You can only take electric scooters in a carry-on or checked baggage on a plane if it has a battery size up to 160Wh. These airline guidelines mean that you won’t be able to take a vast majority of electric scooters with you on a plane as most e-scooters have a battery well above 160Wh in size. The only exception is if it has been certifiably deemed as a mobility aid, and it still can’t have a battery larger than stated.
With that in mind, if you happen to own an electric scooter with a battery size between 101Wh and 160Wh, then you may be able to get approval from the airline to take one with you on a plane.
Look:
You have to remember that airplanes require a higher standard of operation once it holds passengers. They always ask you to switch off all electrical devices as soon as you get on the plane shows how serious they take it. As such, you should understand that having a large battery upwards of 160Wh poses a serious risk to plane operations.
This limitation isn’t great news for anyone, and it wasn’t good for me just a few months ago either, as I had just gotten one of the best electric scooters for heavy adults. I had intended to take it with me on vacation, but after finding out that it’s not allowed, I had to change my plans. The good news is that there is a way you can take your electric scooter with you. Stick around until the end, and I’ll tell you my workaround.
But to give you a better understanding of the rules on bringing an electric scooter on a plane, see the FAA guidelines below:
Electric Scooter Guidelines for Domestic Flights in the U.S.
The FAA has issued very strict guidelines on lithium batteries being taken onto a plane. As stated earlier, they will only allow items with a max of 100Wh onto the plane in your carry on. If the item in question is above 100Wh, but below 160 Wh, you will be able to carry it in a piece of checked baggage.
Now you might be wondering…
How come I can take my laptop or phone on a plane?
The thing most people don’t realize is that those devices have a battery size that is well under the threshold of 100Wh. So unless you are a very short person and don’t mind riding a scooter designed for kids(scooters for kids usually have a very small battery; thus, they can be allowed on the plane), there isn’t much you can do except follow the workaround at the end.
Suppose you can somehow prove that your electric scooter is a medically necessary mobility aid. In that case, you will need to get in touch with the airline at least a week before flying(I’d recommend doing so even before booking a ticket). They will ask you a few questions about the battery, scooter size, and weight and make preparations and inform you on whether it is possible to take it.
In most cases, mobility scooters are allowed since they fall under different regulations than recreational scooters. However, there are still restrictions as the battery should not exceed 300Wh. And they only allow spare batteries of up to 300Wh. With this in mind, I’d always suggest reaching out to the airline beforehand to find out more information.
Electric Scooter Guidelines for International Flights
Li-ion batteries are strictly regulated for international flights because they are deemed as “dangerous goods.” However, the rules are almost identical, with only a few exceptions.
You can take a lithium-ion battery that doesn’t pass 100Wh in your carry-on or checked bags.
If the battery surpasses 100Wh but falls below 160Wh, you will only need to get approval from the airline operator before being allowed to take it with you.
In case the battery has a Wh rating surpassing 160Wh, you will not be able to take it onto the plane.
The Bottom Line – Solution
Under normal circumstances, you wouldn’t be allowed to take an electric scooter with you on a plane. But if you had an e-scooter like the Turboant X7 Pro, you would be able to detach the battery, which would allow you to take the “scooter” by itself on the plane. To get the battery, you could ship it to your destination by other forms of shipment, or you could check with USPS or FedEx.
Apart from separating the battery and shipping it to your destination, there isn’t any other workaround to take your electric scooter with you on a plane.