March 21, 2024April 2, 2024 by Paxson Lim

Acedeck Nomad N3 Review – Very Different.

Acedeck has released a new board called the Nomad N3. The standard Nomad N3 is available for $1899, while an elite model with a larger battery costs $2199.

Compared to Acedeck’s own Nyx series, the Nomad series seems to receive less attention. My guess is that this is the case since the Nomad initially appears to be simply another AT board in an extremely competitive market.

However, this couldn’t be further from the truth. When we took a closer look, we realized the Nomad N3 is probably the most unique AT board in the market right now.

Acedeck Nomad N3 Specs:

Price	$1899 – $2199
Battery	1554Wh 14s6p Samsung1304Wh 14s6p Molicel P42A
Controller	Custom Acedeck ESC
Top Speed	37 Mph (60 Kph)
Range	55 Miles (90 km)43 Miles (70 km)
Deck	Multi-layer composite deck
Motor	6890 150KV 7500W2 for N3 Elite6384 150KV 4500W2 for standard N3
Net Weight	44.3lbs (20.1kg)

Deck – Multi Layer Composite Deck:

Starting with the deck, Nomad is the only production eskate we know of with a split-angle deck. We just love to have something different than a typical double-drop deck, which everybody else is going with right now. With the split-angle deck, the front of the deck angles upwards to increase steering ability, and the back of the deck curves downwards to increase stability. We’re curious as to why there aren’t more boards on the market that use split-angle decks because people seem to really love the Nomad N1’s deck.

The deck material is a multi-layer composite of carbon fiber, maple, fiberglass, and bamboo.

Compared to the previous Nomad N1, the deck is somewhat wider on the N3. It also has a nice W concave on it, and we were told that it is less pronounced than the previous N1 to make it more comfortable to stand on.

The deck is pretty stiff, as stiff as a typical carbon fiber deck. It uses foam-layered grip tape that gives it a more serious and purposeful look. Acedeck also included the N1 version of grip tape in the box, in case that suits your taste better. There are also accent lights on the front and side of the deck, which can be turned on and off using the remote.

ESC and Remote – Custom Acedeck ESC:

As for the ESC, the Nomad N3 is paired with a 14s custom ESC, which, if we have to guess, was based on the tried and true Hobbywing ESC. It comes with four-speed settings and a smart turn-on feature. It’s paired with an Acedeck customized remote with a screen for telemetry where the board power, top, speed, acceleration curve, braking, and even the lights under the deck can be customized through the remote menu.

Battery – 1304Wh or 1554Wh 14s6p battery:

Moving on to the battery, you can choose between the standard version, which is powered by a 1304Wh 14s6p Molicel P42A, or the Elite version, which is powered by a 1554Wh 14s6p Samsung battery, which is almost twice the battery capacity of the Nomad N1. The standard version is marketed to have a range of up to 43 miles (70 km), and the Elite version its marketed range is up to 55 miles (90 km).

It took us a long while to complete the range test, and we got 41 miles (66km) riding fast.

Motor – 150kV Gear Drive System:

Powering this Nomad N3 is a gear drive system similar to the one on the Nyx Z3 with a gear ratio of 1:4. From our experience with the Nyx Z3, we already know that they are both powerful and have amazing torque. They are also regularly quiet compared to other gear drive systems on the market which isn’t something you see every day.

It is also worth mentioning that this new gear drive system is about 30% more compact, which translates to higher ground clearance, especially when compared to some belt drives.

We prefer gear drive systems over belt drive systems, as there’s no need for belt maintenance. Also, since this drive system is completely enclosed, it is protected from dust and debris, which makes for hassle-free off-road riding.

Gear drives are also more efficient in terms of power delivery, so they tend to get more mileage out of the battery.

The Nomad N3 is marketed to have a top speed of 37mph+ (60kph+), which is higher than boards like the Propel Endeavors2 Pro or the Meepo Vader. In our top speed test, we managed to hit 34 mph (55 kph), but some other reviewers had gotten 36mph (58 kph) and you can increase the top speed further by upgrading to 8-inch tires.

Trucks and Wheels – Precision True Kingpin Trucks and 8” AT Wheels:

Next, for the trucks, the Nomad N3 uses precision TKP trucks, which are marketed to have the turning radius of a Double King Pin truck combined with the Traditional Kinpin truck’s stability. They also redesigned the bridge angles and hanger, which are CNC machined and the axles are still 10mm, for improved durability.

We also like the bullbar protection system, which gives the board a distinct, almost military look. You can use it to ram into others during battle, and during peacetime, it doubles as a handle for you to pull this hefty board around.

The Nomad N3 comes pre-installed with 92A bushings, which are pretty soft. If the truck feels too soft for you, you can always swap it for the stiffer 98A bushings. Acedeck also includes thicker bushing cups, which can give you an even stiffer setup.

It’s also good to note that the wheel hubs are also CNC machined, much unlike regular plastic hubs you’d see on the market.

