Riding with Roth Motors' Motorboard 2000XR
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 12. 3.07
At first glance, Roth Motors' Motorboard 2000XR may not look like anything more than a glorified Razor scooter. Take a closer look, however, and what you'll find tucked below the sturdy board is a potent nano-safe lithium battery (made by the fine folks at A123 Systems) that provides enough juice on a single 90 min charge for a short ride. It only takes an extra 30 min to recharge the whole battery (the battery's full 2 hour charge gives you a range of about 6 miles, upgradeable to a 20 mile range).
The foldable, ultra-portable electric scooter - weighing in at a very modest 16.5 lbs - is a big improvement over its previous iterations, significantly cutting down on the weight while doubling the power. Your correspondent had the chance to play around with one last week and was thoroughly impressed at how easy and practical it was to carry around - a blessing in car-dense L.A. The test-ride was equally smooth, with very little effort or skill needed to master its controls and zip around at a comfortable 15 mph clip.
Kicking in the throttle was seemless, and the responsive steering column made navigating the USC campus and busy streets of L.A. a relatively painless experience. With its battery upgrade, the 2000XR's 20 mile range should be plenty for most busy commuters. The battery can be conveniently recharged at any standard 110 V household plug.
The one thing we could've done without is the fairly substantial base price tag - for students or young professionals, at least - of $799. To be fair though, when compared side by side with similar offerings (namely the Segway or Go-Ped), that price is actually on the lower end. Plus, unlike those vehicles, the 2000XR doesn't need any assembly or tire inflation, has a short charge time and - more importantly - is actually portable (and fun to use, to boot).
Having given it an extensive tryout, we can confidently recommend the 2000XR; whether or not you should consider purchasing one, however, depends entirely on your needs and circumstances. For those interested in an alternative to a car or bike - who plan on using it for urban commuting or campus cruising - this is definitely a great option. Another important factor you'll have to take into consideration is whether/where your city allows for the use of motorized scooters - as Siel notes, this isn't always very clear-cut.
Though tempted, your correspondent will stick to his bike - the ultimate eco-friendly vehicle - for now.
See also: ::Swiss Against Climate Change, ::Geothermal Power Plant Triggers Earthquake in Switzerland, ::Hudson River Environmental Monitoring Goes High-Tech
Thirsty for more? Check out these related articles:
- Battery Life Breakthrough
- Organic Foods Roach Coach Feeds Los Angeles
- Fisker Opens Engineering Center Near Detroit
- UPS Going Labeless with Super Cool Paper-Free Printer
Fun with Asbestos: The CSI Fingerprinting Kit for Kids
|
Survey: What Should We Rename "Global Warming"?
|
I'm a big fan of EVs, but....
I had one of these when it was called a 'Go Board' and it lasted two months before the direct-drive chewed up the back wheel so bad it wouldn't run. Initially it was very fun, altho it goes nowhere near 15mph or the 5-7-mile range they claimed (it was more like 1-2 miles). I also don't remember paying $800 for it, and certainly hope I didn't. I thought it was only a couple hundred at the local scooter shop, but maybe I am mistaken.
But, unfortunately, instead of using a belt drive or anything reasonable, the designers just used the motors to spin the sides of the wheel. Whenever going over a bump, these motors would dig into the side of the wheel, chewing it away until they were no longer able to grip. A new wheel would've cost lots of money and it would've only lasted a couple more months.
It was also TERRIBLE at going up even the slightest hills. I could've walked faster.
The scooter is now a piece of trash sitting in my basement, definitely UN-treehugger.
P.S. After looking thru their site, it looks like the EXACT same model. All the tech looks the same and everything.
I bought one on eBay for like $180. It was the 1500 Go MotorBoard. It was the first generation.
I am 215 pounds. Not a good idea. I would give it to one of my brother's kids but they (the MotorBoards) are finicky. You can't get them the least bit moist. And I would call them delicate.
Yes, I will keeo my bikes. It is cool to pedal past some of those electric and small gas hairdryer sccoters.
vsk
What's the point of this? An electric scooter that goes only 6 miles that you need to stand up on? You could either just take a normal Razor or WALK. This is purely frivolous, and I'm disappointed that it's on Treehugger.
