The people have spoken! (But let’s run the numbers anyway).
On the 19th of December 2017, Jay Boston
hosted his own electric skateboard awards initiative. A cool little
idea, particularly considering it was the electric skateboard community
itself deciding who would receive the honors.
1,387
people participated in an online survey that decided the winners in
each category. Granted, I’m sure a lot of the respondents were
Australian, hence the results seemed a little top heavy towards boards
that are easily accessible to us here downunder. Hopefully the event
garners a little more international participation each year to help even
out the results a bit. There were categories where such boards as Metroboard, Carvon and Trampa
should have been mentioned, but they were no where to be seen!
Nevertheless, it’s a great initiative and will hopefully grow from
strength to strength in the coming years. A quick shout-out to Jay for
having me on as a guest — cheers mate!
The Enertion Raptor 2 was crowned the overall winner of the best electric skateboard of 2017 — as voted for by the people.
You can check out the video of the live event below:
Nominations
were only open to boards that had actually delivered production units
to customers in 2017. Enertion, with just under a couple of hundred
Raptor 2 units in the field at the time the awards were streamed, got in
by the skin of their teeth. However, the fact that the Raptor 2 won
tells us that those people who have a Raptor 2, as well as the multitude
of people who have tested the board on ride days and events, are
clearly very, VERY impressed with Enertion’s end result.
I
thought it might be interesting to compare the peoples choice with
something a little more academic, finishing off with a bit of commentary
regarding the results and any differences between them.
Below I’ve selected what are arguably the 10 most popular production boards of 2017.
(Boards
selected are single and dual drive boards in street configuration only.
This analysis is focused on the upper end of the market towards boards
that might be considered “premium” or “top-tier” by companies owned and
operated from such places as the United States, Australia and Europe).
Boosted Board Gen2 Dual+
Top Speed: 22mph (35kph)| Range: 7 miles (11 kms)| Hills: 25% | RRP: $1758.90 USD
Carvon EVO V4 Dual
Top Speed: 40mph (64kph)| Range: 25 miles (40km)| Hills: 15% | RRP: $1999 USD
Enertion Raptor 2
Top Speed: 30.5mph (49kph)| Range: 25 miles (40km)| Hills: 30% | RRP: $1759.18 USD
Evolve Bamboo GT
Top Speed: 26mph (42kph)| Range: 19 miles (30km)| Hills: 25% | RRP: $1459.98 USD
Evolve Carbon GT
Top Speed: 26mph (42kph)| Range: 31 miles (50km)| Hills: 25% | RRP: $2069.98 USD
Evolve GTX
Top Speed: 26mph (42kph)| Range: 31 miles (50km)| Hills: 25% | RRP: $1728.99 USD
Inboard M1
Top Speed: 22mph (35kph)| Range: 7 miles (11km)| Hills: 17% | RRP: $1399 USD
Mellow Board (drive only)
Top Speed: 25mph (40kph)| Range: 8.5 miles (13km)| Hills: 20% | RRP: $1694.53 USD*
Metroboard 41" Slim Stealth Edition (Single)
Top Speed: 24mph (38kph)| Range: 40 miles (64km)| Hills: 25% | RRP: $1649 USD
Metroboard 41" Stealth Dual
Top Speed: 24mph (38kph)| Range: 25 miles (40km)| Hills: 30% | RRP: $1899 USD
A couple of notes on the above: All prices are RRP in USD (specials, sales, shipping, taxes and other fluctuations are not taken into consideration). All specs are taken directly from the US or international websites of the board manufacturers themselves (correct as of December 2017). Boosted finally announced the release of their extended range battery in late 2017, which “doubles the range”. However, not only is the extended range battery not a standard item, I don’t think anyone outside of a few YouTubers actually got their batteries in 2017. It should be noted that Carvon have a second EVO V4 Dual model called the ‘XL’, which has the same range, a lower top speed of 35mph, but a much higher hill climbing capacity of 25%, which rivals many of the other boards on this list. It comes at a cost of $100 more than the standard EVO V4 Dual at $2099 USD. The ‘XL’ was not included in this comparison as to my knowledge no (or very few) units made it into the hands of the public in 2017. I even debated on whether or not to include the regular EVO (known as the R-Spec), as there’s barely any units in public hands, but they are out there. The listed top speed of the Evolve boards is taken from the known achievable top speed on 97mm wheels, the most popular wheel choice for Evolve riders and the standard wheel size on the GTX. As the Bamboo GT and Carbon GT come with 83mm wheels as standard, the RRP has been adjusted to include a set of ABEC11 97mm Flywheels as priced on the Evolve USA website (109.99 USD) in both circumstances. The Mellow Board lists a range bracket between 7.5 and 10 miles on their website. For the sake of simplicity I chose 8.5 miles as somewhere in the middle. Like Evolve, the top speed spec of the Metroboards is based on the 97mm wheel option in both circumstances. Both Metroboards in this comparison have been tricked out — 97mm wheels for both, 10 watt lights for both and the single drive has the biggest battery available included in the comparison. Metroboard hill climbing specs are estimates as they’re not included on the Metroboard website. The single drive is known to rival Boosted’s and Evolve’s (25%), so by virtue of that knowledge the dual drive must exceed this (30% or more).
