313.5. An “electrically motorized board” is any wheeled device that has a floorboard designed to be stood upon when riding that is not greater than 60 inches deep and 18 inches wide, is designed to transport only one person, and has an electric propulsion system averaging less than 1,000 watts, the maximum speed of which, when powered solely by a propulsion system on a paved level surface, is no more than 20 miles per hour. The device may be designed to also be powered by human propulsion.
313.5. An “electrically motorized board” is any wheeled device that has a floorboard designed to be stood upon when riding that is not greater than 60 inches deep and 18 inches wide, is designed to transport only one person, and has an electric propulsion system averaging less than 1,000 watts, the maximum speed of which, when powered solely by a propulsion system on a paved level surface, is no more than 20 miles per hour. The device may be designed to also be powered by human propulsion.
So I guess it’s just bikeways/highways that are 15mph max. Kind of dumb…
There has recently been a new law passed in Calif concerning electric skateboards specifically.
I found out about it while doing a driving coarse for a speeding ticket that I got.
I’ll try to find the text later when I have time.
@Hummie the link you posted is for electric scooters.
and there are at least a couple states where they’re straight-up illegal. and then the local laws can supersede the state laws so …your little town in cali could still have them as illegal
You know what, the law never says that 1000w < is illegal, it just says that’s what “defines” an electric skateboard. I wonder if > 1000wh boards are legal in every way then?
If you don’t meat this definition, the law says your board is defined as a motorized skateboard, not an electric skateboard. The law also has a clause which reaffirms that motorized skateboards are still illegal.
Maybe I’ll put together a post breaking this law down. It took me hours to read this law carefully and actually understand it.
This is the original law that banned motorized skateboards on roads in CA in 1959. This new law carved out an exception to a prohibition on motorized skateboards (the link shows the amendment) legalizing them in CA on 1/1/2016. So, electric boards that don’t fall in the definition of 313.5 aren’t road legal in CA.
2017 should be great for esk8. Hope there aren’t anymore boosted board battery issues as that could be a problem for us if they start banning those things.
police don’t really seem to care when they see me (CA here), but I’m usually cruising at 15-18mph and wearing a helmet. Regulations might be a bigger issue if you ride "dangerously:
Ya it’s the same here in NYC, usually the cops will throw a fuss if you ride unsafe and is a show off. I did notice an increase trend of people riding their BB without a helmet. It’s really getting worrying seeing this sport gets more and more popular and kids pick up a BB without any safety precaution.
of course, the speed limit is 65 but everyone drives 75 anyway. Another concern is that some cops don’t know the law. I had one cop tell me to get off the sidewalk and another cop tell me to get off the street.
Would love to see some sort of “tires” on this thing. Doing 20+MPH on public roads and sidewalks takes a ton of concentration with regular skateboard wheels (at least where I live, bad roads), not to mention the loud typical skateboard wheels sound (especially over concrete slab sidewalks) and the intense vibrations that make your feet tired and cause screws to come loose. There will be a hit in range and acceleration, but I think it would be a lot more fun and safe if the wheels were softer.
Pneumatic wheels, which I’ve never tried, seem like a ton of fun, but perhaps overkill if you’re rarely riding off-road. Plus, you have to worry about tire pressure and getting a flat. And I’ve read there’s less control/response.
Since hubs don’t allow you to change gearing, it would be dope if you could design hubs with a ratio suitable for something like a 90-97mm polyurethane wheels as well as ~100mm+ ‘soft’ tire wheels…(wish I knew what to call them ha)
Love the integrated handle. Wish it didn’t extend the width dimensions of the board. I would definitely use that as a mounting point for a bike lock.
And while I’m at it, I NEVER use the kicktail. To me, it just adds weight and makes the board longer than it needs to be. Perhaps you should take some polls - we’re your market
Hummie’s new tires solve this issue. Made from car tire rubber, they are grippier, have less vibrations than polyurethane wheels, and overall, feel much better. He’s the only one I’ve seen even trying car tire rubber wheels.
@Hummie why not adjusting the power output and max speed to 1000 Watts and 20 Mph. If it is only imporatnzt how much power the board puts out at the moment the police checks you then it would be fine.
If it is important what the manufactor of the board advertises then you can’t do much about it.
But you also can go faster than 20 MpH with 1000 Watts. Just change the gearing and you can do at least 25 Mph.
