobility aid equipped with a lithium ion battery, when carried as checked baggage, provided—

(A) The lithium ion battery must be of a type that successfully passed each test in the UN Manual of Tests and Criteria as specified in §173.185 of this subchapter, unless approved by the Associate Administrator;

(B) Visual inspection of the wheelchair or mobility aid reveals no obvious defects;

(C) Battery terminals must be protected from short circuits ( e.g., by being enclosed within a battery container that is securely attached to the mobility aid);

(D) The pilot-in-command is advised, either orally or in writing, prior to departure, as to the location of the wheelchair or mobility aid aboard the aircraft; and

(E) The wheelchair or mobility aid is loaded, stowed, secured and unloaded in an upright position and in a manner that prevents unintentional activation and protects it from damage.

(F) A lithium metal battery is forbidden aboard a passenger-carrying aircraft.

(ii) A wheelchair or other mobility aid when carried as checked or carry-on baggage, provided—

(A) The wheelchair or other mobility aid is designed and constructed in a manner to allow for stowage in either a cargo compartment or in the passenger cabin;

(B) The lithium ion battery and any spare batteries are carried in the same manner as spare batteries in paragraph (a)(18) of this section.

(C) The lithium ion battery and any spare batteries are carried in the same manner as spare batteries in paragraph (a)(18) of this section.

(18) Except as provided in §173.21 of this subchapter, portable electronic devices (for example, watches, calculating machines, cameras, cellular phones, lap-top and notebook computers, camcorders, etc.) containing cells or batteries (including lithium cells or batteries) and spare batteries and cells for these devices, when carried by passengers or crew members for personal use. Each spare battery must be individually protected so as to prevent short circuits (by placement in original retail packaging or by otherwise insulating terminals, e.g. , by taping over exposed terminals or placing each battery in a separate plastic bag or protective pouch) and carried in carry-on baggage only. In addition, each installed or spare battery must not exceed the following:

(i) For a lithium metal battery, a lithium content of not more than 2 grams per battery; or

(ii) For a lithium-ion battery, an aggregate equivalent lithium content of not more than 8 grams per battery, except that up to two batteries with an aggregate equivalent lithium content of more than 8 grams but not more than 25 grams may be carried.

Battery Life

Hardy Huber on battery life

Hardy Huber is the mastermind who invented the TravelScoot.  Recently Elford in Helsinki, Finland sent me an email correspondence he had with Hardy about the lifetime of the lithium ion batteries.  You can read more background on this on the post titled "Scooter gang of Vuosaari."

I have two of the regular size lithium ion batteries.  The first was purchased 2 1/2 years ago.  I'm just starting to see some decline in how long this battery holds a charge, but it's still very usable.

This is what Hardy had to say about battery life:

Every Battery starts deteriorating the moment it is made. In other words, capacity is very slowly decreasing. Eventually there will be a moment where distance is not satisfactory anymore. Rebuilding is not an option because the electronic inside has been improved several times, so all what may be usable is the housing.

To get an idea about the condition, I would chose a round course with a known distance and ride with two fully charged battery until one shut down. Since your wife recently got a new scooter you could compare old against new.

My Travel Kit arrived!

I received my TravelScoot Travel Kit today. They are good quality items, and nicely made. The bag that protects the controls is much thicker material than the black bag that comes with the scooter. There's a piece of velcro that holds it in place. Also, the color in the picture looks dark pink on my monitor, but it's actually the same color as the fabric caddy.

The battery bag is the perfect size to hold two of the lithium ion batteries. I'll definitely be using mine to hold the battery (or batteries!) when I fly. I also like it that it has the TravelScoot emblem on it. It makes it look like it belongs with the scoot.

Here are links to the original posts:

New travelScoot Travel Kit

http://mytravelscoot.blogspot.com/2009/05/new-travelscoot-travel-kit.html

A New and Easier Way of Airline Travel

http://mytravelscoot.blogspot.com/2009/05/new-and-easier-way-of-airline-travel.html

Lithium Ion Batteries and the New Wider/Deeper Seat

Batteries: Hardy Huber now has more lithium ion batteries in stock. He'd been out for a few weeks.