There is also an 1100-lumens integrated light system in the works

Specs Summary of the Nomad N3:

Acedeck has always produced beautiful boards, and this one exudes luxury.

What is surprising for us is that if you look around the market, $1899 usually gets you a board with a 14s4p battery or less. So, despite presumably spending a good amount of money on R&D and using exclusively high-quality parts, the Nomad N3 still manages to outbid rivals on pricing.

Riding Experience Nomad N3:

One of the first things we notice when riding the Nomad N3 is how nimble it is, which is surprising for such a heavy board. The split deck system, plus this new TKP truck, is a big game changer. It’s really responsive and easy to turn, might even be a bit too loose right out of the box. We tightened it up a little to make it just right for us.

With this split deck system, the front truck is responsive and has the turning radius of double kingpin trucks, yet it feels more stable than your average double kingpin truck.

The carving was really fun on the Nomad N3, too, which is no small feat for a 44.3 lbs board with AT wheels. A lot more fun than other big AT boards for sure.

And it didn’t compromise stability either. Having a split-angled deck also means the back trucks of the boards are stable and, hence, won’t give you speed wobble. We feel very comfortable going top speed with it. The W-concave also makes our feet feel secure.

The Nomad N3 has the same motors and likely the same ESC as the Nyx Z3, and the speed control, torque, and power are very similar. The torque on the Nomad N3 is super strong, and you will feel the high-voltage system in action. The acceleration is quick and punchy and can effortlessly get you to the top speed. Acedeck did a beautiful job configuring the speed control, and even though the acceleration is rapid and strong, it wasn’t harsh and didn’t have the jolt that many boards with LingYi ESC might have. The braking is equally smooth but strong, and those who like strong brakes would definitely be happy about this.

Another thing about the Nomad N3 is that despite having a rigid deck, the large all-terrain wheels and foam grip tape helped to reduce most, if not all, of the vibrations from the road.

Verdict – Acedeck Nomad N3:

To us, the Acedeck Nomad N3 is like a Sport SUV. It is mainly for urban commuting or even racing, but it can certainly handle some off-road riding. The thing we love most about it is definitely how nimble it is, making it possible to ride on sidewalks or amongst foot traffic.

You can hardly find another board that has this blend of power, comfort, stability, and responsiveness, just like you can hardly find a board this well built, well specced for only $1899.

Our only regret here is that we already made a list of the Best Electric Skateboard of the Year, and it’s too late to put this one in.

If you are interested in buying the Acedeck, be sure to check out our affiliate discount link here and use code: “ESKATEHQ” to receive $5 off during checkout.
It will help you get a small monetary discount and help us out too. On top of that, you’ll be tagged as an Electric Skateboard HQ customer and probably be treated better. Cheers!

March 20, 2024March 25, 2024 by Paxson Lim

Acedeck Nyx Z3 Review – Best mountainboard!

In 2023, we saw Kaly.nyc and Lacroix closing shops. Rising from the dust is Acedeck with its Nyx Z1, and this year, they’ve launched the latest edition of the series, the Nyx Z3.

We don’t know why they skipped over Z2, but we do know that the Nyx Z1 was wildly popular as one of the better mountain board builds. The 2024 Nyx Z3 has some upgrades, including a new shock-absorbing truck system, integrated lights, and an option for a bigger 14s6p battery.

Acedeck Nyx Z3 Specs:

	Nyx Z3 Off Road (653Wh)	Nyx Z3 Off Road (1036Wh)	Nyx Z3 Off Road (1295Wh)	Nyx Z3 Off Road Elite (1554Wh)
Price	$1599	$1999	$2399	$2899
Battery	14s3p 653Wh Molicel P42A	14s4p 1036Wh Samsung	14s5p 1295Wh Samsung	14s6p 1554Wh Samsung
Controller	Custom Acedeck ESC
Top Speed	37 Mph (60 Kph)
Range	24 miles (40 km)	37 miles (60 km)	49 miles (80 km)	59 miles (95 km)
Deck	Multi-layer composite deck
Motor	6384 150KV 4500W*2 Gear drive
Net Weight	18.9kg (41.67lbs)	20.2kg (44.53lbs)	21.2kg (46.74lbs)	22.1kg (48.72lbs)

Deck – Multi-Layer Composite Deck

Starting with the deck, the Nyx Z3 is a mountainboard deck made of a multi-layer composite maple, bamboo, and carbon fiber. The Z3’s flexible deck, which carries over from the Nyx Z1, effectively dampens vibrations. This design is a favorite among off-roaders and die-hard eskaters because it places the battery box atop the deck, allowing for maximum ground clearance.

The deck boasts a moderate concave and sufficient flexibility, as expected from a build like this.
Pre-drilled holes for foot bindings are included, although Acedeck does not currently provide foot bindings out of the box. Additionally, the front handle adds convenience to the board’s design.

ESC and Remote – Custom Acedeck ESC:

Moving onto the ESC, Acedeck used their custom ESC, presumably modeled after the trusty Hobbywing ESC. It comes with four-speed settings and a smart turn-on feature. The board is paired with the standard Hobbywing remote with a screen for telemetry where the board’s power, top, speed, acceleration curve, and braking can be customized through the remote menu.

