An electric skateboard may initially seem like a novel and somewhat unnecessary concept (we were born with legs, after all), but in a world where parking space is as scarce as trustworthy politicians and the need for economical and efficient travel is becoming more and more important, a battery-powered board begins sounding like an extremely attractive prospect. Not to mention it gets the 10-year-olds inside of us more excited than the day we found out about dinosaurs. So, we got our hands on Maxfind’s Max C electric skateboard to find out if the hype behind the wheels is worth getting on-board with.
Powered by a high-performance brushless hub motor, the Max C is a smaller, easier to charge, and ‘simpler’ board amongst the electric skateboards in the market. In addition to featuring a Samsung 18650-sized cell (which is used by Tesla and other electric vehicles), the board is also IP65 water & dust proof, meaning that you don’t need to worry about South Africa’s unpredictable weather and roads when riding the board.
While electric skateboards are a great idea for inner-city or suburban traversal, there’s one thing that most don’t think of: the weight. Battery-powered skateboards, by design, are quite heavy, but the Max C takes a more ‘portable’ approach to having an e-board, weighing in at just under 4kgs, allowing you to carry it into a store, elevator and anywhere else where a longer, heavier board may seem a bit cumbersome; you could even strap it to your backpack.
As for it’s performance, with a single hub-motor on the left back wheel, the board hits speeds of about 15 km/h, which is more than fast enough to get you where you need to go. It has a weight limit of 80kgs, although friends of mine who exceed that were able to ride the Max C around without a hiccup. And as for hills, it’s not going to climb a steep driveway, but can easily handle an incline up to about 15 degrees.
It charges relatively quickly (2 hours) and lasts around a full day of rigorous use, and the control (which is a blatant clone of a Wii nun-chuck) is a big step up from the simplistic controllers found on other boards. It’s a great option for those looking for an e-board that delivers the experience without the weight and length of other products on the market.
Price: Around R4,400 ($339)
If you’re looking for more deals and prices on electric skateboards, check out PriceCheck’s list of offerings.