Gone are the days of wimpy electric motors and short lived, long charging NiCd batteries. We now live in a time where motors have cojones and Lithium-Polymer batteries can crank out the kilowatts, it’s about time we put them to good use on skateboards that do 0-28mph in 1.9 seconds!
With its 16.5 kW peak power output and it’s four low geared, torquey as all hell, 850 W motors, the newly released 4WD Trail Rider from Gnarboard can do just that. Unless you happen to drive a high end sports car, this skateboard is likely faster than your daily driver.
Unlike your daily driver, the Trail Rider is ready for both on and off road action with all-terrain tires capable of traversing soft sand and clawing up steep hills. I could paint a picture but, you really need to see the video to understand just how capable this beast is.
Maybe the most amazing fact of all is that this 47-inch long, 86 pound, all aluminum frame has a range of 13-16 miles and can be fully recharged in just 2 hours. To make sure you make it home after a day on the trails, the Gnarboard has a sort of fuel gauge that beeps when you reach 40% battery life, giving you just enough juice to make it back at a moderate cruising speed.
The batteries have a typical lifespan of 400-500 cycles when properly maintained, which means you should get about 6,000 miles of normal use with proper care. Try that with a NiCd pack.
For those of you looking to stick to streets, Gnarboards also has two rangy on-road models, the 2WD “Commuter” and the 4WD “Road Warrior” which can cover 18-21 and 15-18 miles respectively.
With prices ranging from $4800 – $6100 Gnarboards aren’t exactly cheap but, with current cost of gas and unbearable city traffic, the monetary and mental savings might be worth the pricetag.
Before you pull out your checkbook you’ll probably want to make sure you can ride a regular skateboard first, and have a helmet handy, as even the pros at Gnarboards recommend everyone wear full protection when out on the trails. Falling at 30mph hurts… a lot.
[Gnarboards via Gizmag]
We want to see it climb a soft sand hill on video. Sand dunes … to transport man…. Not just a hard packed little hill. Then need fold out solar panels for charging in the field. Camo sand color for military application in the desert. Bigger wheels and bigger board.