A pioneer in the electric skateboard space, in business since 2003 offering a one year warranty and lots of custom options like slick tires, different colored decks and light weight Lithium batteries
Rugged design with metal battery box, canister style 800 watt motor and a smooth belt drive incased in a metal shell, you get precision power control with integrated regenerative braking
Large soft tires can be deflated for use on soft terrain like dirt and even packed sand or snow, strong but flexible deck is comfortable to ride and extra-wide trucks carve nicely
Expensive at $1,199 with heavy AGM Lead Acid batteries, single wheel drive may wear tread unevenly, heavy at ~76 lbs, wired controller is secure but less free feeling to hold
Video Review
Introduction
Make:
E-Glide
Model:
GT
Price:
$1,199
(Optional Lithium-ion Battery for $1,000 Extra)
BBEB Series, (H2A Power with Panasonic Cells for Lithium)
Battery Chemistry:
Sealed Lead Acid
(Optional Lithium-ion)
Charge Time:
5 hours
Estimated Min Range:
15 miles (24 km)
Estimated Max Range:
25 miles (40 km)
Display Accessories:
On/Off Power on Pistol Throttle, High/Low Switch on Battery Box
Drive Mode:
Trigger Throttle
Top Speed:
22 mph (35 kph)
(25 mph with Larger Slick Tires)
Written Review
The E-Glide GT is a product I’ve been dreaming about since I was a young man… and am now basically afraid to ride, but still curious about. Skateboarding has always been a release for me, a way to get outside and exercise while pushing and challenging myself, a way to basically go anywhere (that is paved pavement). The GT is like a Frankenstein monster version of a skateboard that’s way heavier and much more expensive but truly capable of going “anywhere” as long as it isn’t too soft. It opens up a whole new world of possibilities and emphasizes the speed and freedom of surfing or snowboarding without having to travel or pay for a lift ticket. Even if your desired terrain is sand or snow, this thing can be capable, just reduce the air pressure a bit on the large inflated tires and enjoy the altered terrain with improved surface area and traction.
In many ways, E-Glide is the originator of electric skateboards, not only because they’re one of the very few companies left kicking after so many years. Launched around 2003, the technology that started this whole electric skateboard craze hasn’t changed much on their designs. It’s a one wheel drive, belt driven, board that’s constructed from hydraulically pressed aluminum. Bolted below the deck is a large battery box where either a heavy inexpensive AGM Lead Acid battery will fit or if you’re so inclined, you can spend $1,000 extra and save 20+ lbs while getting a longer lasting, punchier, less sensitive Lithium-ion pack filled with name brand Panasonic cells. If money were no object, this would clearly be the way to go. Thankfully, the AGM batteries are still very capable and only cost $175 to replace. If you go with the default AGM option the board with the battery pack is just $1,199. Doing the math, you get nearly seven AGM packs (including the one that comes with the board to begin with) for the price of a single upgrade tho Lithium but are then burdened with more frequent charging and the heavier weight. And no, the pack isn’t easily removable and the board isn’t easy to kick under human power if you run out of juice. Lifting one end and wheeling it home could make for an interesting afternoon if you get stuck 15+ miles away from your starting point… it’s uncomfortable and heavy without power.
So for this review I met with Mike, an assembler and repair tech working with Dave Lorhil at the E-Glide headquarters in Santa Monica. They are both shown in the video above offering tips and doing some demonstration riding. Mike is a fearless talented guy who is willing to push the board to its ~22 mph maximum speed. He rides one of the GT units to work daily and has mastered turning, going up driveways and over cracks. I was told later by Dave that if you upgrade to their larger slick tires the boards can hit ~25 mph which really gets my adrenaline pumping. Having not tried the unit in softer sand or snow I can’t say how well the single wheel drive setup works in slick or soft environments and I sort of expect that even on pavement there’s the consequence of having to rotate tires more frequently than if this was a two or four wheel drive design. It’s one area that theoretically would improve the ride but that I can’t actually speak to with my limited time testing the unit. Apparently a lot of people from Sweden buy these things (it’s cool that E-Glide will ship internationally) and they use them on the snow with chains and spiked tires so I’d love to hear from one of you out there whether it works well in those types of environments.
