This is How To Charge A Bird Scooter Quickly!
Bird scooters are a fleet of dockless rental electric scooters founded by Travis VanderZanden in the summer of 2017.
Bird offers transportation services to its customers like lime and Uber, but unlike Uber and Lyft, Bird deals in electric scooter transportation.
Bird has a fleet of electric scooters in different places around the US called “NESTS.” Each nest can have 3 to 6 electric scooters primed and ready for renting.
If there are lots of Bird “NESTS” where you live, and you are looking for extra cash, you can apply to be a Bird charger. Verified Bird chargers get provided with three sets of bird chargers. You don’t need to charge Bird electric scooters. The reason is that Bird has a team that charges the electric scooters every night.
How Do I Charge a Bird Scooter Battery?
If you are new to charging Bird scooters, you will need to get verified Bird chargers before you can charge bird scooters.
If you have successfully registered as a Bird charger, they will email you three sets of bird chargers that you can use to start charging the scooters.
After acquiring the charging bricks, it is time to start “Bird catching” (pun intended, that’s what they call it).
Bird scooters typically become available for pickup around 9 PM daily, and their pay rate is graded based on difficulty retrieving them.
You can get like 3 dollars for charging easy-to-find scooters parked in the correct parking spots, but the harder-to-find scooters can award you up to 15 dollars for retrieval and charging.
You are going to need a car so that you can retrieve the electric scooters efficiently. After retrieving the scooters, it is now time to charge them.
The standard bird charger has a 100-240v and a 42v 2A power rating, filling up the Scooter in about 4-5 hours depending on the battery level.
You have to plug the power bricks into a wall socket and plug it into the charging port.
The charging port is on the neck of the Scooter or where the kickstand is. If you plug the charger in, a red indicator light should indicate it is charging.
When the battery is full, the indicator light will turn green, and you can now unplug and charge any scooters you have left.
How Can I Charge a Bird Scooter At Home?
You don’t need specialized training before you can begin charging your catch of bird scooters at home.
Bird scooters use a compact and lightweight charging adapter that is very easy to set up and requires you to plug in and charge.
You can charge the scooters in your house garage or tool shed; ensure there is an electrical outlet with proper overvoltage protection.
You must follow some precautions before you start charging your haul of Bird scooters. Here are some of the most important factors you should consider before charging home.
#1. Ventilation
Batteries heat up whenever they are being charged or discharged; unlike electric cars, electric scooters do not have a cooling system to keep the batteries from overheating while charging.
Charging in crowded rooms or places with poor ventilation can lead to electrical fires and the release of poisonous lithium fumes.
You must ensure proper ventilation of the room you are charging the electric scooters.
#2. Temperature
Lithium Ion-Batteries are sensitive to temperature changes. Charging electric scooters during extreme weather like winter or hot summer days can shorten the battery lifespan of the Scooter.
If you just brought in the scooters for charging and it is freezing outside, it would be best if you allowed them to warm up before charging and vice-versa.
#3. Current Protectors
If you plan on charging multiple scooters in a shed or garage, you must ensure you have some voltage protection.
Although the power draw of a single power adapter is not much, adding three or more different charging bricks on a single socket can cause a heavy current draw on the circuit.
It would be best to install power protection like stabilizers and surge protectors to protect the scooters while charging.
#4. Charging Surfaces
The surface you place your You have to select the appropriate environment and charging surface before attempting to charge electric scooters.
Materials like carpets and rugs that can easily combust should not be in the charging room.
A garage with a cement floor will be the best place to charge all your harvested electric scooters.
How To Charge a Bird Scooter Without Charger?
You might have accidentally picked up more birds than you can charge in a single night.
One of your charging adapters can also fail suddenly, leaving you without a way to charge the Scooter.
There are other ways to charge the electric Scooter, but they are not advisable.
Here are some methods you can try charging the electric scooters with if there’s no charger available.
#1. Universal Power Adapters
There are universal power adapters that can charge several mainstream electric scooters.
If you have any of these lying down at home, you can give it a shot to see if it will charge the bird scooter.
Bird electric scooters use a 42v 2A charger, so if you see a power adapter with a rating close to this, it should charge the Scooter.
#2. Lead Acid Battery Car Charger
Modern car battery chargers can adjust the amount of DC voltage they output.
If the charger can output up or close to 42v, you can attempt charging the Scooter after properly connecting or Jerry rigging the charging cables.
#3. Electronic Adapters With Similar Rating
Electronics like flat-screen TVs, radio receivers, and laptops all use an external power adapter.
If you have a power adapter that can supply up to 42 volts, you can try using it to charge the scooter.
You can check for the power adapter with a voltage closest to 42 volts, and you can Jerry rig to see if it will charge.
All the abovementioned options are not sustainable methods of charging Bird electric scooters for extended periods.
It would be best to purchase Bird-certified charging bricks if you want to charge their electric scooters.
How Long Does It Take To Charge a Bird Scooter?
It takes about 3-4 hours for a dead Bird electric Scooter to charge fully. Charging time can be affected by different factors, either positively or negatively.
Below are the four main factors that affect charging time.
- Charging adapter wattage
- Battery level left
- Ambient temperature
- Scooter battery health
You can buy aftermarket chargers with a higher wattage than the standard Bird charger.
How To Charge Bird Scooter Faster?
There are some methods you can use that will enable you to charge your haul of Bird electric scooters faster.
Aftermarket chargers with higher Amp ratings will shorten the time for each Scooter to charge fully.
You can try Upgrading to a faster aftermarket charger to shorten your charging time further.
You can further shorten your charging time by charging the scooters earlier. It would be best if you started charging the scooters as early as 9 PM.
Charging as early as 9 PM will allow you to charge two sets of Bird Scooters at night and maximize your profits.
Although the quickest way to increase your charging speeds is by purchasing aftermarket chargers, there are still some advantages and disadvantages of using aftermarket chargers.
| Advantages Of Using Aftermarket Chargers | Disadvantages Of Using Aftermarket Chargers |
|---|---|
| Faster charging speeds. | More expensive to purchase. |
| Maximize profits. | Can void warranties. |
| Saves time. | Incompatible chargers can start an electrical fire. |
| Allows for two and more batches of scooters to be charged every night. | You will be held responsible for any damages caused by the charger. |
Related: Do Bird Scooters Work At Night?
Conclusion
You can apply to be a Bird farmer by downloading the bird app From the Play Store and completing the registration.
After successful registration, you will have to pay a $30 down fee for three sets of Bird chargers you can use to start charging birds. Only verified Bird farmers are allowed to charge Bird Scooters.
