Some Gizmag readers may remember the Monolith. It’s an electric skateboard with in-wheel hub motors, that has a spritely top speed of 39 km/h (24 mph). Well, Slovenian startup NGV (Next Generation Vehicle) has built a similar board of its own. It’s called the Next Board, and its creators are aiming for a we’ll-believe-it-when-we-see-it top speed of 100 km/h (62 mph).
The current Next Board prototype has modified outrunner brushless DC electric motors in each of its wheels. These are powered by a 6-cell lithium-polymer 22.2-volt 8,000-mAh battery pack located under the deck, which is made from nine layers of maple veneer. A handheld remote is used to control the speed.
Charging the battery takes 1.5 hours, and the board has an approximate range of 10 to 15 km (6 to 9 miles) – if you aren’t going too fast.
On which topic, NGV’s Tina Mahovlič tells us that the prototype has already been taken up to 65 km/h (40 mph) on flat ground. The team now has enough components to build seven more boards, so the top end could yet reach the 100-mark as development continues.
Mahovlič says that a Kickstarter campaign may begin sometime this autumn (Northern Hemisphere), although pricing and commercial availability estimates aren’t yet available. NGV also doesn’t have a website yet, although you can check out its Facebook page.
I guess in the MACRO sense, it is.... along with everything else we do or purchase.
hum...
I wonder about the small wheels, though. Unless you are riding on brand new asphalt any small defect in the surface could send you flying. Maybe that is the meaning of "pointless" since any protrusions from you face/body will get rubbed off by the pavement.
Some early adopters will be killed. The deaths are a result of the spirit of adventure and exploration. That is not valued by some who would like to live in a world where every action, every thought is controlled by consensus. They are called statists/collectivists. This is the age old battle of individualism vs. collectivism, freedom vs. slavery.
This is more a sports product/item than just one more electric skateboard.
actually you can design the skateboard to go whatever speed you want, its all in the gearing (in this case there isn't any gearing its mostly about wheel diameter) & the way the copper is wound in the motor!
the problem with such a high top is you have very little torque at low speed, so getting started on flat ground might be a problem, you might need a slight down hill slope.
there is a great place to learn how to build your own electric skateboard at home, its actually fairly easy! Check out the electric skateboard forum www.electric-skateboard.builders
You can watch full video here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XptB3rC7EZs