Boosted Boards Kicks It Up A Notch With New Lineup
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Along those lines, one technology we have been putting a brighter spotlight on recently is portable personal transportation. We have covered a variety of powered skateboards that can help folks to solve the challenge of the “last mile” in their lives, and most recently reviewed the Boosted Board Dual+, which feels like a great option for transit riders who want to get to and from transit without breaking a sweat.
The team over at Boosted Boards isn’t sitting still, and as I hinted in my review, had something in the works that we can now take the covers off of. Boosted Boards just announced version 2 of the popular powered-skateboard lineup that really kick these decks up to the next level on just about every level, with the biggest upgrade being related to the batteries.
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The Battery Gets Boosted
The new decks feature higher-capacity battery options that allow for longer range and are now user replaceable in just minutes, meaning riders can bring some extra juice with them to get a few more miles of around-town speeding in, or extend the practical range for the daily commute. The base 99 watt-hour (Wh) battery is still good for the same 6–7 miles, while the new extended battery packs are 199 Wh and enable 12–14 miles of range while adding minimal extra bulk and weight.
High-Power Accessory Port
While most riders are just going to be powering around town during daylight hours, having the option to extend the ride into the night is a beautiful thing. I’m not sure what it is about me and lights, but the prospect of putting a headlight (and tail light for that matter) onto a skateboard and blasting around town just sounds amazing.
What’s cool is that the new high-power accessory port that comes on the new Boosted Board isn’t just for lights, but rather, it’s essentially an open-source power jack that the community can do what it wants with it. I envision a phone charger, lighting options (burning-man-ready Boosted Board, anyone?), laptop charger, and quite a few easy-to-imagine options should surface without too much trouble.
Beyond that, I love that people can create … for their boards. It kind of makes me wonder if a solar-powered Boosted Board might be a thing in the future … though, this would utilize the charging port, not the high-power output jack.
Water-Resistant Electronics
The new boards also come with improved water resistance when it comes to the electronics. While skateboards and water don’t mix well as a general rule, not having to worry about the electronics getting a quick splash when riding through the neighbor’s sprinkler runoff would be nice, and now you’re good to go. Don’t think that means you can go full commando in a San Francisco downpour, but it at least takes the edge off of most day-to-day situations.
Most of these changes aren’t visible, but the new Boosted rides do have a few visible change with the most obvious being a new aesthetic to the wheels. The new 80mm Orangatang Kegel wheels come with bright green hubs, adding a nice pop of color that just might help get you noticed as you fly down your very own local hills.
Finally, the bottom of the deck now has a power level indicator that allows riders to see how much juice they have left before hitting the town. This is a great addition for commuters who want to confirm they have enough charge to get home before leaving the office.
Head over to the Boosted Boards website for all the juicy details on specs and pricing, or linger a big longer to take in the launch video below. My favorite segment is the bit with the headlights … just one more thing for me to pine after. In fact … I may just have to turn that into a project.
All Images and video courtesy Boosted Boards, credit Claire Bentley (The Hatch Agency)
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