Where did Electric Skateboards come from and where are they going?

It's no secret that, here at Vokboard, we're completely and utterly obsessed with the Electric Skateboards, and we're not alone in our love of this amazing invention. Since its creation in the late 90s, the electric skateboard has gone through many improvements in design and performance, but, we can all agree that it is, today, better than ever before. 

The question on everyone's minds right now, however, is how was the electric skateboard invented? Let's start with skateboarding.

How were the first Skateboards created?

Somewhere in the late 50s the very first skateboard was created. Until today, we can’t agree exactly on who did it, but,  these “sidewalk surfers”, as the first ones were called, were probably developed by California surfers, looking for a way to “surf” on the ground, whenever the waves were low. These early skateboards, made by attaching metal roller skates to planks of wood, were what we now know as Skates.

But, it wasn't until the 70s that “skateboarding” started to become popular, where boards were made out of polyurethane and had aluminum trucks. It was also during the 70’s that MotoBoard took the world by storm. A skateboard with a gasoline-powered motor, running down on Berkeley’s roads, California.

The thing is, they were very different from today’s motorized skateboards, they were the pioneers in the whole skateboarding industry. Today, motorized skateboards are powered by electricity, silent, wireless, and way more practical and efficient.

The Beginning of the Electric Skateboard History

Compared with MotoBoard, Louie Finke’s skateboard is closer to our modern electric skateboard. At the end of 1997,he first introduced a new type of skateboard to the world, a wireless electric one - although, it was only patented in April 1999.

Finkle used to walk around his neighborhood with a wagon and gather things people would throw away.  He’d take them apart and learn. He always had a fascination with machines that move and a “natural instinct and desire to understand how these machines operate.”

His creation went from 0 to 22 miles per hour in four seconds and it was being sold for about $900. The electric skateboard made significant changes in the mid 2000s with the development in battery power and size.  

This was crazy revolutionary and made an immediate success. But, like all new inventions, it was very expensive in the first few years since the first models came out. It was not until 2006 that electric motors and batteries had enough torque and efficiency to effectively power circuit boards, and then, they started to become more accessible to people.

Now, electric-powered skateboards, similar to the one Louie built, are often called E-boards. Their prices range can go anywhere from $200 to $1500, while also ranging in quality. 

As a skateboard company,  Vokboard is dedicated to providing the best electric skateboard experience to the world with much effort on commuting E-boards.

How about the future?

Electric skateboards are becoming more popular yearly and it could go in a few different directions in the future. One possibility is that the boards will continue to get smaller and more portable, making them even more convenient. Another possibility is that they'll become more powerful, making them faster and able to go up hills easily.

Whatever direction electric skateboarding takes, one thing is for sure: it's here to stay. So if you're looking for a unique and exciting way to travel, an electric skateboard might be just what you're looking for.

@copyright Vokboard

Editor: Nadine