Future Motion, the company behind the infamous Onewheel rideable, announced at CES 2018 today that it’s now taking pre-orders for it’s latest product: the newly-announced Onewheel+ XR. While the new board doesn’t look any different than the previous model that was announced at CES 2017, it boasts a number of improvements under the hood. In addition to a bit more power and torque for climbing hills, a single battery charge on the XR will get you between 12 and 18 miles of use — more than double the range of earlier models.
To make a splash at the show (which Future Motion is known for — just ask the Chinese company that attempted to copy them at CES 2016), the company is attempting a three day, 300-mile trip from Los Angeles to Las Vegas to prove the XR’s abilities. We’ll report back if the endeavor is successful.
Of course, these new long-range capabilities don’t come cheap: Whereas the Onewheel+ will set you back $1,500, the XR costs an additional $300 — which puts it out of the price range for most average consumers. That said, our Emerging Tech Editor Drew Prindle reviewed the Onewheel+ last year, dubbing it not “just a fun toy, but a legit commuter vehicle.”
That’s something Future Motion’s chief evangelist Jack Mudd says the company is hearing from its early adopters. “We’re hearing more and more customers talk about leaving their cars at home and riding everywhere, it’s really a vehicle replacement,” he says.
Future Motion says that it’s not is talking up the extended range of the XR combined with the smoothness and stability that made the Onewheel+ a much better product. The original Onewheel wasn’t the smoothest, but was still a riot to ride (especially if you already have board sport experience). But of course, not all of us are that coordinated, so the extra smoothness and stability of Future Motion’s new Onewheel devices are definitely welcome.
While you’d think doubling the battery power might add quite a bit of additional bulk to the board, it actually adds just one extra pound of weight. Future Motion says this is thanks to an improved battery system developed in-house using NMC cells. NMC batteries are ideal for applications where there is frequent recharging as they have a longer usable life and better efficiency.
Future Motion has not immediately set a release date for the board beyond the pre-order announcement.
