As a skateboarder, the most thrilling feeling you get to enjoy is the sense of freedom! While controlling both the body weight and board speed, you can maneuver your skateboard in any way you want to. But how fast can you go? Or, more specifically, how fast does an electric skateboard go? Well, the answer is not too complicated, to begin with.
An average quality electric skateboard can travel from 18 to 28 mph. However, with some skateboards, you can go over 40mph if you want. Since factors like motor strength, terrain, skater’s weight, wheel size, etc. can influence the performance, the top speed of such skateboards can vary from brand to brand.
Skateboarding is one of the fun sports you can play on a regular basis. While following the skateboarding laws properly, you can use your skateboard for daily commuting, serious workouts, or competition. If you are new at skating, the whole thing might look a bit hard to you at first! But once you get comfortable on your board, you can become the master of it!
See Also: Best Cruiser Skateboards for Beginners (Buyer’s Guide)
What Does It Take for an Electric Skateboard to Go Fast?
Your skateboard doesn’t just run fast without any reason. There are several factors that determine the max speed of electric skateboards. These features make sure you can quicken up your pace whenever you need them. But what components contribute to the electric skateboard top speed? Let’s find out more!
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Motor Power
For regular commuting, you would want your electric board to ride faster than the walking speed. This is possible only if the board has a powerful motor as it will help the skateboard to increase the speed. The more power the motor will have, the quicker your board will go. Hence, you must choose a skateboard based on the strength of the motor.
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Skater’s Weight
Your weight plays a significant role to determine how much speed you can get with an e-board. If you are on the heavier side of the scale, your e-board will be slower. A hefty loaded board is bound to lessen the range and average velocity. You will also face difficulties climbing the hill and an increased stopping gap. Hence, you have to maintain the shape for some specific endeavors. You can visit to Weight Controlled Electric Skateboard to know more.
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Battery Power and Controller
The motor and the battery have to work synchronizing for the fastest experience. Even if you mount a robust motor on the skateboard, there will be no result without any battery connection. You also have to make sure the battery and the motor have the same output. The board motor can transfer and deliver only that specific amount of power coming from the battery.
The controller will help you to control the motor speed and the drive as well. It will make sure you get the proper amount of electric power to run the board.
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Wheel Size
The wheel type and wheel size are also crucial for the top speed of the e-skateboards. Despite the extra effort you have to put in, bigger wheels can go faster than smaller ones. You just have to spin it by maintaining a similar rate as the small wheels. The large wheel has a higher top speed but with less torque and slower acceleration. And vice versa with the small wheels.
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Gear Ratio
Specific designs of gear for high speed is quite important. However, the gearings of e-motors and combustion engines are not the same. Due to its high revving rate, one gear is enough for electric motors. It can create a good amount of torque even if the RPM is low. You can gear the electric motor for top speed with sufficient acceleration and speed.
These types of designs are better if you want your e-board to run fast. Hence, you should check if the skateboard comes with high-speed gearing.
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Remote Controller Settings
Most of the skateboard company offers a remote controller that comes with various performance and speed settings. They may even come with the beginner, eco, or many more modes depending on what you prefer. You can obtain the top speed using the highest setting of the remote controller.
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Terrain and Weather Conditions
The terrain is another crucial aspect for reaching the top speed. When a company states the highest speed range of their e-skateboards, they usually mean the maximum speed you can get in the best possible condition. Ramps, hills, and other obstacles can slow down the e-board in many ways. If you are to ride against a tilty area, the speed will deteriorate.
The smoothness and quality of the ground also are vital in this case. An even asphalt means you can aim for the fastest run. You also have to consider the weather, as riding along with the wind will be faster than riding opposite the wind.
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Battery Charge and Voltage Sag
To get the best speed, your skateboard needs to have quality parts as well. The battery of the e-board should have enough energy to run at top speed. These parts will feel higher temperatures with increased speed. The faster your board goes, the more power it’s going to use. It means, being at the top speed will drain the battery sooner.
And the more the battery power drains, the quicker the top speed would fall. Therefore, you should invest in quality parts that are specially designed for high-speed rides.
Safety Cautions – Why Fast E-boards are So Dangerous?
No matter which sport or activity you are trying out you have to maintain safety first! Fastest top speeds aren’t always safe, and this is the ultimate truth that you should keep in your mind. Especially when you are riding an electric skateboard, it feels like you are practically balancing on a rope. That type of high speed is something you can’t achieve at a regular human pace.
On pavement, the speed of your board is often more than 20mph. While it can be painful, you have to remember that falling is an unavoidable part of skateboarding. Besides, you don’t get enough protection layers, unlike your vehicle. You just have your protective gear, clothes, and your instinct to avoid the danger.
