Onewheel’s XR Could Be the Ultimate Companion for an Extended Off-Road Adventure

What you see here folks is known as the XR from none other than Onewheel. Never heard of this team? Odd, as just last month their global community officially clocked in 52.5 million miles (roughly 84.5 million kilometers) of riding Onewheel products since the launch of the first products back in 2014.

As for the trinket I'll be talking to you about today, the XR, is one of those vehicles that you’re either going to love or hate. Why bring something like a one-wheel skateboard to your attention? Well, this little bugger can do things your skateboard never dreamed of. In doing so, it’s able to tackle urban and off-road terrains, climb hills like there’s no tomorrow, and offers a feeling only to be described as surfing by its owners.

To get a better understanding of what’s going on, let’s break the XR down a bit. First things first, control. A benefit of having just one wheel is that it allows for a near instant stop and pivot in case you need to turn; no extra wheel to drag around and wait for to react. This also allows you to tackle much more treacherous terrain as only one point of contact is available, and its virtually snag-free. The only component you’ll have to worry about getting caught up on at the foot boards.

By now I'm sure you’ve realized that this is an EV. Because it’s an electric drive vehicle, there’s got to be a motor, a battery, and a way to control these systems. For a motor, a Hypercore brushless motor with 750 watts of power looks like it’ll make easy work of just about anything you throw at it and will reach a top speed of 19 mph (30.6 kph). Best of all, your entire riding experience will be controlled directly from your phone via an app.

As for the battery system, the XR is equipped with NMC batteries and looks as if they can’t be housed anywhere else except in the footpads. Overall, these juice packs will be good for a max of 18 miles (29 kilometers). Now that may not seem like much, but if you’re to take this accessory with you on your next glamping trip or expedition, how much off-road riding do you think you’ll do before you’re worn out? And don’t worry, if you do want more, take a break and fully recharge with a hyper charger in just sixty minutes.

The frame or side rails of the XR are made from CNC machined solid aluminum billet. That's bound to take more hits and bumps than you’ll probably want to endure yourself. With a 30-degree lean and attack angle, the possibilities of your next summer journey just got a whole lot bigger.

With a weight of 27 lbs (12.2 kg), the XR should be light enough to carry back to base in case you run out of batteries while exploring. Would have been neat if Onewheel designed the XR with removable battery packs. That way, you can double or even triple the vehicle range, and possible even company profits, temporarily that is.

As it stands, to get yourself a new XR, you’ll need $1,800 (€1,525 at current exchange rates). That may seem like a lot, but when you consider that this company has stayed alive for this long, with what seems to be only two product versions, something they’re doing must be spot on.