Battery – 14s Samsung Molicel:

As the Nyx Z3 is an all-terrain adrenaline beast, it comes as no surprise it’s powered by some beefy battery units. All Nyx Z3 versions have a 14s battery arrangement, ranging from 653Wh to a whopping 1554Wh.

With a 14s4p battery configuration, our model, the 1036Wh, is marketed as having a range of up to 37 miles (60km). And in our tests, with both a 154lbs (70 kg) rider and a 220lbs (100kg) rider taking turns, we managed to make it to 26 miles (42 km) while riding fast.

Motor – 6384 150kv Dual 4500W Gear Drive:

Now, let’s talk about the gear drive. This is a 6384 150KV 4500W*2 gear drive system. We always expected gear drives from a higher-ended board, and Acedeck is no stranger to putting gear drives into their boards, as all of their premium line-ups use gear drives. It’s also a fully enclosed system so you never have to be afraid of debris getting stuck in the motor system and ruining your ride. Here, the gear ratio is 4:1.

We tested these motors and were able to reach 34.18 mph (55 kph), out of their advertised top speed of 37.28 mph (60 km/h).

Trucks and Wheels – Suspension Trucks and 8-inch AT Wheels:

As for the trucks, the Nyx Z3 features a new and different suspension system, which is different from what we have seen from Propel, Ecombl, and Bajaboard. Unlike conventional trucks, the Nyx Z3 utilizes a compact design based on a channel truck platform, and Acedeck claims that it would be more stable and comfortable than what other brands put out. Systems like this allow the four tires to move up and down independently from each other, improving the board’s smoothness on uneven surfaces.

There are two ways to change the truck’s tightness.
Replace both bushings with the red 85A bushing for heavier riders, or swap out all of the bushings with the white 75A bushing for more flexible steering. The screw’s tightness will also have an impact on how tight the truck is; just like with a regular truck, tightening the screw here will pressure the bushings and increase the truck’s stability. It’s helpful to have Loctite with you if you were to tinker with the screws, as if it gets too loose, the truck will be wobbly.

Paired with the trucks are these wheels 8-inch all-terrain wheels, pretty standard here.

The board itself is obviously heavy as well; the lightest version weighs 41 lbs (19 kg), and the heaviest is the Elite version, which weighs 49 lbs (22 kg).

You also have the option to buy a variant with the 1100-lumen premium front lights, but that will set you back another $120 bucks. Ours didn’t come with the lights, but every variant of the Nyx Z3 does come with integrated brake lights, which turn on when you apply the brakes

Specs Summary of the Acedeck Nyx Z3:

If you are buying a $1999, I would assume you are not the type of person who puts too much focus on how much specs you get per dollar you spend. You are probably more concerned with the product quality and the entire ride experience in this case.

However, we at Electric Skateboard HQ love our charts and numbers and couldn’t resist making that comparison. We expected Nyx Z3 to cost more or have fewer specs than boards at a similar price, since mountain board style decks, gear drives, and suspension trucks are more expensive to design and manufacture than other boards yet what we found is that the Nyx Z3 was actually priced lower than comparable boards on the market.

If you like to do your own research, you can check out the spec chart we compiled for all electric skateboard here.

It’s not too hard to see why Acedeck has been such a rising star when they can put out high-end boards that were built beautifully while managing to price them lower than competitors.

Ride Experience of Acedeck Nyx Z3

With builds like this, we expect torque and power for off-road rides and pray that the board has good speed control to harness that power comfortably.

We expect the suspension trucks and flexible deck to absorb most of the road vibration and be super stable on ‘straight-line’ but hope it’s not too difficult to turn and make it unrideable on sidewalks with tight turns.

And this is what we feel about the board after riding it: Nyx Z3 is definitely a superb mountain board that can handle mountain trails and any road conditions. It has a strong torque, and you will feel the high-voltage system in action. The acceleration is quick and punchy and can easily propel you to the top speed. Acedeck did a beautiful job configuring the speed control, and even though the acceleration is rapid and strong, it wasn’t harsh and didn’t have the jolt that many boards with LingYi ESC might have.

The braking is equally smooth but strong; those who like strong brakes would be happy about this. However, the brake is not able to lock the board when halting on an incline; it is almost able to, but the board will still slide down very, very slowly.

The suspension system also did amazingly well. No road vibration whatsoever when riding off-road. It is hard for us to draw a comparison between this suspension truck and other suspension trucks, such as the one on Propels, as both did their job completely well.

But strictly speaking, the Nyx Z3 has an advantage here since, unlike the Propel Endeavours, it also features a flexible deck where you can put foot bindings for bouncy off-road conditions.

Many riders vouch for foot bindings, not so much for their off-road security as for their ability to shift your body weight aggressively for tighter turns, which brings us to the next point: maneuverability.

