Electric skateboards range from small commuter decks under 20 pounds to all-terrain boards with four motors. Most of the decision comes down to where you ride and how much board you want to carry.
Street or all-terrain
Street boards use small urethane wheels and stay light. All-terrain boards use pneumatic tires that handle gravel, grass and broken pavement, and weigh more. From our database (manufacturer figures):
| Board | Weight | Top speed | Battery | Claimed range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Backfire Era 5 | 17 lb | 26.1 mph | 216 Wh | 15 mi |
| Meepo V5 | 17.6 lb | 28 mph | 144 Wh | 11 mi |
| Exway Flex V3 Hub | 20.5 lb | 28 mph | 432 Wh | 37 mi |
| Evolve Stoke X | 23.2 lb | 27 mph | 432 Wh | 28 mi |
| Evolve GTR Bamboo All Terrain | 26.7 lb | 23.6 mph | 504 Wh | 18.6 mi |
| Backfire Zealot X2 | 27.1 lb | 31 mph | 504 Wh | 34 mi |
Notice the range column against the battery column. The two lightest boards have the smallest batteries and the shortest claimed range. Battery size is the better predictor. Divide watt-hours by claimed miles and most of these boards land between about 12 and 15 Wh per mile; the all-terrain GTR claims about 27.
Drive type
Hub motors sit inside the rear wheels, as on the Exway Flex V3 Hub. Belt drives put the motor on the truck and turn the wheel through a belt and pulley. Gear drives, like the Backfire Zealot X2, use enclosed gears instead of a belt. The trade-offs between them (noise, maintenance, how the board pushes when the battery is flat) are a good thing to ask owners about; the spec page tells you which one you're buying.
The remote
On these boards the handheld remote is the throttle and the brake. Before buying, read the maker's page for how the remote connects and what the board does if the connection drops, and keep it charged.
Top speed
Every board in the table above does more than 23 mph. That's far beyond what anyone should ride on a sidewalk, and our laws table shows most states don't address electric skateboards at all. California is the notable exception, with a full set of rules for "electrically motorized boards."
How we'd choose
For pavement commuting, a light hub or belt board with at least 400 Wh, so the claimed range survives real riding; the Exway Flex V3 Hub and Evolve Stoke X fit. For rough paths, an all-terrain board, and plan on carrying 27 pounds. Check the compare page before you decide.