Electric skateboards are
becoming popular due to their compact size and ultimate
performance. They don’t carry extra weight,
except for the battery and the motor which is a big
plus for overall efficiency. Their small diameter
wheels, coupled with a powerful motor are able to
propel a rider to speeds of up to 40 km/hr. Their
amazing torque easily carries a 200 pound rider up
steep hills with as much as a 30 degree slope. Downhill
is very safe as well, with wireless dynamic braking.
The acceleration is also exceptional at zero to 30km/h
in four seconds. This may sound more dangerous than
regular skateboards, but when used wisely, they have
far better control. This is because quality electric
skateboards are equipped with a sophisticated remote
control system ensuring reliable and responsive braking.
And you don’t have to worry about wearing-out
brake pads because there are none. The electric motor
itself stops the skateboard in as little as a few
meters by adsorbing the kinetic energy to actually
recharge the battery. This electric-adsorbing-brake
system is similar to Hybrid automobiles like the Toyota
Prius electric braking. With a small light movement
of your finger you can safely brake on a downhill
to reduce your speed from 40 to 0 km/hr in about 20
to 30 ft.
What are the main features
characterizing an electric skateboard? The primary
features are power, speed,
torque, range and
weight. The secondary features are
the type of control, turning radius, charging time,
maintenance, wheels, deck, driving transmission, brake
type, etc.
power–
As you probably know the power is a multiplication
of the voltage and the consumed current. So if you
have for example a 600W motor, running on 24V batteries,
the consumed current at full power will be 600/24=
25A (Amperes). The same power motor but running on
36V battery will consume 16.6 A current. This means
that the batteries will be drained slower, a healthier
condition. This will result in more driving range
and better battery life. The motors of our JetDek
AT800 and JetDek XT are running on 36V and have four
brushes. This additionally reduces the current going
to the motor commutator by half and reduces the possibility
of electric arcs inside the motor, extending the motor
and the brushes life.
speed–
JetDek skateboards go 25 km/h for JetDek XP, 30 km/h
for JetDek XT and 40 km/h for JetDek LT. A skateboard
going over 40 km/h we consider as unsafe and we would
not encourage or assist our customers in modifying
the skateboards to go faster. The faster the skateboard,
the bigger the wheels should be. That’s why
our JetDek LT which goes up to 40km/h has nine inch
inflatable wheels to adsorb vibrations. For small
wheels with the same diameter wheel the one which
is more elastic performs better at higher speeds when
the road is not smooth. This is the case with using
urethane and rubber wheels for our city JetDeks
torque–
This is the feature which defines the uphill climbing
capability of the skateboard. Our JetDek AT800 and
JetDek XT have the highest torque: 55N/m. Many people
are misled that the torque is a function of the wheel
size only. The torque is measured on the motor shaft
and it is a particular number for every driving system.
Of course, when the size of the wheel is smaller,
your climbing capability increases. But this doesn’t
change the torque. The climbing capability is then
inversely proportionally to the wheel diameter. So
you need to consider your top speed too. You can imagine
if an electric scooter with 16” wheels has a
climbing capability of 15 degrees, how much better
the climbing capability of a skateboard will be with
equal torque, and a 4” wheel. This is also related
to the start on hills from a dead stop. With JetDek
XT a rider of 160Lb can start the skateboard on a
hill of 20 degrees and climb a hill of 30 degrees.
range–
The less power, the more battery capacity, and the
smaller load you carry on a skateboard, the farther
is the range. You probably don’t want, however,
to sacrifice the power for range. There are three
options – to carry more batteries, to have an
extra battery always on charge so when your battery
is dead just to swap them and charge the skateboard
as often as you can. The first option can have two
choices – to carry the same lead acid battery
and double the range, but to also double the weight
and to switch to a lighter NiMH or Li-Ion battery.
If you want to spend extra money, the second option
is better because the weight of the skateboard will
only increase 15% but the range will increase by 70%,
or you will decrease the weight by 40% for the same
range.
weight–
The weight is a function of how long you want to ride
under power. The weight of JetDek XT is 17kg with
the standard battery and 11kg with the NiMH battery.
As for the load weight, JetDek XT and AT800 can carry
up to 300 pounds, but the specified range and climbing
capability decrease for riders heavier than 160 pounds.
REMOTE CONTROLL
– The remote control for a JetDek is digital
and eliminates any possible interference which makes
it safe to be used in the city. An unique feature
of our remote controllers is the built in speed governor
which allows you to set the maximum speed limit for
JetDek XT. There is a beginner, intermediate and expert
setting of 0-8 km/h, 0-15 km/h and 0-30km/h. The JetDek
AT 800 has 0-10 km/h, 0-15 km/h and 0-40 km/h settings.
The speed control is not done in steps. Both braking
and acceleration are infinitely variable within the
limits set. The remote control is powered by a 9V
alkaline or rechargeable NiMH battery and has a power-saver
feature (automatically shuts off if not used for 5
min) It also scans the motor controller functionality
and gives a warning sound if anything is not set properly
or batteries need charging. Ten minutes before the
remote hand throttle battery needs replacement (usually
once a month) beeping is heard.
WHEELS –
JetDek XP can come with 85a urethane wheels and 60%
rubber wheels. The advantages of the first ones are
that they are more durable, but they don’t adsorb
vibrations very well. They are also flat in shape
and wider than the rubber ones which make the ride
more stable for dry conditions. The rubber wheels
have better traction, especially on wet surfaces,
they provide a softer ride but they are less durable
than the urethane ones. However, you don’t need
to buy a whole wheel. You can change only the rubber
part, similar to a car tire. The JetDek AT800 has
an inflatable wheel which makes the ride very comfortable
and allows you to go easily over bumps. The wheels
are also 3 ¼ inches wide which makes it an
all terrain vehicle.
TURNING RADIUS
– JetDek XP and JetDek XT have the best turning
radius, at 6 ft which makes them suitable for city
conditions. This tight radius coupled with the immediate
brake makes them very flexible when used in a crowded
area. JetDek AT800 has a larger turning radius for
better stability at higher speeds and off road use
on the grass and gravel. JetDek and JetDek XP have
a special turning pendulum system designed by BMW
which makes them extremely maneuverable. In a turn,
their wheels lean to help the rider offset the centripetal
force without banked corners
DECK –
Our JetDek XT and AT electric skateboards may come
with a flat, classic style deck, or the JetDek XP
can be assembled with a concave, pintail deck made
from eight plied layers of Canadian maple. A pintail
deck would allow you to do kick turns, jump the curb,
and to drag the skateboard on its front wheels using
it as a handle. Both deck types are grip taped with
the tough RHINO skin grip tape.
RELIABILITY AND MAINTANANCE
– The electric skateboard, compared to other
vehicles, is subjected to more abuse and yet reliability
is still comparable or better, even with these extreme
conditions. There are no brake pads to wear out. Replacing
any part on an electric skateboard should be simple.
So although JetDek electric skateboards have very
sophisticated systems they are none the less packed
in modular design, so replacement of any worn parts
is easy. The electric system consists of three modules
– battery, controller and motor. If anything
goes wrong with any of the three modules it takes
only a few minutes to replace any of them. The two
mechanical parts are well protected as the belt is
in a case and the bearings are sealed. These are also
a snap to replace using the tool kit provided with
your purchase. We keep the full range of spare parts
which can be picked up in the store or ordered at
any time online from www.jetdek.com
or www.e-ride.ca
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