Right out of the box, this is really a ‘straight-line’ box for us. It is heavy to turn, but very easy and stable to travel in a straight line. Keep in mind, we are scrawny Asian here, and it’s not easy for our 155 lbs weight to turn the trucks. However, there are solutions: the trucks were considerably easier to turn and much more responsive after we switched to the white 75A bushing.

At the end of the day, you can choose a configuration that suits you perfectly. Of course, Acedeck did not miraculously find a way to make suspension trucks that are also easy to turn, but we think this is as good as it gets. With the right configuration, this is easier to turn and more responsive than the suspension trucks on the Propel Endeavors2 Pro.

In terms of responsiveness, these trucks are somewhere between TKP trucks and Double Kingpin. That’s if you take the time to configure them right.

Verdict – Acedeck Nyx Z3:

Until competition catches up, Acedeck Nyx Z3 is undoubtedly the best option for a mountain board like this. It is a board that will get you a lot of attention during a group ride and then also leaves everyone in the dust during the said group ride. It is a board that is super comfortable and powerful enough to ride alongside road traffic with no fear of potholes, but it may be less practical if you have to maneuver around other people on the sidewalks.

It’s also a board that you can use for off-road trail runs when you’re in the mood for some extra excitement. Essentially, if you have the money, you should get the Nyx Z3, which has all the excitement that an electric skateboard can provide.

September 29, 2020September 30, 2020 by Paxson Lim

Ecomobl ET Review – True AT?

Being an electric skateboard reviewer and getting the opportunity to sample a huge variety of different eskates is fun. However, I’ve never gotten my hands on any board that can be called a true off-road build.

Take the Wowgo AT 2, a board that we reviewed a while ago (spoiler alert! It’s great!). It has 7” pneumatic wheels and powerful motors that allow you transverse harsh terrain, but no one in their right mind would use it to climb a mountain trail. The board is too delicate for that.

That’s why, when Ecomobl offered to send us an Ecomobl ET for a review, I knew I needed to climb a mountain with it. It brags about being a “True All-Terrain Board” after all.

True All Terrain huh
Extra Griptape? Yeah, definitely needed that.

Ecomobl?

Hold on, let’s rewind a bit. “Who is this Ecomobl,” you may be asking. Honestly, I had to do some research on the brand before agreeing to do this review. Being a little bit reserved is always good when a brand’s flagship product looks like a copy of another brand’s products. Let’s introduce the elephant in the room: the Ecomobl M24 looks like a Bajaboard, with the upside of being $1000 cheaper and more available outside of Australia.

After doing a little bit of digging, I found that although Ecomobl itself is pretty new to most of us and to the consumer markets, they have actually been manufacturing and supplying Eskate parts to other eskate brands for a while now. In 2020, word of mouth started to spread, people started taking chances on their product and so far, the after-sale service has really been on point. Something like a ratio of 10 praises to 1 complaint.

Want to see it for yourself?
Check out Ecomobl Owner’s Group and Ecomobl Official group.

Ecomobl ET Review

Now that we’ve talked about the brand, let’s talk about the board, the Ecomobl ET. This is not their flagship product, that would be the Baja-like M24; but in my opinion, the ET is a very important board not only for Ecomobl but for the eskate community as a whole.

Why?

This is the cheapest it gets for you to get something that can climb a mountain trail – I’m not talking about grass, stick, and stones; I’m talking about sand, mud, rocks and huge cracks on a steep incline. So, if this board turns out to be good, it might serve as a gateway drug between street eskating and mountain eskating. A lot of wallets are at risk here.

Deck Size: 39-inch x 9.8-inch (99cm x 25cm)
Top Speed: 35mph/56km
Range: 20-25miles/32-40km
Battery Pack: 648Wh 12s3p Samsung 50E (or Samsung 40T)
Weight: 27lbs/12.2kg
Motor: 2 x 2000W planetary gear drive.
Wheels: 6″ airless rubber wheels (150mm)
Features:
- LingYi ESC with push to turn on.
  - The option of Range-focus ESC or Power-focus ESC
- Integrated board light, headlight and taillights.
- IP 56 Waterproof
Price: 1159 USD

By the way, the review unit that I receive is with the Samsung 50E batteries and with Range Focus ESC.

We will talk about their potential differences when we speak about the range.

First, let me show you the parts:

Deck

Ecomobl ET uses a 39 inch deck with aggressive drop. There is some nice concave to it so you know where you feet are. Aggressive drop deck not only makes the ride lower and more stable, the drop also serves as a step for you to place your feet during steep incline or decline. Nice!

Even with the aggressive drop, there is a 4″ (10cm) ground clearance. That’s pretty enough for most terrain.

Enclosure

Using a full length aluminium enclosure means you can forget about having any flex on the deck. I don’t know if I can fault them for going with the aluminium enclosure as you do need something that’s strong enough to withstand abuse, and this enclosure is that. It’s also pretty well sealed, giving me a peace of mind when riding not only through puddle but through muds.

This also makes cleaning the board a much easier process.
It’s IP 56 waterproof.

