With electrification taking over the automotive industry, there seems to be an electric version of just about every type of urban mobility device out there, including trucks, buses, bicycles, scooters, and even skateboards. And besides making mobility more accessible to a larger pool of people, electric motors have made some of these people movers more fun to ride.
Skateboards are the smallest and lightest four-wheeled electric vehicles one can travel around on, but they can be the most exciting to ride. At least, that’s what mechanical engineer Raine Kent from Australia seems to believe since he set his sights on breaking the record for the world’s fastest electric skateboard. And that he did, absolutely smashing the previous Guinness record with his newest high-performance electric skateboard.
Kent managed to reach a top speed of 82.25 miles per hour, or around 132 kilometers per hour, on a custom-built skateboard. The previous record for the highest speed on an electric skateboard stood at 59 miles per hour (95 kph), so he beat it by a long shot. He achieved this feat on September 17, 2022, in Bullsbrook, Australia.
“It was very scary but exciting at the same time, and it was good to achieve something that I had been talking about for so long. Breaking the record was awesome and hopefully we hold it for a few years to come,” Kent commented on his achievement.
“I love the adrenaline rush that you get from e-skateboarding. I began my career in skateboarding in downhill racing so negotiating hills at speed and sliding and now I’ve moved into e-skateboarding. The speed, the adrenaline, the rush — I love it,” he added.
As mentioned above, the daredevil is a mechanical engineer, so he leveraged his knowledge and abilities in the field to build the record-setting electric skateboard. He also runs an electric skateboard business called Raith and builds high-speed electric skateboards for various applications. He is now patenting the motor design on the board, and his startup will soon bring the products to the market.
Currently, they offer a high-performance skateboard oriented towards speed, known as Vengeance. This model, which has four-wheel drive and can reach a top speed of 80 mph (130 kph), is targeted at riders who are looking for a more powerful micromobility device compared to the average electric board. The board features a 30-inch (76 cm) wheelbase (axle to axle) and a deck made of carbon fiber. It weighs 26.5 pounds (12 kg) and admits a maximum load of 265 pounds (120 kg).
The Vengeance skateboard is powered by quad 2400W-rated custom motors, coupled with 37V, 10AH, 370Wh custom-built LiPo batteries delivering a range of 21.7 miles (35 km).
However, riding such a skateboard without protective gear on public roads might not be a good idea. Kent took all necessary safety precautions for his record-breaking run - he wore a full-face racing helmet and a full-body crash suit.
Their other model is called Midnight and is designed for regular commutes. It features dual 2400W-rated motors in direct drive configuration and can hit a maximum speed of 37 miles per hour (60 kph).
These two Raith electric skateboards feature technology that improves stability at high speeds and took four years to develop, fine-tune, and perfect. The company is currently taking pre-orders for both models, and deliveries are expected to begin in February/March this year. The Vengeance version is priced at $3,499, while the Midnight retails for $2,299.
After spending a few years as a copy editor, Ancuta decided to put down the eraser and pick up the writer's pencil. Her favorites subjects are unusual car designs, travel trailers and everything related to the great outdoors. Full profile
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