This article at The Verge piqued my interest: Mellow makes almost any skateboard electric.
Electric skateboards are still fairly novel in the grand scheme of “ways to get around,” but for an inherently exciting idea, they’ve gotten awfully boring pretty quick. Boosted still makes the best one, and only a few competitors truly pressure that status. Meanwhile, a China-fueled race to the bottom has flooded the market with boards so full of compromise that many aren’t worth their more palatable $100 to $500 price tags.
Boldfaced emphasis added by me.
Yeah, China invades — and usually poisons — all markets.
What made my eyes pop out was the price for Mellow given in the article: US$1,700. But that price is not real. The Mellow Drive alone from the U.S. outlet is US$1,995! the Complete Kit is over US$2,000!).
What?
That’s quite a different price than the US$299 eScooters we’ve seen flooding the market.
But a Boosted Board — the top of the line eSkateboard — is US$1,500.
So the Mellow system isn’t exactly pricey compared to Boosted. Once you’re going to spend over US$1,000, what’s a US$500 difference, really?
Mellow knows how to market like hell to make you want to buy their system!
Why does the Mellow Drive cost more?
They have a YouTube channel that everyone in the business of personal electric transport can learn from. The depth and breadth of information there is wonderful. It’s exactly the kind of thing everyone else should be doing.
For a good guide to investigating Mellow, start with the Reddit forum.
Aside from the genius of the Mellow system itself — and all of it is genius — is that it’s made in Germany. This isn’t fall-apart Chinese manufacturing. Mellow seems like a company that’s here to stay.
And what’s most enticing about that Verge article is this:
And, much like their biggest competitor, they have broad ambitions beyond skateboards. Schewe thinks Mellow’s modular, smart battery and motor technology could apply to all sorts of different form factors.
Having watched many of their videos today, I don’t see any reason why they couldn’t enter eScooters by refactoring what they already have. Their modular battery system would be great to have — as would the 45-minute fast-charging system!
Mellow Boards: EXECUTION OF A DREAM
Previously here:
A Couple Does Better Marketing Than Any eScooter Maker
The Worst Marketing In The World Is For Electric Scooters
eScooters category
Mike Cane's Atomic Supermen 