So, Boosted has just released the new and compact Boosted Board Mini. If you don't know what a Boosted Board is then, basically it's a skateboard/longboard which has electric motors fitted at the bottom with a battery pack and comes with a hand held remote that can accelerate or brake. The concept is quite simple, rather using your leg to propel yourself forward, you're using the electric motors to spin the wheel and control it with a remote. I'm just surprised why no on had thought of it before boosted. For longer travel, the electric motor makes a lot of sense as using your feet/legs can get quite tiresome after a while.
A little history:
It was founded in 2012, and in 2013 they delivered a TED talk about their technology and how it was fitted in a normal longboard to create Boosted Board. Here's the video:
In 2012 they launched a kickstarter campaign and out of the $100,000 goal, they managed to surpass it and raise a whopping $467,167. Which was a huge success for them!
In 2014 they released two more models called the Dual and Single.
In 2016, finally released the second generation Boosted Board 2. Which had features like - "A swappable battery for an optional extended range battery, water resistance, 80mm Orangatang Kegel wheels, upgraded Bluetooth radio which is more secure and allows an additional device to be connected, an accessory port, and the ability to service and repair the board by the user."
Since the release of Boosted Board, there have been many other products mainly direct copycats of Boosted that have tried to compete with them. Their main selling point being A - Cheap Price (much cheaper) and B - InWheel Motors. Benefit of inwheel motors are that the motors are built inside the wheel and there's no exposed parts, where as Boosted uses Belt motors, that has a belt drive system and is likely prone to get damaged easily and needs a replacement after sometime.
Anyway, because of Boosteds steep price - mainly starting at around $1500. It's become more of a fashion statement for individuals than a practical self mobility vehicle as promoted by the company. And with the like of famous Youtubers like Casey Neistat, MKBHD, Sam Sheffer etc. promoting on their channel frequently a lot of people want it but only few can afford it. And hence the cheaper alternatives have been taking the market as a substitute for Boosted.
Finally, after realising that most people can't afford the normal Boosted Board. They have now released the Boosted Board mini, which promises to solve few problems that original Boosted Board customers have had and also made it more affordable for new customers.
The Mini has two models, the S and the X (Maybe they are a fan of Tesla? ;)
The Mini S comes in at $749, as advertised which is half the price of the normal Boosted Board (Although now it says $825 on their website, not sure why that is!) It's key features are:
The Mini X comes in at $999, has pretty much everything the S has, but has double the range. So it can go up to 14 miles instead of 7 miles. For $250 thats not a bad deal at all, if you have to travel long distance frequently.
The main benefit of the Mini boards are it's cheaper price, it's smaller size - that makes it more portable and easier to carry, it has a small kick tail so it can be used to manoeuvre easily (mainly in corners or in bends) and finally it's new rugged structure with lots of new features like:
So, the entire board is created in a different way with new Poplar shells.
Also, the new in-house wheels and trucks - purpose built for electric skateboards is an important new feature.
So, even though it's smaller in size compared to the previous board, it is equally if not better in some ways. I feel like this new mini board will probably take the company to the next level and be a real threat to the so called cheaper alternatives to the original boosted board. Also, due to it's smaller size I think, it would be more appealing to younger people, college students, city workers etc. that want to avoid driving and use the new self mobility vehicle. I'm sure theres more of these devices that will be coming in the future and I fully support that. I think these kind of transitions are very necessary and companies like Boosted are propelling this category and giving people the freedom to travel in their own way without having to rely on the traditional vehicles.
If you've managed to read so far, thanks and hope you've enjoyed it. Would love to hear your feedback - Is this something you'd be interested to get? Or are you already using these kinds of alternative transport for your own travel?
References:
