When it comes to off-road, stand-up, personal EVs, you might think you've already seen every configuration imaginable. Well, TLTBoard's new Gorilla board – with its one powered wheel and two outrigger wheels – is proof that you probably haven't.
Designed to provide a surfing-like riding experience, the Gorilla was created by Israeli mechanical engineer and former F-16 pilot Eyal Aloni.
He founded TLTBoards back in 2014, following his involvement in the development of the similar but now-defunct YX One board. Along with the just-announced Gorilla, his company already produces a more sedate Cruiser model and a no-holds-barred gas-powered model called the Grizzly. All three are manufactured in the US.
Like its siblings, the Gorilla has a single knobby-tired drive wheel in the back, along with two smaller, tilting, unpowered outrigger wheels in front. The rider stands sideways (surfboard-style), with one foot in front of the drive wheel and one foot behind it. A handheld controller on a central column contains a throttle and brake lever.
At slower speeds or when stopped, the vehicle's two front wheels hold it stable and upright. Upon gaining speed, however, the rider can shift their weight to raise those wheels off the ground – a skid plate in the rear keeps the board from tipping too far back. The 1,000-watt chain-drive motor provides a maximum speed of 45 mph (72 km/h).
"You can lean into all three wheels for stability, or lift the front wheels when the terrain gets rough and carve through it," says Aloni.
One 2.5-hour charge of the Gorilla's 17.5-Ah/72V lithium battery is claimed to be good for a range of up to 18 miles (29 km) – that figure will obviously be heavily influenced by the terrain. The whole stainless-steel-framed rig reportedly tips the scales at 70 lb (32 kg). By contrast, the gas-burnin' Grizzly weighs 92.5 lb (42 kg).
Should you be interested in getting a Gorilla of your own, you can order one now via the TLTBoard website for US$2,500. You can see it and hear it in action, in the video below.
The somewhat similar Triborg, announced back in 2016, failed to reach its crowdfunding goal.
Source: TLTBoard
