Fastest Electric Skateboard: Wheel & Gear combinations
If you've arrived here to find out how to make your electric skateboard faster, the short answer is that power capability, gear & wheel combinations can dial in the highest speed.
Understand more about the science behind transforming a normal board into the fastest electric skateboard in the neighbourhood and we’ll some easy tips you can try too!
A complete guide to going faster: How to squeeze every last bit of speed out of your electric skateboard
How fast can an electric skateboard go?
Electric skateboards have different top speeds depending on your model, wheel size and gear setup. Evolve boards have different top speeds - our most popular set up, the 7” all terrain tyres, you will get 42km/h on a Hadean and 38 km/h on a GTR. A 97mm street setup, will take you 50km/h on a Hadean, versus 44km/h on a GTR.
Our fastest setup, the Hadean with 107mm street wheels and 32t gear can take you up to 54km/h!! Be sure to check your local laws on how fast you can travel in your area.
Note, factors such as rider weight, riding style and riding environment will still play a vital part in the end result.
The science behind gears on an electric skateboard
Evolve Skateboards are and have always been belt drive. This means both the motor and wheel have a gear which the belt runs on to drive the board. This allows versatility in gearing, which allows versatility and wheel sizes. For the same motor to work with a small urethane street wheel and a big pneumatic all-terrain tyre, we need to be able to control this ratio.
Belt drive also means you can use a vast array of different skate wheels, whereas a hub drive board limits you to the specific urethane quality and wheel size that the manufacturer supplies. We have a compare evolve skateboards wheels chart with all wheels and gears available.
The gear on the motor is a 15 tooth gear. This one always stays the same, and we alter the wheel drive gear to change the gearing. These two gears, combined with the diameter of the wheel itself, determine the absolute final drive and applied force. Note that this is a fixed gear ratio. There is no gearbox like there is in a car.
Evolve boards are shipped with what we believe is the ideal middle ground ratio which balances a good mix of top speed and torque. By changing the drive gear or the diameter of the wheel, you can achieve ‘more top speed and less torque’ with a smaller gear or larger wheel; or ‘more torque and less top speed’ with a larger gear or smaller wheel.
This table might help you out:
Different ratios result in different advantages and disadvantages.
A smaller gear means you'll have high top speed with the sacrifice of low torque. Your braking and acceleration will be weaker and depending on the situation, may put too much strain on the electrics by making the board work harder. This setup is not recommended if you regularly ride up hills, stop and start or put your board through any other high strain situations. Imagine trying to take off in your car while in fifth gear, it just doesn't work well.
Examples:
- 107mm with 32T gears
- 175mm tyre with 47T gears (not recommend)
Larger gears or smaller wheels, means faster take offs, good hill climbing ability, and stronger braking, with the expense of lowering your top speed. In a similar example, this is like driving your car in first or second gear. It has plenty of power but might not go as fast as you want to.
Examples:
- 85mm with 38T gears
- 150mm tyre with 66T gears
How to make electric skateboards faster?
In short - you can make an electric skateboard faster by having a small drive gear and a larger street wheel!
We have tested various drive gear and wheel combinations in real-world conditions, and here are the results:
Disclaimer: The high gearing combinations in this video are good for speed, but dramatically reduce your ability to brake quickly, climb hills, & skate off road while increasing heat and strain in the electronics system. We do not recommend using the 200mm/47T or 175mm/47T for general riding.
Not sure about which gear & wheels combination is the best for you? Don't hesitate to get in contact with our team.