I commute about 35 miles a week on my E-glide electric skateboard. I'm 205 pounds, and carry a 25-30 pound backpack (law school student). The board runs on lead acid batteries and weighs 52 pounds, but it is sturdy and reliable with a top speed of 20... more like 17 when fully loaded, backpack and all. I have had a few problems, but luckily E-glide is located a few miles from my house and they quickly fix any problems... usually for free. It's fun passing all the cars during rush hour. Since August I have only put 95 miles on my car, which is quite a feat for a Los Angeles resident... the e-glide costs $550 and is available at e-glide.com.
The biggest benefit provided by any portable transportation device is the value it adds to mass transit systems. Consider that most people will only spend 5 minutes getting to a subway/bus/train station. If they walk, thats about 1/4 mile, or .2 square miles of coverage. If you could travel 15mph on a Motorboard or bike, thats about 1.25 miles in 5 minutes, or 5 square miles of coverage per station. Thats an increase of 2,500% in the amount of people potentially served by each station.
The advantage of a Motorboard over a bike is that the Motorboard weighs less than a laptop bag, and can be easily carried on. No special racks needed.
Well you guys must have the prototype or something because I LOVE my motor board. So happy to see it here on Treehugger. I have the latest model... the 2000XR with the lithium ion battery. It rides like a champ, 15 miles an hour! I ride all over my neighborhood, running errands and such. Its become my dependable side kick. I say keep going Motor Board, you Rock!
I have the new version - the 2000XR and no problems.
I never rode the old models but it sounds like that’s what some of the above comments are based on. These folks should try upgrading their models as you would a cell phone or computer when technology changes and advances. Aren’t the A123 lithium batteries the best on the planet right now? Lead acid is heavy and poisonous to the environment and doesn’t work as well for power and speed, not to mention when you drain the battery only half way after riding a bit, you probably can’t go that fast anymore. Lithium rides fast to the bitter end. No wonder they had trouble or maybe didn't take care of the battery in terms of conditioning which you have to do with lead acid and NiMH, not with lithium. It's too bad those seemingly uninformed comments about the actual model that's talked about here posted first.
I have the new 2000XR model and I’m extremely happy. I don’t know what all this negative talk is about, I love mine. I’ve been riding it since last April with zero issues. I know a little about the 1500X model and the new 2000XR is a completely different product. What’s different about the new models - they have lithium batteries (not the old lead acid ones which sucked and were highly inefficient), they have great range (I have one of the battery upgrades and get 10 miles per charge) and I can climb modest grade hills. They’ve added front suspension, a padded deckboard and totally new circuitry and wiring. I use mine for all my quick nearby errands in LA, to meet friends for lunch, pick up movie tickets in advance, etc. Too bad those who are uninformed about the old lead acid technology can’t experience the new models, they’re really amazing and powerful and now they weigh only 16 lbs, so you can carry your Motorboard in one hand. And duh, why would you ride any piece of high end electric technology through the water anyway? That's what cars are for. It's funny - trashing an amazing alternative green transportation vehicle on treehugger when you went out and bought a lead acid product in the first place! I wonder, did these customers ever try and contact the company to fix the problem within their warranty? I thought they had great customer service.
I have a 1500 and need some spare parts. Would any one be willing to sell one they didn't like. I need a control board. They don't make the cotrollers for the 1500 anymore. Thanks
Bull oney!
This guy must work for the company, consumers take note, anytime a person says a company "has good customer service" , they either work for the company or are severely misguided.
I own a 1500 and a 2000x they are good machines and the weight is just about bearable, and i would imagine the XR would be "ok" and the XR+ might be a worth while upgrade, but as far as customer service goes, ever since the company was "taken over" by new managers and now has changed the name to "roth motors" there customer service has been the worst i have ever seen from a company of this nature.
BULL freakin oney!
Well, I have the 2000x, and so far, I do actually love it. HOWEVER, when I do have problems ( i have had a couple minor ones) the COSTUMER SERVICE is NON existent. SO, definitely, if ure looking to spend money on a 'do-everything-urself toy' then SURE go ahead and buy a motor board from
"Rotten-Motors." I call them "Rotten" only bcuz their customer service (which is supposed to be VERY crucial in maintaining great Public Relations) is TERRIBLE. They don't care about you, they care about your money.
(P.s- to make matters worse, they didnt even respond to me , albeit my scooter was still under warranty.)
Shame on u Roth Motors...
Nevertheless, on a brighter note, the 2000x is a cool scooter. Just be prepared to fix it urself.