Battery And Electronics

An electronic cigarette battery connected to a USB charger.

Many different battery charger types are available, such as wall outlet, car, and USB chargers. The battery is generally the largest component of an electronic cigarette.

Some electronic cigarettes employ an electronic airflow sensor to automatically activate the heating element upon inhalation, while other models require the user to press a button while inhaling. Various other electronic circuits are usually employed as well, such as a timed cutoff switch to prevent overheating and a colored LED to signal activation of the device and also to mimic the glow of a cigarette's end tip.

Traditionally, electronic cigarettes have utilized an electronic means of activation. This involved the use of small tactile switches, vacuum switches and the related wiring and electronics necessary to run them. Users soon discovered these could be unreliable. With the advent of "mods", several manufacturers have created all-mechanical electronic cigarettes that eliminate the use of any wiring, solder or electronics in an effort to improve switch reliability.

While some larger electronic cigarette models employ a user-replaceable standard-size battery cell, many models are too small to house a standard-size cell and instead require a proprietary component made by the electronic cigarette manufacturer. For those models, the battery and electronic components are housed within a single replaceable part, which is still generally referred to in the industry simply as the "battery".

There have been some recent developments with the implementation of mobile phone battery technology into this market sector allowing the electronic cigarettes batteries to be charged on the go in a crumple proof box known as a Personal Charging Case. The rechargeable battery inside the Personal Charging Case allows the user to charge the battery stems inside the case and store the replacement cartomizers/cartridges too. The recharging box/case is also the same size as a packet of traditional tobacco cigarettes.

Nicotine and non-nicotine solution

Nicotine solutions sold separately for use in refillable cartridges are sometimes referred to as "e-liquid" or "e-juice", and commonly contain some amount of flavoring, with hundreds of different flavors available. They consist of nicotine dissolved in propylene glycol (PG) and/or vegetable glycerin (glycerol) or VG. Both PG and VG are common food additives.

Solutions are also available in differing nicotine concentrations, to let the user decide the amount of nicotine to be taken in. Concentrations range from Zero Nicotine, low and midrange doses (68 mg/ml and 1014 mg/ml respectively), to high and extra-high doses (1618 mg/ml and 2436 mg/ml respectively). The concentration ratings are often printed at the e-liquid bottle or cartridge, although the standard notation "mg/ml" often gets abbreviated to just "mg". Solutions are also available that contain no nicotine at all.

Some flavor varieties attempt to resemble traditional cigarette types, such as regular tobacco and menthol, and some even attempt to mimic specific cigarette brands, such as Marlboro or Camel. Fruit and other flavors are also available, such as vanilla, caramel, and coffee.