Electric skateboards have been getting better and better over the last couple years, but for some reason, most of them still suffer from the same big drawbacks: they’re cumbersome to carry around, and practically impossible to ride like a normal skateboard when the battery dies.
But the Inboard M1 is different. Inboard designed this beast from the ground up to address all the pain points that come with other electric boards, and after whipping it around the convention center parking lot at CES, I’m here to tell you that they absolutely nailed it. This board blows every other electric skateboard out of the water.
A myriad of features separate the M1 from the rest of the pack, but the secret sauce is really in the wheels. Instead of using a belt-drive or gear system like you’ll find on every other electric skate, Inboard’s M1 is equipped with two hub motors built directly into the rear wheels. This configuration not only makes the board more quick and responsive; it also allows the wheels to spin freely when the motors aren’t engaged — so even when the battery dies, you’re still free to push, slide, and bomb down hills just like you would on an regular longboard.
The battery system is also pretty brilliant. Rather than following the crowd and using a fixed rechargeable battery, Inboard built the M1 with an interchangeable power system wherein the batteries can be swapped. This means that when you inevitably run out of juice, you don’t have to plug this board in and wait around for it to recharge — you can just pull your spare battery out, pop it into the deck, and keep riding.
Inboard made some really smart design choices here, and they all come together to provide one of the most enjoyable riding experiences I’ve ever had on an electric board. The M1 feels fantastic under your feet. When you let off the throttle, the board just coasts along — there’s no belt-induced resistance to give you that unintentional brake effect. This, along with the board’s relatively low weight, makes the ride feel drastically more fluid and free than other electric skateboards I’ve tried.
If you’re in the market for an electric skateboard, this one should definitely be on your radar. You’ll need to dish out $1,400 to get your hands on one, which is definitely not a small amount of money — but in my opinion the unparalleled riding experience justifies the high price tag. Inboard is currently finishing up production, and expects to start shipping the boards to customers in the next few months, so keep an eye out for the M1 sometime around May.