The square wheels aren't actually square
Shark wheels are weird. They look square but at the same time perfectly round and they work great where regular wheels struggle.
Instead of steamrolling through everything in its path like conventional skateboard wheels do, Shark wheels move small rocks or other obstruction out of the way through the grooves. As a result it goes over rough terrain better and makes the ride smoother.
Having Shark Wheels on an electric skateboard may be ideal because getting stopped abruptly at 25 mph by a pebble can put you in the hospital. However, you can't just put Shark Wheels on your Boosted Board. Fortunately, there's the Shark Electric Skateboard, which have Shark Wheels installed.
World's thinnest electric skateboard
There are two version of the Shark Electric Skateboard: Shark Electric-Thin and Shark Electric-Power.
The Shark Electric-Thin is the thinnest electric skateboard we've ever seen. With the batteries placed inside the deck, the Shark Electric-Thin is so thin you can't tell if it's an electric skateboard or a regular one.
Even though it's thin and with very little space in the deck for batteries, it has a range of up to 11.2 miles. That's quite reasonable considering the Boosted Mini S has a bigger battery but only has a 7-mile range. Evolve's Stoke Board has a range of 10 miles, also with bulky batteries in comparison.
Top speed for the Electric-Thin is 25.2 mph, which is pretty fast for an electric skateboard but because of the wheels it's probably safer compared to other boards at the same speed. It also has the ability to climb up to 25% hill grade.
Features in a nutshell:
- 95mm Shark Wheels
- 25.2 mph speed
- 11.1 mile range
- 38” x 9” deck (10 ply Canadian Maple and 1 ply Fiberglass)
- Remote – 4 speeds
- Waterproof (IP54)
- Charging Time 2 hours
- Uphill 25% grade
- 4 speed modes
- 4 brake modes
- 15 lbs
- Shred Lights (White Lights Front, Red Lights Back)
- Retail price $1,399
The 400 lumens Shred Light uses it's own battery and can be fully charged via USB in about 2 hours for 25-50 hours of use. It's bright enough to allow you to see up to 30 feet ahead and be seen from over 2,000 feet away by drivers.
Shark Electric-Power
If a 25 mph top speed and 11 mile range is not enough fun for you, consider the Shark Electric-Power. It has an external battery, as opposed to inside the deck, to give it more power and range. It takes about 4 hours to charge the bigger battery.
The Electric-Power can go 26.1 mph and has a range of 25.1 miles. That's a slight increase in speed but a massive range upgrade for just $100 more over the retail price or less if you get it at the time of writing. You lose on the slimness of the Shark Electric-Thin but surprisingly they weigh the same at 15 lbs. It can also climb up to 30% hill gradients instead of 25% like the Thin version.
As far as differences go, that's pretty much it. Below are features of the Shark Electric-Power in a nutshell:
- 95mm Shark Wheels
- 26.1 mph speed
- 25.2 mile range
- 38” x 9” deck (7 ply Canadian Maple and 1 ply Fiberglass)
- Remote – 4 speeds
- Waterproof (IP54)
- Charging Time 4 hours
- Uphill 30% grade
- 4 speed modes
- 4 brake modes
- 15 lbs
- Shred Lights (White Lights Front, Red Lights Back)
- Retail price $1,499
Pros
- Affordable
- Fast
- Long Range
- Smooth ride
- Good on rough terrain
Cons
- Batteries may not be removable
- Kickstarter campaign
Conclusion:
As at the time of writing, you can get the Shark Electric-Thin for $749 and Shark Electric-Power for $799 on Kickstarter. Most of the other options are gone and the campaign is fully funded. At the crowdfunding price, the Shark Electric Skateboard is one of the cheapest you can find with the specs it offers. However it's a Kickstarter project, which means it will take some time for you to get it in your hands (estimated March 200) and there's a risk that it won't even ship. There's little reason to worry though because the company has a good reputation on Kickstarter and is not likely to be a dud.
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