E-scooter batteries, like all lithium-ion batteries, are an excellent, energy-dense power source. And like all energy-dense power sources, the right precautions make all the difference.
To keep scooter batteries functioning properly for as long as possible, it’s critical to ensure that they’re well protected. This isn’t just important for scooter safety. It’s also important for the planet, minimizing waste, maximizing lifespan and separating what’s inside of a scooter battery from what’s outside of it.
The Bird team is fully committed to the safety and sustainability of our vehicles. It’s this commitment that led us to develop the industry’s only IP68-rated battery—the most protected shared e-scooter battery against dust and water damage in the world.
What is the IP Rating System?
The IP, or Ingress Protection, code is a classification system developed by the International Electrotechnical Commission. It rates the “degree of protection provided by mechanical casings and electrical enclosures against intrusion, dust, accidental contact, and water.”
The two digits following “IP” refer to an enclosure’s ability to protect against solid particles (the first number, based on a scale of 0-6) and liquid ingress (the second number, based on a scale of 0-8*).
*A liquid ingress score of 9K is achievable, but it only applies to enclosures specifically designed to protect against exposure to high-pressure blasts (8–10 MPa/80–100 bar) of high-temperature water (80°C/176°F).
Why is an IP68 Rating Important?
An IP68-certification means that a given electrical enclosure has achieved the highest level of protection against damage from solids and standing water, period. And Bird is the only micromobility company offering a battery that has achieved this rating.
Each of our Bird Two batteries is vacuum sealed against dust and can remain submerged in water more than 2x as deep for extended periods more than 4x as long as the nearest other scooter battery. This protection is extremely important for shared micromobility vehicles that will spend years out in the elements, exposed to rain, snow, dirt, mud, puddles and potential vandalism. It’s also a critical safeguard against water intrusion that can lead to potential hazards like thermal runaway.
Thanks to their industry leading IP68-rated protection, Bird Two batteries can achieve 14,000+ miles (22,500+ km) of expected battery life, resulting in more than 10 years of safe, everyday use.
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