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| Fig. 1: Electric skateboards, now more advanced then ever, provide an alternative form of transportation for young adults. They come in a variety of models. (Source: Wikimedia Commons) |
A Boosted Board electric longboard is a modern form of the traditional skateboard that became popular in the late 20th century with teens and young adults as an everyday method of transportation. The longboard is the latest wheel- based method of transportation to modernize and become electric. Combustion engine cars are starting to be replaced by hybrid engines and fully electric cars, as are buses in cities and on college campuses, in addition to bikes and other small wheel-based designs. The boosted electric longboard is revolutionary in that it can greatly reduce the carbon footprint of a typical college student or city commuter as compared with a car. From experience, it's also the fastest and most efficient way of navigating through a campus or a city. While the small battery limits its potential use for commutes of longer distances, it's a practical, fun, and efficient piece of technology.
Boosted offers 3 different models that carry similar motors but differ in output power, effecting both the acceleration and top speed of the board. The Single model is powered by a 1000W motor and costs $999, the Dual is powered by a 1,500W motor and costs $1,299, and the Dual+ is powered by a 2000 W motor and costs $1,499. Depending on the speed at which one rides one, a Boosted board's estimated range is about 7 miles. An extended battery pack is available, which extends the board's range to approximately 12 miles. The most powerful model, the Dual+, is capable of reaching top speeds of 22 mph and can conquer hills with a grade up to 25%. The board is wirelessly controlled by an ergonomic handheld remote that gives a user the ability to accelerate, break, adjust acceleration speeds, and check the board's battery life. Recent e-vehicle inventions such as sageways, e-bikes, hoverboards are all unique in their own way, yet the Boosted Board is the first to give full operating control in the user's hand, in the form of a remote. While there are a number of companies who make electric longboards, as seen in the figure to the right, Boosted is the closest to perfecting the product.
What makes the Boosted Board such a unique form of transportation is the entertainment factor. While other mentioned e-vehicles all accomplish a similar goal of getting from point A to point B, the Boosted Board accomplishes not only that, but it becomes a source of fun and excitement every time a user rides it. From personal experience, compared with other small e-vehicles and electric cars, the Boosted offers the quickest way of getting around a place like Stanford's campus, or in urban parts of a city like San Francisco. Unlike bikes, sageways, hoverboards, and cars, which must be parked in designated areas and left unmonitored, Boosted Boards are light enough to be carried around wherever you go. This affords a user the ability to most efficiently get from place to place by eliminating the walk between a parking spot and their final destination, whether it be a class, business meeting, or casual lunch with friends. In fact, many cities and campuses have are beginning to implement lock stations specific to skateboards and longboards. [1] In terms of energy consumption, it is already known that electric cars trump regular cars over their lifespans. [2] Because the Boosted Board is such a new piece of technology, there has been little research comparing the a Boosted's efficiency with that of a car. However, the fact that a Boosted board weighs approximately 14.7 pounds, compared to the thousands of pounds that a typical electric vehicle weighs, it can be assumed that a Boosted Board is far more efficient. [3] An issue with other e-vehicles, especially because they have emerged rather recently, is that many campuses and cities often lack the designated parking areas for these vehicles, and when they do, the locations are often inconvenient, making the overall trip from point A to point B longer.
Every small e-vehicle or electric car comes with its positives and negatives. Compared with everything else, the Boosted Board definitely wins in the entertainment and efficiency categories. However, its smaller sized battery makes an e-bike, electric vehicle, or regular car much more practical for longer commutes. In addition, the fact that a Boosted Board can ride at high speeds with ease gives the user a false sense of safety, which often results in a minor crash or scare from time to time, whereas e-bikes and cars are much safer overall. Also, the fact that a Boosted Board is portable is definitely beneficial, however its unconventional shape makes it difficult to lock up and requires you to keep an eye on it at all times.
The Boosted Board is an example of a pre-existing technology like a longboard undergoing a modern transformation with the integration of an electric battery and motor. While a regular longboard is powered by a user's legs and consumes no energy, the benefits of being able to travel fast, all while having fun make a Boosted Board an extraordinary invention. The Boosted Board, regardless of whether or not it is the best new electric vehicle, falls into a larger category of electric vehicles that is transforming the way that people view everyday transportation. The fact that this particular invention is so fun to operate only encourages its users to abandon their traditional methods of transportation and adapt to a more eco-friendly lifestyle.
© Mikey Diekroeger. The author grants permission to copy, distribute and display this work in unaltered form, with attribution to the author, for noncommercial purposes only. All other rights, including commercial rights, are reserved to the author.
[1] G. Rose, "E-Bikes and Urban Transportation: Emerging Issues and Unresolved Questions," Transportation 39, 81 (2011).
[2] R. Nealer, D. Reichmuth, and D. Anair, "Cleaner Cars from Cradle to Grave," Union of Concerned Scientists, November 2015.
[3] D. Anair and A. Mahmassani, "State of Charge," Union of Concerned Scientists, June 2012.