*Please see further notes about Mellow Board pricing in the ‘Pricing’ section of this article.
Ranking System Used
In each category (top speed, range, hills and RRP) each board is given a number from lowest to highest based on a best-to-worst order: 1 being the best/cheapest then ascending in score until we get to the worst/most expensive.
The board with the lowest scores are the best in each category and overall (avg).
Top Speed
The Carvon EVO V4 Dual
is the king of speed in 2017. There’s then quite a drop down to the
Enertion Raptor 2 in second place, which is still significantly faster
than the next bunch of boards — the Evolve line-up, which all punch out
the same top speed. The Mellow Board is hovering around the middle
followed closely by the two Metroboards, which each punch out the same
top speed. Down the bottom of the list we have the Boosted Board Gen2
Dual+ and the Inboard M1.
From
where I’m sitting I’d expect anything with a score of 3 to 5 to all be
very similar in real life. It’s really splitting hairs. From that
bracket it is a significant step up to the Raptor 2 and then an even
bigger step up again to the EVO (maybe too much?)
The Boosted Board and Inboard M1 are significantly over-rated in the speed department.
Range
There are five distinct categories here: We have the Metroboard single
that’s in a class of its own! Then we have the Evolve GTX and Carbon
GT, which essentially share the same battery. Next we have the
upper-middle class of range: The Carvon EVO, Enertion Raptor 2 and
Metroboard Dual. The Evolve Bamboo GT stands alone as a mid-range board
and our list ends with the low-range, swappable battery category of
boards. An optimist might consider the final category to be even better
than the ones above it, as swappable batteries can in reality mean
“endless range”. The problem being, of course, that more batteries
equals more $$$…
Hill Climbing
I’d
say we’re looking at four distinct categories of hill climbing here.
The first category is reserved for certified incline killers! The Enertion Raptor 2 and Metroboard Dual!
Then we have a range of aggressive hill climbers ranging from the
Evolve line-up, Boosted Board and Metroboard single. The Mellow stands
alone as a moderate hill climber, and our list ends with a couple of
boards that shy away from inclines, the Carvon EVO and Inboard M1.
It should be noted that with the optional 38T drive gear and hard duro/small wheels, the Evolve GT/GTX line-up are also capable of climbing hills on par with (even better than?) the Metroboard Stealth Dual and Enertion Raptor 2. Video here. However, the 38T drive gear is not standard.
Price
Note: The Mellow Board pricing was taken straight from mellowboards.com and converted from EUR to USD. After publication I was made aware of mellowboardusa.com, where adjusted pricing can be found direct from the US distributor. The difference being that shipping a drive unit from Europe would have a considerable shipping fee attached to it. It’s clear this cost (and other sundry costs) has been incorporated into the US distributor price of $1,995. Please make your own adjustments and determinations regarding this as you read the rest of the article.
In the Sub-$1500 category we have the Inboard M1 and
Evolve Bamboo GT. In the $1500-$1800 category we have the Metroboard
single, Mellow Board, Evolve GTX, Boosted Board and Enertion Raptor 2.
In the $1800 and above category we have the Metroboard Dual, Carvon EVO
and Evolve Carbon GT (man, carbon fiber is expensive!)
And The Winner Is…
The
equal winners of this little test couldn’t be more different! According
to just raw specs vs. price, the best electric skateboard of 2017 is a
tie between the Evolve Bamboo GT and the Metroboard 41" Slim Stealth Edition (single)!
On
paper the Evolve Bamboo GT represents well-rounded specs at a
reasonable price. In addition, Evolve also have that tempting 2-in-1
conversion capability, allowing you to fit pneumatic all-terrain tyres
to your board making it an entirely different beast!
If
you can forgo the need for pneumatic all-terrain tyres, I believe the
Metroboard single to be a far better option. Top speed between the two
is splitting hairs, they both climb the same grade hills, but the
Metroboard has insane range! Spend approx $200 more to get the
Metroboard single over the Bamboo GT and you instantly upgrade from a 19
mile range board to a 40 mile range board! Again, that’s insane!
The
next issue to tackle is one of aesthetics vs. quality. The Evolve looks
better, there’s no denying it. It has nice flex, dual kingpin trucks
(if that’s your thing) and is just an all-round slimmer and sexier
design. The Metroboard is not as slim and stealth as its namesake. It
rides high and stiff compared to an Evolve. When it comes to the
argument of quality, however, the opposite is true. Evolve’s quality and
reliability has been called into question time and time again, whereas
Metroboard’s are known as bullet proof tanks! Then there’s the question
of batteries. Paper specs tell us the Bamboo GT has a 19 mile range, but
due to the low quality cells Evolve use in their battery packs, Evolve
boards generally suffer from the worst battery sag in the industry. I
think it would be fair to say that the Bamboo GT actually gets about 14
miles of enjoyable/manageable range, which now really tilts the scales
in favor of the Metroboard single.
