If you want to select an electric skateboard, there are a few things that you need to consider and research. You need to decide what your main reason is for buying an electric skateboard. It does not matter if it is for pleasure, to go to work or simply to travel from point A to B. Then decide based on the area where you live or want to entertain electric skateboard how much force you need minimum. In the Netherlands, everything is very flat, so you don’t need a strong board, but if you want to take your skateboard on vacation to southern Europe, then you need some extra power to climb the hills/mountains beyond. Here are some tips to keep in mind when buying an electric skateboard. Remember that you should always wear a helmet!
Components
These are the main components of an electric skateboard and we will also briefly explain why they are so important:
Batteries: Recent battery upgrades are the only reason the E-class skateboard has become so popular and why we wrote this article. The electric skateboard has been around for years, but often weighed 20-30kg due to heavy batteries. In the last five years, lithium batteries have evolved, drastically reducing weight and improving safety. This makes the boards easier to maneuver and portable. In addition to a safer and lighter board, the batteries now have a greater autonomy. Always be sure to follow the manufacturer’s recommendations when charging your board, due to the battery life of the board. Otherwise, then you will be skating on a very expensive and heavy longboard.
Engines: Today’s motors are between 400 and 2000 watts. A 400-watt motor is fine for flat area, but don’t assume you’re also revving up hills. A 2000 watt motor will generally go up steep inclines and give you terrifying acceleration.
S-control: Most electric skateboards use a wireless handheld controller that can be used while riding. The controllers have indicator lights so you know the status of your board. For example, what percentage is the battery charged, or that something is wrong with the board. The drawback is that it is not yet visible in what percentage of the controller, so we recommend loading it with the board. Another downside of a controller is that this is something you need to pay attention to and needs to be charged. We have already had a dead battery several times and then your electric skateboard just a slow heavy longboard (it will go on but it is very heavy). The Zboard and a wheel use your weight and input from your feet, so you don’t need to bring a controller. The downside is that you have no idea how full your electric skateboard battery is. When a wheel you have to stop and look at the indicators and count or an app for it.
wheels: All boards use longboard wheels. These make it possible to ride over some pretty rough terrain, but they certainly don’t give you the same smooth ride as a bike. The durometer or hardness of the wheel can tell us more. The lower the number, the smoother, and more grippy, the wheel (smoother ride). Higher numbers sometimes mean harder wheels and less grip (a bumpy ride). Even money the bigger the wheel the smoother the ride. The only exception is the onewheel, which has a big wheel kart that can drive on severe rough terrain and even on unpaved roads.
Load: Not all chargers are the same. Some will charge your board in half an hour or even less, while others charge in 3-5 hours. Each electric skateboard comes with its own charger and there are no third party chargers you can buy. So if you buy the Yuneec, just wait 3+ hours until it’s fully charged. Although there are no car chargers for electric scooters yet (at least the one we tested), you can still buy an adapter, but we and the manufacturers advise against using it.
Why not just a normal longboard skateboard?
Even if the electric skateboard price drops as we expect, why wouldn’t you buy a €50 longboard that weighs around 2kg instead of 7kg? For some people a longboard is all they need. But the electric skateboard has some important advantages:
Brakes: Going down hills is easy with e-board. However, braking with a longboard requires a lot of skill. Also if you drive close to people then a power dash will give you much more control over your speed and you also have an emergency brake.
Traffic Tracking: If you ride your bike on lanes or streets, with an electric skateboard you can follow the flow of other bikes and cars much better.
Climbing hills: No explanation needed.
Faster to your destination: With Boost Board you can reach a speed between 24-35 km/h. A longboard is 8-16 km/h.
Cooling: If you’re riding during hot temperatures, you’ll arrive cool on an electric skateboard instead of breaking a sweat on a longboard.
