Testosterone-Packed KingKong Pro Electric Skateboard = Huge Smiles On Your Face (#CleanTechnica Review, Part 1)

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Disclaimer: up until now, I’ve always shied away from electric skateboard tests since the choice was limited with a quality that didn’t appeal to me. In an industry that is just starting, one exception is the KingKong Pro electric skateboard (e-skateboard). I’ve been following of its already successful Kickstarter campaign, which is ending soon (hurry up if you want to jump into that, by the way), and then I landed a review board. As you can guess, 1,800 MW of power spells oodles of fun and smiles! Read on for more details and a short bloopers video.

El Grande KingKong Pro Packs Serious Performance

The other disclaimer is that I haven’t ridden a skateboard in decades. But getting back on one isn’t that difficult. However, getting on an electric skateboard requires a certain amount of adaptation. And some of that adaptation was downright comical. Perhaps the last disclaimer should be an extra pair of underwear? Eventually, we figured out there was a learner’s mode, but not until we ended up on our behind with laughter. Perhaps this will serve as the beginning of CleanTechnica‘s blooper reel?

So, what exactly is the KingKong Pro e-skateboard? The muscular KingKong Pro e-skateboard packs two electric motors. It pushes. It pushes hard! OK, it’s not an unmanageable push, but it is powerful. It is somewhat linear but has enough tiny oomph that it can take you by surprise. Another thing we found is that it constantly puts into question your hard-found balance. Add to this that the fulcrum here is on the rear axle and not at a rider’s hip level as it is on a traditional skateboard. What this means is that any acceleration or deceleration is exaggerated and forces you to learn how to counter the resulting movements.

E-skateboards are a favorite mode of transportation in education campuses. Sadly, until now, speed, power, quality, and reliability came at a premium price. This is no longer the case with the KingKong, which is still available for $299 at the time of the campaign.

As mentioned above, up until now, e-skateboards felt more like testing platforms than anything ready for mass production. However, the KingKong Pro manages to hit a few key targets and we believe it will become a huge success.

The first thing I noticed about the KingKong Pro is that it is virtually indestructible, or at least it appears to be. It is far heavier than a normal skateboard, and that is not even the quirkiest part. The dual motors are powered by a 4300 mAh battery that delivers a phenomenal maximum speed of 35 km/h (22 mph) with a range of 20 km (12.5 miles). In other words, it can chew up and spit out hills with up to 25% inclines easily. The KingKong Pro achieves speeds with 3 modes for pros to beginners. And we couldn’t caution you enough to start on the beginner level to get accustomed to your new sense of balance.

The KingKong Pro is a joy to ride and could serve commuters well in addition to recreational riders. Perhaps the overwhelming majority of the smiles and impressions we got from friends riding the KingKong Pro muscular e-skateboard say it best, which we will show in our complete review (coming soon).

The KingKong II uses an intuitive handheld remote control connected to the board via a Bluetooth 2.4Ghz wireless connection. One thing we didn’t know is that it comes with a beginner’s mode. This is something you should use from the get-go, as the dual electric motors can take you by surprise at times. Even if you are a veteran skateboarder, remember that your fulcrum point at the hip drops down to the rear axle of the board and that is a very, very different balancing game.

With this beginner mode, the board drastically reduces the amount of power so you can improve your skill in a safe manner. It also uses a powerful brake LED light, as well as a front-facing one for low-light conditions.

And as KingKong CEO Gerard Zhu says, “As commuters and skateboard enthusiasts ourselves, we wanted to create an E-Skateboard that had high performance yet was safe and practical for daily use. So, we started with an innovative carbon fiber design and powerful dual-motors, then added intuitive controls and lighting features for convenience and a safer riding experience.”

Stay Tuned For The Complete Review This Month!

The very high nature of the KongKong Pro’s performance is impressive in large part because of how much it is kept affordable, even after the Kickstarter campaign, or so we were told. We wish the KingKong Pro not only success but also that it starts a quality for low price trend that evolves the market.

In the meantime, life is about having fun and discovering things — in this case, the shifting center of gravity that took us by surprise in an exhilarating way when the power kicked in, as you can see below.