Trucks

Ecomobl ET uses a 15″ (38cm) (in axle width) trucks.
Right out of the box, the trucks are too loose and it takes me a while to find the right tightness on the trucks. With the right truck tightness, I got a pretty good balance between stability and maneuvrebility.

I think upgrading the bushing would further improve it.

Wheels

(150mm) 6″ airless rubber wheels can indeed roll over anything that’s meant to be rolled over. Pneumatic wheels are softer, that’s for sure, but airless wheel don’t get punctured when riding over dodgy terrain.

Planetary Gear Drive

Ecomobl ET uses a gear drive that I’ve never seen before. They call it planetary gear drive and they are 2000W per piece.

Besides looking fascinating when spinning, the gear drive makes a loud, rather sharp mechanical noise when accelerating.

It also freerolls okay-ly, meaning not as resistant as a belt-motor but not as freely as a hub or a regular gear drive.

Battery

As mentioned, there is two battery variant both in 12s3p settings:

Samsung 50E in 15 AH setting (648wh) or
Samsung 40T in 14 AH setting (518wh)

Although Samsung 50E has a higher AH rating (5000mah vs 4000mah in 40T), Samsung 40T is actually considered a better cell as it has less voltage sag.

It means, with Samsung 40T, the board stays “stronger” when battery drains, meaning happier ride and it might still give you almost the same range as the theoretically bigger pack of Samsung 50E anyways!

PS: My review unit has Samsung 50E.

ESC

As mentioned, there are 2 version of ESC.

Range focus ESC
Power focus ESC

Both are LingYi ESC; the differences lies just within the settings.

PS: My review unit has the Range focus ESC.

Remotes

Standard LingYi ESC remote with telemetry, and the standard mislabelled reverse button.

The reverse button is speed mode, double tap power button to reverse.

The remote needs no further introduction. It’s comfortable in hand; it has good connectivity.

I just wish it look cooler.

Lights

Ecomobl ETs come with integrated lighting systems. You can turn it on or off by holding the reverse button for 3 second.

The lights are cool, and very very useful. They are the headlight, board lights and taillights.

The board lights are an LED stripes lining the enclosure, they are purple. I hate that colour, I wish it was white or yellow or red or anything not purple.

Ecomobl reps describe this color as electric blue and maybe it is in some situations but let’s face it; it’s purple.

The headlights are white and they are bright enough. Not as bright as the Shredlights or the Backfire Canon headlight but they are good enough.

The tail lights are slightly angled upward so it is visible to anyone behind you. They are red, of course.

All 3 light systems lit up every time you engage the brakes, much like how it is on a car, even if you didn’t switch them on. And as far as I know, there is no way to make them stay off.

Q1: Is the Ecomobl ET a capable mountain trail hiking board?

Yeap!

I rode the ET up a rough mountain trail through mud and sand, stones and cracks, and it can handle them, which is amazing!

This is the first time that I was able to ride on a path like this and it is really something else. Now I understand why mountain biking and mountain boarding are popular. And finally, it is a $1000 production board that can hang with the likes of the Trampa DIY build that’s at least 2 times the price!

The big wheels were able to handle all of the cracks I faced, and the 2000w planetary gear drive motor is strong enough to handle any incline as long as the wheels get traction. The aggressive drop on the decks serves as a step during sleep inclines or declines, and hence allows me to keep myself onboard both uphill and downhill.

The super-stiff deck does take some fun out of a street ride, but I think it is a logical choice for a board that is designed to go on a mountain trail. A flex deck would have bounced me off the board like a trampoline.

The 6” airless wheels are second best in cushioning the vibrations from rough terrain. Pneumatic wheels are, after all, the gold standard.

The airless 6” wheels nonetheless did a decent job and make stone and pebble roads at least tolerable. Plus, you don’t have to worry about puncturing them and ruining the rest of your trip, where you are forced to drag your board downhill as a punctured wheel means it impossible to make turns. Don’t ask me how I know…

Pneumatic wheels are comfortable, but also runs a risk of flat tire.

Q2: How smooth is the speed control?

Does the LingYi ESC do well in the Ecomobl ET? Throughout the years, and after … was it 7 iterations? … LingYi ESCs have become very close to Hobbywing ESCs when it comes to control smoothness. It is now at the point where they are difficult to differentiate from one another. The stereotype that LingYi ESCs are jerky and strong, while Hobbywing ESCs are smooth but weak, is no longer true.

However, I have to take that back when it comes to the Ecomobl ET. The control of the Ecomobl ET, with its LingYi ESC, is very stereotypical of that raw and punchy feeling, as compared to, for example, the Hobbywing ESC on the Wowgo AT 2 – or even those of the customized LingYi ESC on the Raldey MT-V3.

I am guessing that the powerful motor accentuates the jolt and makes the imperfections much more obvious. With that said, the control of the Ecomobl ET still fell within what I would consider as “Smooth enough that I can relax while riding it” – but perfectly smooth it is not. The Brakes are strong, however, and that I like.

