Thinking about getting an electric Skateboard

[Vince-HX]

Well I have a bunch of cars and scooters and motorcycles to play with but I want a new toy, something electric.

I have been researching electric skateboards for a few days and I just wanted a little insight from the ecomodder community.

I'm looking for something that has a long range (10-15 miles) and only looking to spend around $5-600. There are a few companies that stand out.

E glide - electric skateboard - eglide skate boards made in the USA

Max Speed 20MPH
Max Range 12-15 Miles
Motor Power 24 Volt 400 Watt
Control/Throttle Hand Held Cabled Remote
Braking Motor Controlled Regenerative
Controller Curtis Instrument Controller
Drive System Synchronous belt
Battery Power 24volts@14amps
Charge Time 4-6 Hrs
Weight 55 lbs
Drive System Synchronous belt
Wheel Size 4 in. diam.
Batteries 24volts@14amps
Battery Life 250-300 charges
Charge Time 4-6 Hours

Metro-Board - Metroboard Ultra Light Electric Motorized Skateboard - Why Metroboard?


Top Speed: 16 mph (26 km/h)

Four speeds: 16 mph (26 km/h), 12 mph (19 km/h), 8 mph (13 km/h), 3 mph (5 km/h)

Speed and Braking Control:

Wireless Hand-Held Compact Remote Control with Smart Coding to prevent interference with nearby riders

POWER - Motor Output Power:
450 Watt (0.6 HP) Continuous / 900 Watt (1.2 HP) Peak
Motor Type: 24 Volt DC Brush Electric Motor, Rare Earth Magnet, High Efficiency (> 80%), Extremely Quiet

Acceleration: 0 to 16 mph (26 km/h) in 5 seconds

Braking: 16 mph (26 km/h) to 0 in 5 seconds (Electrical Regenerative Braking, Recharges Batteries).

Two braking levels: Hard and Light, depending on how quickly you want to stop

Hill Climbing Ability: Minimum 6 Degree Slope (depending on Rider Weight)

DISTANCE - Range: (on level ground, minimal starts/stops, 170 lb rider)

· 12 miles (20 km) with Ni-MH 9.0 AH batteries (equivalent to 18.0 AH SLA)

· 6 miles (10 km) with Ni-MH 4.5 AH batteries (equivalent to 9.0 AH SLA)

· 4 miles (6 km) with 6.0 AH SLA batteries


Longboard offers two additional options:

· 7 miles (11 km) with 24V 9.0 AH SLA batteries

· 10 miles (16 km) with 24V 12.0 AH SLA batteries

ENERGY
Battery Type: High Power Ultralight Ni-MH or Sealed Lead Acid (SLA)

Battery Capacity:

· 24V 6.0 Amp Hour SLA (makes product weight 22 lbs, 10 kg)

· 24V 4.5 Amp Hour Ni-MH (equivalent to 9.0 AH SLA) - adds $75 to base price (makes product weight only 18 lbs, 8 kg)

· 24V 9.0 Amp Hour Ni-MH (equivalent to 18.0 AH SLA) - adds $150 to base price (makes product weight only 22 lbs, 10 kg)

Longboard offers two additional options:

· 24V 9.0 Amp Hour SLA - adds $20 to base price (makes product weight 27 lbs, 12kg)

· 24V 12.0 Amp Hour SLA - adds $30 to base price (makes product weight 31 lbs, 14 kg)

Recharge Time: 4-6 hours (if batteries are completely drained)



The MetroBoards are a little more expensive, has a NiMh option, and weight about half as much as the E-glides. The E-Glides have a little more top speed but only offer a SLA type battery @ the moment.


I dunno, anyone have any experience with any of these products or another powerboard?

[achang1]

haha reading about a electric motor skateboard makes me nostalgic of teenage mutant ninja turtles.

[vskid3]

All the prebuilt ones I've seen look kinda junky in my opinion.
You could build your own using this guide. Then you can build it exactly how you want it. I personally would use 2 or 4 lower power motors, so it would have some off-roading capabilities/not get stuck if the drive wheel loses traction.

[sk84life]

I've checked both these boards which you've mentioned. I would go with the metro-board just for the reason of the weight. There are many reasons except that like much better customer service, a product which is much more reliable and a more comfortable controller.
You also have much more options for customization with the metro-board like choosing different style and size of boards, different quality of wheels and different battery packs.
Also, getting the most personal technical information is something that helps a great deal. Ilan, the owner of metro-board gives exactly that!
Enjoy!

[trebuchet03]

I had B... I paid $50.... It stopped working after a few months (motor controller wasn't beefy enough). It was fun Eventually I'll put the new controller in it A nice feature of the old controller was that it PWM'd up to speed when you hit the button - no need for hand control.

I've seen a few (like the ones you posted) on campus... And one nasty crash. Skateboard wheels don't car if it's electric - cracks eat 'em up :/

[vinny1989]

Why a skateboard? Why not one of these:

Self balancing one wheeled electric skateboard

Or

The Electric Unicycle