My Thoughts on the Results
If you had to call a winner out of the two tied boards, it would have to be the Metroboard 41" Slim Stealth Edition (single). For speed, range and hill climbing vs. dollar + quality and reliability, it just can’t be beat!
Of
course, however, there will be people who don’t need 40 miles worth of
range and would much prefer to have the option for pneumatic all-terrain
tyres, save $200 and get the Bamboo GT. There will also be people who
just plain don’t like the look/feel of something like the Metroboard.
One
of the most interesting results for me was the gap between the Evolve
GTX and Carbon GT. These are essentially the exact same board — they
have the same top speed, range and hill climbing capability. The
difference is purely cost. That carbon fiber deck must cost a pretty
penny! The GTX comes in at $1728.99, whereas the Carbon GT comes in at
$2069.98 (which also includes a set of ABEC11 97mm Flywheels, otherwise
the board wont reach the quoted top speed — matching the GTX). That’s an
insane cost difference for exactly the same performance between the two
boards. I personally view the GTX as the preferable choice here. It’s
not only cheaper, but it’s more flexy and more modular, as the deck and
enclosure are separate pieces, allowing for more modifications down the
road (on the Carbon GT the deck and the enclosure are one complete
unit). On the other hand, the Carbon GT is longer (40 inches compared to
the GTX’s 38), lighter (17lbs compared to the GTX’s 19.4 lbs) and
obviously has a far more rigid and stiff feel to it. Some people prefer
the latter points.
I
guess we also can’t ignore the fact that these paper-based results sees
the Boosted Board languishing in last place. The board scores extremely
poorly in the speed and range departments. The KO then comes from the
high price tag that’s applied to what is now considered a fairly
mediocre spec sheet. But (and it’s a big but) SPECS AREN’T EVERYTHING…
Boosted
remains the smoothest and most comfortable electric skateboard I’ve
ever ridden! A tremendous amount of care and attention to detail is put
into their product. Their remote and mobile app are still best in class
and their QC and customer service also, arguably, remains unmatched.
Yes, there are far better performing electric skateboards you can get
for your money, but very few do the “off board” stuff as well as
Boosted, very few have such a well-rounded, well-finished, polished and
respected product that “just works” as Boosted do. That’s what you pay for.
What
these results say in the end is that user experience counts for far
more than specs ever will. The problem is that user experience is a very
hard thing to measure, particularly form an independent, third party
perspective.
Or is it?…
The Peoples Choice
This
brings us back full circle to Jay Boston’s Electric Skateboard Awards
and the overall winner as voted by 1,387 people — the Enertion Raptor 2!
The
Raptor 2 comes forth in a straight-up specs showdown, but it’s arguable
that the Evolve GT Bamboo is only above it due to its price point. In
addition, I’d be surprised if there were any more than five Metroboards
in the whole of Australia! Add to that Evolve’s known reliability and
durability woes and it’s easy to see why the Enertion Raptor 2 came out
on top!
The
Enertion Raptor 2 is faster than the Evolve suite of boards, is
comparable in range to the GTX and Carbon GT (once you account for the
Evolve sag factor) and is an equal or better hill climber in stock
configuration. It sits around the same price point as an Evolve GTX,
which is also obviously significantly cheaper than a Carbon GT.
If
you’re after a performance board packing the latest in motor, battery
and VESC/FOCBOX technology that has great specs across the board at a
highly competitive price, in my mind, the people got it right!
The Best Electric Skateboard of 2017?
In
the end that’s completely up to you to decide. It’s completely
subjective. What’s best for one might not be what’s best for another.
If
the best electric skateboard for 2017 to you is simply the fastest
electric skateboard, then the best electric skateboard of 2017 is the
Carvon EVO V4 Dual.
If
the best electric skateboard for 2017 to you is simply the electric
skateboard with the most range, then the best electric skateboard of
2017 is the Metroboard 41" Slim Stealth Edition (single).
If
the best electric skateboard for 2017 to you is simply the electric
skateboard with the best hill climbing capabilities, then the best
electric skateboard of 2017 is the Enertion Raptor 2 or Metroboard 41"
Stealth Dual.
If
the best electric skateboard for 2017 to you is simply the most
reliable/durable electric skateboard, then the best electric skateboard
of 2017 is the Boosted Board Gen2 Dual+ or maybe one of the Metroboards.
If
the best electric skateboard for 2017 to you is simply the most
versatile electric skateboard, then the best electric skateboard of 2017
is an Evolve GT/GTX.
I
honestly do think the people got it right in selecting the Enertion
Raptor 2 as the best all round electric skateboard of 2017, but I also
think an honorable mention needs to go to the Metroboard 41" Slim
Stealth Edition (single) from a pure specs for dollar + quality
point-of-view.
It truly is an exciting time to be into electric skateboards!
2018 is going to be a big year!
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