Electric skateboards range from under 400 bucks to around 1600 from the low end to the highend boards. The imports that are cheap that have may have decent motors might have the name brand wheels and trucks and bushings that any skateboarder would recognize the brand name. When I took the cheap imports out to the skate park, no one has ever heard of the brands or seen wheels like that. They get on it and after 30 seconds they tell me how bunk the board is.
Some boards cost more because of the battery. The Fiik board has a 700 dollar battery and another battery that costs 1000. So when the board costs 1450, its only a 850 dollar board with the normal battery instead of the lipo battery.
How to pick by price
Boards under $699 and under
These boards usually don't have the lithium battery and are usaully the ones that are imported as a whole meaning that they have the wheels and trucks and bushings all imported from China. The boards run but don't have the high end components that any skateboard store would call quality. This is from them. I took these boards to stores all over NYC and none of the employees would say they would own a board like that. They still thought it was cool having a motor on it but the quality of the board was bunk. The C rating of the boards if they do have a lithium battery are very low too. These usually feel like a kids Razor scooter in power when you go up hills. These are usually the 24 volt models, not the more powerful 36 volt ones.
Boards $699 to $999
These have a littler more power usually around 500 to 600 watts. They don't perform like the 800 and 1000 watt motors but they have a little more power than than the ones under 699 but the batteries may or may not be better but the motor wattage is usually higher and the batteries have a slightly higher C rating often. For a teenager that is just starting out but doesn't want a kids one this is probably a good range to stay in. The weight of people around 175 or under is fine as it has more horsepower and torque than the cheapest ones. G force is slightly higher also. This usually has a few of the mid grade components and don't usually have the no name components. This is based on if comparing non inflated priced boards only. Not a cheap import inflated to 800 bucks to make you think its a board that really retails in this price range. The skate shops said the components on these boards are decent but there definitely room for upgrades. Some have 24 volt batteries and a few brands have 36 volts but make sure they aren't sacrificing better wheel and truck quality for just a more powerful battery and motor
Boards $999 to $1199
These usually have an 600 to 800 watt motor and 12 amps. (you can always upgrade them to 18 amp and 1000 watts but many of the higher end boards already come with that. These have the top of the line components if not a cheap import. These are usually bought as the motor set up and controller and the USA or Canadian manufacture adds their own wheels, bushings and trucks and often the board. The company that puts the board together is just buying the batteries and motors from China or wherever and putting it together how they want to sell it. These usually have a decent battery too. There is not as much torque in this price range compared to the 1000 and 1500 watt motors but they are usually powerful enough for most people. This is the most common price range people wanting a mid to mid high end board get. These almost all have 36 volts. If I see a board prices in this range with 24 volts, then it raises a red flag to me.
Boards $1199 to $1499
These boards usually have a 800 to 1000 watt motor and have a 12 to 18 amp battery. The C ratings are usually the highest I have seen in batteries for boards in this range. These usually are the super torque all terrain boards that have the most powerful batteries 12 watts. (I would ask to have them take out the 12 amp battery and put in a 18 amp for 300 dollars more if you want to travel longer distances) This is the biggest complaint on the high performance boards. They are super powerful but have the lowest run time. Many now have batteries that you can bring with you and swap them out in less than 20 seconds. These boards usually ahve 36 volts and can carry the most weight
Boards $1499+
If a board costs over 1500, it either has to have at least 18 amps and at least a 1500 watt motor and have faster acceleration than any other board. I have seen some imports that costs this much and claim to have these specs but when I tested them against my Eglide Gt my Gt surpassed them in every way. The batteries have more storage capacity in this range but the performance of the motor uses it up quicker so these are not necessarily giving it a longer run time. The Fiik series actually are the lowest in everything but have the longest run time. These usually have higher end motors that can handle the C rating from the battery without getting too hot. These boards usually take longer to charge because of the higher storage of the battery. Many of these have Kevlar reinforced belts and metal gears intead of plastic. These are usually DC brushed motors in this range and make more noise than the brushless versions.
WARNING: I ONLY GET THESE DROP SHIPPED BY THE MANUFACTURER. There are people on Craigslist I have talked to that say they are selling a barely used electric skateboard but I see them on Craiglist all the time. I doubt they are really selling used ones. How can they keep selling the same board. They made me think that they were discount a 1500 dollar board for 800 when meanwhile I never heard of the brand.
Beware: The batter is the most expensive part of the electric skateboard. I have heard stories of someone selling a new board really cheap but the new battery that is fresh was switched out with a battery that was old with about 60% of its charging capacity. Most people don't have equipment to test the charging capacity of the battery when they buy it on the spot. Most don't think off all the reasons why people are selling off their board cheap. If anyone is trying to buy a board much cheaper than the retail... I will say this... its rarely cheaper than I can get a new one for as a dealer. Not trying to hold this over on people but its the way it is. If I look at an auction or Craigslist offer and don't think its legit, I will know by the questions I ask.