Q3: Is the Ecomobl ET fun to ride?

Depends on your definition of fun, actually. If your idea of a good AT ride is a buttery smooth ride, with the smooth carving of double kingpin trucks, then Ecomobl ET is definitely not it. Your ideal board would be something like the Evolve or Wowgo AT 2.

If you want a board that seemingly has the power of a jeep, can handle terrain like a jeep, and will make loud mechanical sounds when it accelerates, the Ecomobl ET would be a great board for you.

Maneuverability is good, it turns easily and unlike Trampa Builds, making a U-turn on a double lane road is possible with the Ecomobl ET. Everything is great, provided you find the right tightness and configuration on the trucks and bushings. The trucks are very loose when they arrive, and if not tightened things could get sketchy when riding fast.

Now, let’s talk about the numbers.

Top Speed

First, let’s talk about the top speed, others have told me that hitting the marketed top speed of 35mph or 56kmh is possible, but 33mph (53kmh) is a more reasonable expectation. I did not try the top speed as I kinda value my life… but I can say that the board felt it had a lot more to give when I hit 25mph (40kmh), even when there were only 2 bars of battery left; and with the trucks tightened it felt very stable at that speed.

Range

I hit 17miles (28km) and still had 1.5 bars of battery left, so I have no doubt it can hit the 20miles(32km), the lower end of the marketed range.

Again, my battery is a Samsung 50E pack and theoretically, the newer Samsung 40T pack would have less voltage sag and allow the board to retain a stronger torque even when the battery is low, and maybe even better longevity. This is not to say that I’m not satisfied with the Samsung 50E packs though, they work fine for me.

Verdict: Is Ecomobl ET good?

So, the verdict. Why do I like a $1200 board that’s not perfectly smooth in control, that’s not buttery smooth in carving, that has no flex in it, and has a motor that screams like a rusted motorcycle?

It is because no matter the faults, at the end of the day, it is one of the few boards on the market, that can be abused to climb a muddy mountain trail. The high I got from doing that is really something else.

Plus, even when riding on road, not needing to worry about road condition, puddles, belt-maintenance and about keeping the lights charged are just wonderful for a lazy person like me.

So yes, I think a lot of people would be really happy with the Ecomobl ET.

Check out the Ecomobl ET product page by clicking here.

If you are interested in buying an Ecomobl, be sure to use code: “Electric Skateboard HQ 5％OFF” during checkout.
It will help you get a pretty significant monetary discount and helps us out too. On top of that, you’ll be tagged as an Electric Skateboard HQ customer and probably be treated better. Cheers!

May 14, 2018May 18, 2018 by Paxson Lim

Arc Aileron 2.0 – Review

Foreword

Not the most flashy company, Arc Board EV from Singapore has been putting out quality boards since the launch of their Arc Penny(AKA Arc Board) on 30th August 2016. Following the success of Arc Penny, the Arc team launched the original Arc Aileron, which is also regarded as one of the best electric shortboard available to the market.

Throughout the years and with this 2 main products, Arc has established itself as a trustworthy brand that makes good boards.

Fast forward to the 2nd April 2018, the Arc team announced not one but two up-coming new products, the Arc Finix and Arc Aileron 2.0.
Both of this boards will be rocking the new “Arc Fusion” geared drive designed by the Arc team.
This is exciting as the Arc Aileron V2 will be among the first geared drive powered electric skateboard to hit the market.

I was given the chance to thoroughly test out the pre-production model of the Arc Aileron V2 and get a taste of how well the Arc Fusion drive works, and spoiler alert, its good!

Introduction of Arc Board EV

Being near from Singapore where Arc Board EV is based, I am quite familiar with the Arc team.
In fact, I was given the opportunity to visit their operation in Singapore earlier this year and wrote a story on this small yet respectable start-up.

*Click to read more about the entrepreneur story of Arc Board EV.*

Though not a very talked about brand in the global Eskate community, the Arc team has gained the trust of those who paid any attention to them. They are a small team of electric skateboard start-up that doesn’t try to do too much, yet everything they did, they did it well.

Ever since they first launched their Kickstarter Campaign on the original Arc Penny in August 2016, Arc team has never let their customers down.
Always on-time in delivering great quality products and follow up that with great customer service, the Arc team is well-loved by the community it serves.

The Arc Line-Up

Listing in the upcoming Arc Aileron V2 and Arc Finix, the Arc team will soon to have 4 products in the line-up: The Arc Penny, Arc Aileron V1, Arc Aileron V2 and the Arc Finix.

While I consider Arc Penny the best electric penny board on the market and Arc Aileron V1 great shortboard balancing riding comfort and portability, the Arc boards were seemingly at risk to be drowned out by competition as more and more new eskate show up with crazy specs and crazier price. This changed with the announcement of Arc Aileron V2 and Arc Finix.

Arc team has chosen to answer the competition through innovation. Their in-house designed geared drive motor, the Arc fusion drive, is looking to give them a significant competitive edge.

