Can electric skateboards go uphill?
Have you ever wondered “can electric skateboards go uphill” after seeing a steep hill in your neighborhood? Electric skateboards are a popular form of transportation and recreation, and they are becoming increasingly more powerful and capable of tackling more challenging terrain, including steep hills. Hill climbing on an electric skateboard can be a great way to test and challenge your board, but it’s important to understand its potential limitations and which boards are better for climbing hills.
Before attempting to climb any hills on an electric skateboard, it is important to make sure that your board is in good working condition. Check the battery level to ensure that it is fully charged – an electric skateboard with a fully charged battery will be at its optimal performance, which means it will accelerate faster and have more torque for hill climbing.
If you have a belt-drive board, it’s a good idea to check the belt tightness from time to time. Your board is more responsive with tighter belts, meaning it will accelerate and brake quicker. A more responsive board with tighter belts will do a better job at climbing hills.
When it comes to hill climbing, the most important factor is the power of your electric skateboard. The steeper the hill, the more power you will need to overcome the incline and make it to the top. Most electric skateboards have a maximum incline rating, which indicates the steepest hill the board can safely climb. Boards with high output esc’s and batteries produce the most power. The size of the wheels on your board will also determine it’s performance. If you’re riding a belt-drive board, the pulley size on your drive wheels will also play a role in determining its torque / performance.
Another important factor to consider when hill climbing on an electric skateboard is your riding technique. When riding up an extremely steep incline, we recommend leaning forward, so you can keep your balance and not fall backward. Bending your knees and having a lower center of gravity is always a better than riding straight legged / standing straight up.
Other than a full battery, there’s more you’ll want consider before taking it up any steep inclines:
1. Is your board a belt-drive, direct-drive or hub drive?
Belt-drive electric skateboards tend to have more torque compared to direct drive and hub drive boards.
2. How much output does your battery and ESC have?
Electric skateboards with higher output batteries and esc’s will have more torque / power, so they’ll be better suited to climb hills. Electric skateboards with 12s batteries will provide you with more torque and better performance for climbing hills. Boards with 10s batteries won’t have as much power for hill climbing and the batteries will usually drain quicker on hills because it is smaller.
3. What size wheels are on your electric skateboard?
The size of your electric skateboard wheels matter when it comes to climbing hills. Smaller wheels provide the board with more torque / acceleration, which is better for hill climbing. There’s an exception to this rule though – belt drive boards with bigger pulleys will have more torque, so if you have a small wheel with a small pulley, then the board would have less torque in comparison to using a bigger pulley.
On hub and drive-drive boards, all you have to remember is: Smaller wheels = more torque. It’s the belt drive boards that require more consideration due to the size of the pulley on the wheel – remember that a larger pulley = more torque on belt-drive electric skateboards.
4. What size pulleys does my belt-drive board have?
Consider using larger pulleys on your belt-drive electric skateboard to produce more torque and give you better hill climbing ability. On belt-drive boards with high output esc’s and batteries, the pulley size won’t matter as much because the boards already have a ton of torque to ride uphill. 2 in 1 belt drive electric skateboards give you the ability to customize your board with different size wheels and pulleys to produce more torque or a higher top speed – the customization features on these boards are second to none.
5. What size motor does my electric skateboard have and what’s the KV rating?
Larger motors generally deliver more torque and help the board accelerate faster. They’re also more efficient because they have a lower spin rate. Electric skateboard motors with a lower KV rating will have more torque, but they’ll usually generate a lower top speed than the motors with a higher KV rating. Motors with a higher KV rating will have a higher spin rate, which means they’ll produce a higher top speed and they’ll be less efficient, simply because they are spinning more.
This makes the larger motor with the lower KV rating the best choice for hill climbing because it gives the board more torque. These larger motors with the lower KV rating can also help to conserve battery range, because of the lower spin rate / higher efficiency.
Can Electric Skateboards ride uphill?
Yes, you can climb hills on your electric skateboard. Are some electric skateboards better than others when it comes to hill climbing? Yes – belt drive boards are generally better when it comes to climbing hills. Belt-drive boards tend to have more torque and they can be easily customized to your liking to produce more torque. You can test with different size wheels and pulleys to give you more power or a higher top speed.
Do Electric skateboards have brakes?
Yes, electric skateboards have a braking system that’s controlled by the ESC, which is activated when you pull back on the toggle of the hand-held remote control. You’ll be in control of yourself and the board when riding down steep hills, as you’ll be able to slow down at your own pace, using the remote control. This is a welcome relief to many conventional longboarders and skateboarders who use manual stopping techniques and may have had to bail and wiped out on hills in the past, after picking up too much speed and not being able to safely stop.
One of the benefits about using the brakes when riding downhill on your e-board is the regenerative braking feature, which will give you a boost in battery life when you know how to use it properly. You’ll notice a bigger gain in battery life when you’re applying the brake slowly down a long hill and not so much when sharply applying the brake on steep hills when needing to quickly stop. The regenerative braking feature will work best when for people commuting in areas that have a lot of hills.
Whether it’s riding up a steep hill during your ride to work or slowing down at a red light with vehicle traffic, you can do anything you want on an electric skateboard and we believe it’s the most inspiring way to commute and give you the adrenaline rush you crave!