Bigger Seats: I have the prototype for the new, larger seat. Hardy says he'll have more in and available for shipping in the middle of July. If you buy your TravelScoot before then he'll send the regular seat (which works well), and trade out for the larger seat when they come in.

Sorry the picture is a bit dark, but the seat on the left is the regular seat and the one on the right is the wider and deeper one. The seat is turned upside down, and the one on the left has the metal part attached that attaches to the base of the scoot.

What happens when the battery is getting low

I definitely overloaded the battery, because I got no warning. This is what the manual says happens when the Lithium Ion battery is running out of power. Your assignment is to go read ALL your battery manual, so you can learn from my experience. :-)

With the Li-Ion battery, you will see a steady yellow-red phase on your battery meter for about the last 1/2 mile. For proper travel distance planning you need to observe early signs of battery weakness, typically occurring during the last 2-3 miles. There is a brief switch from green to yellow on inclines or when accelerating from a stop, and returning to green when reaching normal driving conditions. Also keep in mind that a battery in this state of discharge is more prone to an overload shut-off.

Dealing with a Lithium Ion Battery Overload

Here's what the owner's manual for the TravelScoot's Li-Ion Battery says about battery overload. It sounds like exactly what happened to me. I still prefer this battery. I'll just be better prepared if/when it happens again.

Unlike SLA (Sealed Lead Acid) and NiMH (Nickel-Metal-Hydride) batteries, the Li-Ion battery has a Protection Circuit Board (PCB), which controls charging and discharging. An important feature of the PCB is the overload protection.

Light duty batteries, such as those commonly used in light-duty scooters can be overloaded easily when used a prolonged distance on inclines or off-road conditions, especially when heavily loaded. SLA and NiMH batteries are generally not protected against such rigors and are subsequently subject to premature deterioration.

The overload protection inside the Li-Ion battery prevents this type of abuse and shuts off the power instantly. You will notice no light on the battery meter.

In order to restore power, a brief charge to the battery is necessary. Unless you are in a building, you might have no immediate access to an electric outlet, so you need to do it differently. You need to get off the scooter and with the power switch ON, give it a strong brief push while staying standing. The motor will act as a generator and reset the battery. During the push the light is red and will return to green. A few attempts may be required.

Since this procedure is a bit annoying, you need to be smart and avoid such situations in the first place.

It's in the bag

One of the things I bought at Walmart on Saturday was a laptop bag to carry my battery in. I have the lithium ion battery, and I can't leave it in the trunk of my car with my TravelScoot because if it gets too hot it's a fire hazard. This bag gives me a cute and efficient way to carry my 4 1/2 lb. battery with me and keep it protected. And it only cost $20.

Oops... my bad.

In retrospect I should have known this might happen -- I pushed my TravelScoot too far today. I zoomed through one Walmart, and then a second Walmart. A motorcycle guy walked into Walmart at the same time I did, and he was obviously impressed. "Wow, you got on that thing and in here fast!"

After a break at home I did BOTH floors of a huge mall, then Sam's Club. I was by myself and moving fast. But even so, that was all just fine. The fatal mistake was deciding to drive from Sam's Club across the Sam's Club parking lot, across the street, across the Walmart parking lot to my third Walmart of the day. I was going in the door when it happened. The battery light flashed yellow and then it flashed red, and then all power was gone.

I think I overloaded my lithium ion battery, but I didn't have my charger with me to fix it. I folded my scoot up and put it in a cart and took it back to my car. The battery is charging now.

I'm thinking a backup battery might be a good thing. Especially for days like today. (Or going to the Smithsonian at the end of July!) I also need to read the battery manual again.

What was I looking for in Walmart? A specific brand and model of a digital camera. I want one small enough to carry in my purse. It's now on its way from Amazon.com. ;-)

Charge!

The first thing we did was set up the lithium ion battery to charge. It didn't take long to charge it the first time. It was easy to charge.

I've never had a battery before than came with an owner's manual. It's high tech!

One thing to note: You need some strength in your hands to put the TravelScoot together. It's not difficult to do though. There wasn't even any cursing involved.