You might be wondering why the high-speed ride is riskier than the lower ones? The answer is pretty simple. The more speed you have, the harder you will fall. Too much speed can lead you to crash landing, where you won’t have enough time to control your move. As a result, you may face severe injury on your head or other body parts!
Directing the board with higher speed will also increase the stopping distance. It means, doubling your board pace will triple the stopping distance.
What to Consider If You Want to Ride Fast – 5 Tips
Once you have learned all the basics of skating and now want to upgrade your techniques, you have to work on your speed controlling skills. You should learn when to quicken and slow the pace, depending on the turns and twists of the road.
- Some skateboarders may feel wearing protection looks uncool, but you have to be wise about it. No one wants to have a broken bone or fractured skull while on a fun activity! Hence, you have to take the safety measure very seriously.
- This is the most important thing you should do first, get a high-speed electric skateboard for yourself. And then, you can start learning some advanced skills on your board. While a traditional skateboard is the best option for a beginner, you have to upgrade your tool when it’s the right time.
- Running fast on a busy street crowded with cars and people, it doesn’t sound plausible, right? The same applies when you are on the skateboard. A sleek, long, and free street is the perfect place for practicing high-speed skating. It will be best if you can drive on an unused airport runway!
- Larger wheels can aid to quicken your pace when you are skating. Hence, mount wide wheels on your skateboard. This way, you can get the desired speed you want in your ride!
- You wouldn’t want the e-skateboard to stop in midway, right when you are about to perform your best trick! This could be a big problem with an electric board as they can’t run if it isn’t charged enough. To avoid such misfortune, make sure to have your skateboard battery fully charged.
Need for Speed?
To any skateboarder, speed is undeniably the most lucrative feature during their ride. This is pretty normal, as high speed gives you a sense of freedom. If you need to feel that thrilling sensation, you should get an e-board that can provide the maximum speed. However, you have to keep in mind that electric skateboards are better suited for urban usage.
You shouldn’t use it for highway rides or long-distance drives. While 20MPH speed may seem pretty slow for an e-board, it is more than enough to roam around the city. Besides, these slow e-boards cost you less, need lower maintenance, are more eco-friendly, and safe to ride. However, riding an e-board could be a legal issue in some countries.
In some areas, you can use an e-board that can drive up to 20MPH speed. More than this speed limit requires a registered skateboard and a licensed driver!
Where Do I Find Fast Electric Skateboards?
If you want to buy a fast electric skateboard for yourself, you can select from NEXTBoard, Bajaboard, Bioboard, and many more. The price may feel too much at first, but these brands are indeed the best ones for professionals. In fact, the Guinness World Record for fastest electric skateboard was set by Mischo Erban, who used a NEXTBoard by NGV for this quest.
Are Electric Skateboards Faster than Regular Skateboards?
The answer to this question is pretty easy actually. Yes, e-skateboards are definitely faster than regular skateboards. This fact shouldn’t be too surprising as the electronic one has motor power as an extra backup. On the other hand, a typical board has to be maneuvered manually.
While the kid’s e-skateboard can easily reach this speed range, the adult e-boards can exceed it by a large margin on the flat ground. If you are skateboarding downhill, the outcome is another story. With the help of gravity, you automatically achieve insane speed while going downhill.
Even a non-electric board can reach up to 60MPH, which is similar to the top-speed e-skateboards. You can also use this gravity factor on your e-skateboard. But you have to maintain the safety issues regarding this. Many skaters use a handheld brake while riding e-skateboard.
The main difficulty with this type of brakes is the possibility of malfunctioning while going downhill. Because if you are using a brake with a fully charged skateboard battery, there is a chance of overcharging, and the brakes will stop working. Hence, it’s better to ride downhill without any e-skateboard that requires electric brakes.
You must learn how to stop it manually. Moreover, you shouldn’t even try to surpass the e-skateboard’s maximum speed limit by sprinting downhill. Instead of pressing the brake button repeatedly to control the speed limit, the most secure way to manage a downhill ride is to apply the brake smoothly.
Final Words
Nowadays, skateboarding has become a very popular fun activity among people. While most of them are teenagers, many adult people prefer skating over anything else. This is mostly due to the affordability and refreshing features it provides. Regardless of your age, you should be careful and always wear protective gear for safety purposes.
While you can use your spare time for cruising or performing tricks on your skateboard, there are many skills you can achieve with your board. If you want to understand your capacity, knowing how fast does an electric skateboard goes can be beneficial in many ways. So, instead of sitting around your home watching tv, you can grab a skateboard and see if you are up for it!
