Electric skateboard is still in its infancy and as such they are not cheap. Even if you have no qualm about dropping handsome money for one, the boards the handful of manufacturers have to offer may not appeal to everyone. Or maybe you just could not let go of your seasoned kick-powered deck. Whatever the case maybe, we have good news for you, or rather Barcelona-based Unlimited Engineering has good news for you. The outfit has came up with the world’s first electric skateboard powertrain, called Eon, that will turn your manual skateboard into an electric vehicle “in seconds,” enabling it to cruise at a blazing 22 mph and up to a range of 15 miles.
The real draw here is obviously its ability to turn virtually any existing skateboard into a decent electric vehicle and without much hassle. All you have to do is to switch out your skateboard’s truck for the 3.3 lbs (1.5 kg) kit, and you are all set to zip around town with no kicking. I think the most brilliant feature is the ability to ‘upsize’ your range – just by adding another power pack. Like most electric skateboard, Eon comes with a wireless handheld remote for throttle and regenerative braking is in placed to recharge the cells when slowing down.
Other worthy mentions include weather resistant construction (though playing submarine is not recommended), carbon mounting plate to keep the package weight down while not sacrificing strength, custom levels to give extra kick when you need it (think: nitro boost), and advanced motors control algorithms to ensure smooth and quiet ride. Oh, there’s an app too which allow you to fine tune the ride, review ride metrics, and even connect with the rest of the riders.
If you think Unlimited’s Eon Electric Skateboard Powertrain is for you, then may want to consider pre-ordering the kit over at the product’s Kickstarter page. Prices range from €369-859 (around US$410-953), depending on the configuration and how soon you back the campaign. If you don’t already have a skateboard, Unlimited is also offering complete package with the skateboard, priced at €879-959 (or about US$976-1064). Either choice, they still a little cheaper than most electric skateboards out there. Now, all we need is for Unlimited to deliver as promised and on time.
Images: Unlimited Engineering.