All things considered, I’m still afraid of this product but gained a huge amount of respect for the history and hands-on approach to building, delivering and supporting it. I have seen people using them at events like Burning Man and am always thrilled by how capable they are at climbing, navigating varied terrain and just being comfortable and fairly quiet. The tires are soft, the deck flexes and has a nice inset design for improved foot placement and traction and the extra-long trucks make carving a breeze. With a bit of adjustment (looser trucks for lighter riders) I could see myself slowly mastering the GT and just having a blast outside with it. Just make sure you don’t go too loose and end up with speed wobble at those higher speeds. One thing I love about the unit is the emphasis on safety with extra built in switches, a high/low mode and the break-away controller that cuts power to the board if you jump off suddenly. To me, this thing delivers the feeling of surfing the mountains and practicing my snowboarding in the off season. Apparently some people have devised bindings and foot mount like the ones from Freeboard to further improve handling but it’s not really light enough to jump with unless you hit a ramp. I still feel like the product is expensive but it’s really the only thing out there like this that I’ve seen and the team is doing a great job with customer support and delivering something home-grown and authentic. I’d rather pay a bit extra than endure the mess, noise and low reliability of some gas boards and I feel like this thing would last a lifetime even if you did have to change the batteries a few times. If you get the AGM base model battery just remember to charge it after each use and check on it every week or two to top it off since this type of cell can be sensitive to deep discharges :)
Pros:
This is the original high power electric skateboard, capable of true off-road riding on dirt and firm sand, the company has been around for over a decade (13 years as of 2016) offering a one year comprehensive warranty
You don’t have to worry about low battery or radio signal interference when controlling the E-Glide GT because it uses a wired remote, directly tethered to the controller
If you want to reduce the overall weight of this e-skateboard you can pay extra for a Lithium-ion battery pack that weighs just 6 lbs vs. 28 lbs for the SLA
I was told that the average range is about 15 miles using the throttle which isn’t too bad considering how much power it puts out, the downside is that it’s not easy to kick with if you do drain the pack
The pistol throttle controller thing has an automatic cutoff if it gets unplugged, it’s a safety feature to keep the board from rolling off but also keeps the pistol safe during transport and easier to replace if damaged
Hand built and repaired in California, you can actually reach the staff and get feedback or even some customization… this is a smaller more intimate company
Hydraulically pressed aluminum platform offers a nice flex, beautiful appearance and extra grip because the center standing area is dropped a little bit – improved stability and handling
Variable speed throttle control responds like a race car… you set the speed by holding the throttle at different positions, it actively slows you down as you release vs. just cutting out completely and you also get regenerative braking
In addition to throttle control, there’s a high/low switch to help regulate top speed… this can be useful for learning or preserving battery
Built in safety steps (turn on the skateboard at the battery pack, turn on the throttle pistol then press all the way forward for a second to activate), this reduces the chance of the board being used by someone who doesn’t know how to ride or an accidental activation just picking up the throttle
E-Glide will ship their skateboards to many different parts of the world! Apparently Sweden is their number one international customer :D they ride them in the snow with chains and with spikes in the tires
High discharge rate on the SLA batteries with just a $75 replacement cost and ~300 full cycles… the Lithium ones use Panasonic cells, are custom packed locally and offer upwards of 1,000 cycles
I was really impressed with how quiet the motor operated, the belt drive was smooth and the soft rubber tires just kept it comfy… some other products are a lot louder overall
Cons:
At ~76 lbs with the Sealed Lead Acid battery option this is not a light weight product and could be difficult to lift and carry, we actually lifted one end and dragged the other using the wheels
The battery box hangs down pretty far below the deck so your ground clearance isn’t as high as it could be, this is the case even if you opt for their more expensive Lithium-ion battery which is much lighter weight
The battery pack isn’t removable for independent charging, you basically have to get the board within reach of an electrical outlet and given the size and weight that can be a little inconvenient… it would also be nice to remove the pack for independent lifting (especially with the heavy SLA battery)
The board seems expensive to me at ~$1,200 but it’s very unique, sturdy and built with parts from American suppliers… considering it uses an SLA battery and that a Lithium option is an additional $1k it can get very expensive very quickly
The board is one wheel drive (the back left wheel) so I think the tread can wear down a bit unevenly and require extra maintenance to rotate occasionally, the other downside is that it’s easier to lose traction on that wheel on slippery terrain
The default SLA Absorbent Matt Glass batteries are sensitive to charging so you want to make sure you top it off regularly… don’t let it sit for more than a week or two and run all the way down or it could get damaged
Wired controller design isn’t as vulnerable to outside interference as the wire-free ones which use different radio signals but it also doesn’t feel as free, I was definitely conscious of the wire when riding
Be the First to Post a Comment