Los Angeles engineer David Jackson has developed, arguably, the coolest device to drive around the city. His newly created Speedboard Electric Skateboard effortlessly cruise at 48 km/h (30 mph). It is very maneuverable and rides on almost any terrain – from trampled earth to gravel road.
Typically, an electric skateboard is a slightly modified conventional board with four wheels and a direct electric drive. But this time, Jackson came up with this idea in a very different way. It is built according to a two-wheeled circuit with a chain drive.
Wheels in the Speedboard are inflatable, 26 cm in diameter, allowing you to ride on rough surfaces. Thanks to a spring-loaded lever mechanism, the skate wheels can rotate up to 30 degrees in each direction, following the inclinations of the rider’s body.
The Speedboard accelerates using a drive consisting of a 9-gear hardened steel gear mounted on the shaft of a powerful 4 kW electric motor that drives a 70-gear steel sprocket on the rear wheel. This increases reliability and safety while riding, the inventor says.
The rider can control speed and brakes from a handheld remote that transmits information via Bluetooth. The rear wheel is driven by a 4000-watt motor, which is powered by a block of lithium-ion batteries located inside the board. The batteries are removable, one charge is enough for the range of 25 to 40 km (16 to 24 miles), depending on the user’s weight and driving style. The weight of the skateboard is 12 kg (26 lb).
Jackson calls his skateboard “the dream of any teenager” – and within a few days of the campaign raised the necessary $ 20,000 to produce the first batch. You can order a Speedboard complete with a helmet on Kickstarter for $ 2,000. Deliveries start scheduled for May 2020.
