Recently, we had a chance to review a new Hover 1 Rebel ride-on – and I say “we” here because this is definitely not a serious, last mile e-mobility solution for commuters and urban professionals.
No, this one’s for the kiddos.
First Impressions
Image by the author.
When the Hover 1 Rebel first arrived, however, it caused a bit of a stir among the second graders in our suburban neighborhood. That was a surprise, since most of these kids had seen “hoverboard” style ride-on toys before. I’m not positive, but I think the word “Hover” on the box is what did it.
“It’s a real hoverboard,” my young daughter told her friends, emphatically, as the weekend approached and she knew she’d get a chance to unbox and ride it. “It’s not a toy!”
She’s right about that. The Hover 1 Rebel isn’t a toy – at least, not a toy for the youngest kids. The $119 Rebel is targeted at tweens and teens, with relatively powerful 220W motors, a 6 MPH top speed (sort of a “speed-walking” pace), and a 130 lb. weight rating.
While not quite a tween, my daughter is well versed in the ways of e-mobility, with plenty of time on Honda and Radio Flyer/Tesla‘s pint-sized EVs. And, by the time the hoverboard was out of the box, charged up and ready to ride, I think everyone under the age of ten within a four block radius was expecting something out of Back to the Future.
Tony Hawk Gets It
Image courtesy NBC, via USA Today.
My daughter, at least, was not disappointed.
That said, the unboxing itself was straightforward enough, with no surprises or confusing steps. Pull it out, charge it up, and read the manual while you wait the three to five hours it takes to charge up.
The manual does have some useful tips for getting on and off the thing. That’s critical, because stepping on incorrectly will land you in a YouTube fail compilation video in no time flat. Beyond that, though, getting on the board and getting it to do what you wants seems intuitive enough. After a few nervous starts and about sixty seconds of hand-holding, the little Lady Borras was zipping down the block, and not looking back.
Which, you know, is kind of what you want as a parent.
Some Notes From the Girl
Image by the author.
The kids are absolutely in love with their Rebel, but my daughter did have some notes in case anyone from Hover 1 is listening. Her first complaint, if you can call it that, is that the 6.5″ solid plastic wheels don’t really work in the grass, and don’t seem to like being “dropped” off a curb (though, to the board’s credit, they didn’t crack). She’s now angling for a board with bigger wheels, rubber tires, and more off-road capability.
She also wants merch. She even designed some t-shirts that she made me promise to give to the Hover 1 people. The one I liked best was a watermelon that sliced, and the “meat” part had the Hover 1 “H” in black, like the seed.
I think it’s clever, but I think everything she does is pretty clever – what do you guys think? Should we start bombarding Hover 1 with merch ideas, or just get back outside and enjoy the summer? Let us know, in the comments.
Original content from CleanTechnica.
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