While the much anticipated Arc Finix, which should be available by the end of this year, will use a dual motor set-up with two Arc fusion drive; the Arc Aileron V2 will be powered by single Arc fusion drive and be one of the first geared drive board to lead this post-hub motor era.

Arc Aileron V2 Review

So how does Arc Aileron V2 came to be?

“Among all the ideas we have, we choose to go forward with the Arc Aileron V2 and the fusion drive to solve a problem I have – the need for more range. I tried to ride to the office with the original Arc Aileron and couldn’t get all the way through.”

“The fusion drive, on top of many performance improvements, solve the range issue. By changing the belt drive to a more efficient geared drive gives you 2 times the range.”

“Instead of being the last mile solution, we want the Arc Aileron V2 to go the ‘full miles’, so you can skip the MRT or bus and just skate the whole way to your destination on the V2”

Paraphrasing Hung Yi from Arc team

Arc Aileron V2 Specs

Arc Aileron V2 is all-rounded in specs.

Top Speed: 25mph (40kmh)
Range: 19mil (30km)
Weight: 12.1lbs (5.5kg)
Charge Time: 70min
Features: Weatherproof, Regenerative Braking.
Price: less than 1400 USD.

Build Quality

Arc Aileron might be one of the toughest board on the market right now.
It has an industrial black and grey look with none of those fancy color scheme and rounded edges.

The look of the Arc boards definitely reflected Arc team’s philosophy – substances over style.

Deck

The Arc Aileron V2 continue the use of Aileron carbon fiber deck from 121C.

The aerospace grade pure carbon fiber deck allows the deck to be lighter and thinner, something that helped Arc Aileron to be the lightest electric shortboard in the market.

Impressive.

This carbon fiber deck is also very durable. It might be the only skateboard deck that could survive being run over by a car, something that seems to happen more than a few times these recent months… (stay safe guys.)

Fusion Drive

The Arc Aileron V2 will be the first board to use the newly developed geared drive – Arc Fusion Drive.

A few electric skateboard company has their own iteration of the geared drive motor: the Carvon has had theirs for a while now and JED board has been making it their marketing focal point for the delayed JED board.
None of those product has yet to make a significant impact on the mass market so it was so surprising when the Arc team announced that they have a market-ready geared drive!
(note: Carvon’s geared drive is available for purchase, but its complete eskate is currently stuck in delay hell.)
(note2: JED board which made famous the geared drive through its marketing effort is just beginning to start its production phase. So it’s likely that the V2 is going to be available around the same time (June) as the JED preorders (scheduled May but most likely will see slight delays.)

Apparently, the Arc team have been keeping the Arc Fusion R&D close to their chest for a good half year now.

If you are not interested in the geared drives, well, you should!

A lot of words are needed to explain about the geared drive so I will skip the explaining of what they are (think belt drive without the belt) and straight to what it means for the user.

Basically, with geared drive, you have a system that is more efficient while requires less maintenance compares to a belt drive. The geared drive also allows the use of standard longboard wheels – meaning significantly smoother rides. It also made possible the easy swapping of wheels and interchangeable AT/street set-up. These are the things that hub motor could not do.
The geared drive system also retains the responsive feel and instant acceleration that only belt-drives and high-end hub motors can offer.
On the other hand, unlike the belt motor, geared drive free-rolls well. In fact, it free-rolls better than a hub motor!

One of the criticisms of the geared drive as made famous by JED board is having a high-pitch steel to steel grind noise. Hence, many are waiting to hear how the Arc Fusion drive sounds.
After testing out the V2 myself, I am happy to report that Arc Fusion drive is only as noisy as a regular belt drive motor, no high-pitch noise.

Another concern that I have for a geared drive is their durability, especially when Arc Aileron V2 is the ‘virgin voyage’ of a new motor system.

While it is a good comfort to know that Arc team has been running its Arc Fusion drive under the radar for 4 months now, the real comfort lies with knowing that I can trust the team to have my back should there be issues down the line.

That’s the importance of buying from people you trust.

Wheels

With the V2, Arc team finally upgraded the wheels of their boards from 70mm to 90mm. Undoubtedly, it is a move that they were forced to make to allow more ground clearance for the board.
The bigger wheel took abit away from that agile feel I experience from the V1 but allows the board to skate on less than perfect road.

I found wheels size and durometer matters most in dampening vibration and in the case of V2, the four big soft 90mm 75a wheels smooth out vibration better than an ultra flex deck on a hub motor would.

Love the change.

Summary

With the aerospace grade pure carbon fiber deck from 121C, CNC part made in Singapore by REI Promax and with every unit assembled by the Arc-Team themselves, the Arc Aileron’s quality is one of its brightest points.

They have the track record to prove it too.

Riding Experience:

Acceleration and Deceleration

With a well-tuned VESC, the Arc Aileron V2 has a butter smooth acceleration and deceleration curve.
There is no surprise considering the Arc team already manage to nail that in the 1st gen Arc Aileron.

