It seems that indie companies are doing extremely well in the electric skateboard industry. With more and more boards appearing, the crowdfunded competition is quickly gaining momentum. It feels like every month, a new company appears with a groundbreaking board.
This is also the story with Inboard and their M1. The M1 is and was, since the moment of its inception, a world class personal transportation device. It is built for speed and range, but it is also lightweight enough in order to be as portable as possible.
Inboard M1
Pros
- Nice Design
- Built-in Lights
- Hub Motors
- Speed
Cons
- Heavy
- Low Range
The board is built for both pro and amateur riders, but, most of all, it is built with mobility in an urban setting in mind. The board is, thus, not only fast, but nimble as well, and has superb handling. It is also powerful enough to take the rider up a fairly steep incline. So, let’s see what’s so special about this board.
Who is Inboard Technology?
But, first, before taking this lady to prom, let’s meet her daddy. Like we said, Inboard technology is an independent company, based in Santa Cruz, California, founded in 2014. They are small, with headcount not exceeding 50 employees in total, but they are incredibly knowledgeable and professional.
The company’s goal is to approach the riders as closely as possible, and to really listen to what they have to say, and create a product from that info. They are very devoted to their work, and they execute their business with professionalism and German-like precision.
Their newest product and their flagship is the M1 eBoard. It is the culmination of endless research and testing, a product of a collaboration of designers, engineers, and athletes. The board was crowdfunded, and just in two days, the product collected 100.000 USD, which was the company’s goal. Over time, that number increased by 420%, and it is now supported by 551 parties.
Inboard technology Shark Tank 750k funding round
Recently Inboard was on the TV show Shark Tank where they managed to get funding from some big names in the industry.
Check out the video below for the specific scene:
Inboard M1 Specs
As always a quick overview of the most important specs:
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| Top Speed | 24 mph /( 40 km/h) |
| Range | 7- 10 miles (11-17 kms) |
| Weight | 14.5 lbs (6,5 kg) |
| Hill Incline | 15% |
Inboard M1 Design: Modern & Stealthy
The design of the board is a standard longboard shape. But, not only that it has a shape of a longboard, it even handles like one. The board’s tail is extremely functional, and, utilizing it, you can easily maneuver the board through narrow streets and passages, and make some pretty tight turns. The grip tape ensures you don’t slip off the board wet carving.
Overall, the board is pretty safe and ensures you have a secure footing at all times.
The board has a standard wooden core, but, for reasons of durability and reducing the weight, the board includes a composite deck and finish. The battery and other wiring are sandwiched inside the board, between the wooden core and composite top, which decreases the risk of the battery rupturing during an accident.
The deck features a lid that can be easily opened.
This allows you to change the battery if you have a spare, thus effectively increasing its range. Changing the battery takes about 10 seconds. The board weighs around 16 pounds, making it fairly light, though not the lightest board out there.
Inboard M1 Motors: the hubbies to get you up that hill
In the wake of modern transportation technology, the Inboard M1 is, like many of its counterparts, equipped with hub motors. Unlike belted motors, hub motors are mounted directly into the wheel, adding to power and torque. The M1 features 2 motors in the rear wheels of the board. When they first started their kickstarter campaign a this was a huge selling point because they were one, if not thé, first electric skateboard manufacturers to do so. This has changed know, take a look at the Acton Blink range and the Enertion Raptor 2.
These motors are powerful enough to propel the board up to the maximum speed of 24 mph. They also offer enough torque to climb a 15 % incline. The skate features a regenerative breaking that, if need be, stops the board in its tracks, but, with a bit of control, has enough finesse to slowly decelerate and bring the skate to a halt.
But the advantages of the hub motor don’t end here. Aside from the incredible power they offer, hub motors don’t create friction on the wheels in case there is no power coursing through them. This allows the rider to continue rolling even if the battery’s dead. Basically, if 
you run out of juice suddenly, you can continue moving as if you were riding a standard longboard.
Finally, the board comes with a remote control. The remote has an on/off button, a joystick throttle, and a kill switch. The kill switch must be held at all times, as it directly controls the motors. You then use the joystick that propels you forward, breaks and reverses.
Inboard M1 Battery and Range: Revolutionary
The M1 has a range of 10 miles, on a single charge. Now, this isn’t too great of a range, as there are boards that can go nearly twice as far. However, like we said, you have the option of changing the battery. This increases the effective range of the board. Battery swapping is very fast and easy, which compensates for the lack of range.
However, the speed changes and the weight of the rider are a factor too. If the rider’s weight is at 200 pounds, the effective range is halved.
Additionally, the batteries are very quick to charge and very durable. The battery takes an hour and a half to charge from empty to full, a time which can probably be shortened even further by using a fast charger.
The batteries are from Samsung and can hold 100% charge for a grand total of 1000 cycles (empty to full), which is more than even Evolve Bamboo batteries, which hold the full charge for about 800 cycles. Again, this depends on how you use the board, how often, and how much strain you put on it.
Powershift Battery by Inboard: how it should be!
The replaceable battery really is a work of art. We are definitely a big fan of their powershift system and believe that other brands can learn a thing or two from this!
Boosted also offers this feature but it is way less plug and play than with the Inboard M1. It literally only takes 10 seconds to change a full working battery!
See for yourself:
Inboard M1 vs Boosted Board Gen2 vs Evolve Carbon GT
Can the M1 stack up against the big boys?
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Inboard M1 |
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| Speed | 24 mph /( 40 km/h) | 22 mph | 26.7 mph |
| Range | 7- 10 miles (11-17 kms) | 7-12 miles | 31 miles |
| Weight | 14.5 lbs (6,5 kg) | 14.7-15.5 lbs | 17.4 lbs |
| Hill Incline | 14% | 25 % | 25 % |
Final Thoughts
And that’s it for our review. To quickly recap, the board is quick, light, fairly portable and the changeable battery offers you a good range. For a ride in an urban setting, this is an excellent board. Its fairly light weight and good speed make it a very viable choice for an everyday commuter.
The item’s nimbleness and responsiveness make it great for navigating crowds, and will probably save you a lot of nerves because you’ll no longer be stuck in traffic during the morning rush hour. All in all, this is an excellent board and is definitely worth checking out.
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