By using the geared drive, the Arc Aileron retained that instant & responsive acceleration that belt-drives are known for. When releasing the acceleration, there are no jolts, and the board free-wheeled so well that it felt as if it might never stop. Significantly better than hubs.

I used to be so nervous trying to brake on an electric skateboard, yet for the Arc Aileron V2, there is no such concern. There were no jolts felt. 100% smooth – I promise.

While most of the skateboard has 2 or even 5 riding modes to cater to different needs, Arc Aileron V2 doesn’t have that and doesn’t need that. It is too easy to control the rate of acceleration and the top speed with the remote dial and you won’t even be thinking about the ride modes.
It was only when I was writing the review that it dawned on me that Arc Aileron V2 doesn’t have different speed modes.

The control is just that awesome.

10/10 man. Bravo.

Vibration & Stability

As per usual, we took the Arc Aileron V2 to a cobblestone road to test out how it handles vibration.

As mentioned prior, the Arc Aileron V2 is quite well in handling vibration.
Though the carbon fiber deck is not known to be the most flexible, the 75a 90mm wheels really help in dampening vibration.

On the downside, the deck doesn’t have any concave to it so it doesn’t help to “grip” your foot during rides. So when my feet were numb during the cobblestone ride, a concave deck might help and ease the feeling of my feet slipping off the deck.
But obviously, you can’t have a thin carbon fiber deck and still ask for it to have concave too, can you?

Remote Control

Using a single dial with plenty of throws, Arc version of eskate remote is among the best out there.
The remote is big and simple in design.

I think the size works for me and I find it very comfortable to hold in hand.

No disconnection of course. And they have chosen to disable the reverse function, a change that I am fans of.

As I mentioned, it is so easy to fine tune the acceleration, braking and top speed that the V2 doesn’t need speed mode to help with the control.

By the way, its using AA battery instead of lithium.

Summary of Riding Experience

Arc Aileron V2 offers the best riding experience one can ask from a shortboard. Riding on the V2, I couldn’t think of anything to improve it on. Good in tight maneuver and awesome in cruising, the V2 does its job perfectly.

The acceleration and deceleration are both so easy to control that I am confident it suits both newbie and the pros.

Capability

Range

19miles or 30kmh range is exactly what an efficient geared drive motor can do – doubling the range of a belt drive system.

Speed

In our testing, the Arc Aileron V2 can reach 23mph (38kmh) for a 165lbs(75kg) rider in a normal stance.
This means that the marketing top speed of 25mph(40kmh) is definitely achievable with a (155lbs)70kg rider in a speed tuck. It’s not something I would want to do on a shortboard deck but hey, you do you!

Torque

The Arc Aileron V2 is marketed to handle 19% uphill climb.

In my standard uphill hill test, the V2 is able to conquer the incline if given a running start.
It couldn’t do a stop-and-go on a steep incline. It is a single drive electric skateboard after all.

Note: If given too big of a load, the geared drive will sputter. This is bad for the motor so it is best not to abuse it.

Customer Service

Customer service is a bright spot for the Arc team. They have been here for a while and their track record has been perfect.

Customer for Singapore has a fast and easy access to the Arc team (its a city-state after all).
For international customers, the Arc team works with other people and company around the world to provide better and faster repair service.

If you are from the US, Long-Hair-Boy will be the one helping the repair if something goes wrong with your Arc while for EU customers, Cedric from Unikboards will be handling the repair and warranty.
Last but not least, the customers from South East Asia and Australia will still be nearest to Arc team and will be serviced by the team themselves.

Other Features

The Arc boards are usually simple boards without much belts and whistles.

The Arc Aileron V2 kept the same philosophy. No smartphone app, no built-in LED.
Just a tough electric skateboard.

Portability

The best part of the Arc Aileron V2 is the portability. At 12lbs(5.5kg), it is only second to the belt-drive Arc Aileron V1 (9.5lbs/ 4.3kg) for the top places as the lightest electric shortboard.

Verdict

While the original Arc Aileron has its niche, the electric shortboard market was seeing fierce competition and the Arc team needed to make a move.

The Arc Aileron V2 with its geared drive is the perfect solution. Instead of going into a price & specs war, Arc team decided to lead the electric skateboard market with their new geared drive technology.

Amongst all the shortboard in the market, I would place the Aileron V2 as a better board over even the recently announced Boosted Mini X. Aileron V2 is simply better in performance and more practical to travel around with considering the weight.
Aileron V2 is also on par with quality and ride feel comparing to the Boosted.
Well, V2 cost $300 more than the Boosted Mini X so it would be only reasonable to expect a better value.

Although as a single drive electric skateboard, the Arc Aileron V2 is not the best hill climber, it is still the perfect electric shortboard for a lot of people.
It can be fast for the pros and it can be tame for the noobs.
It is light enough to travel around and comfortable enough to cruise.

Arc Aileron V2 also has the customer service and the build quality to give the peace of mind.

If you are in the market for an electric shortboard, there shouldn’t be a lot of reason to turn down the V2 if the $1300 price-tag is within your budget.

Check out Arc Aileron V2