Boosted Boards, based in Palo Alto, CA, has designed an electric-powered longboard with 2.6 horsepower and regenerative breaking, and the technology is positioned not only as an improved skateboard, but as the world's lightest electric vehicle.

 

The Boosted Board is a technical wonder: it has a top speed of 20 mph (kind of like a bike), 6-mile range before charging, and weighs only 12 lbs (thank you lithion ion batteries and brushless motors).

The board comes with a handheld remote to control throttle, braking, and display your battery gauge.

The Boosted Board is clean, convenient, and portable, boasting very pertinent advantages over other modes of transport (re. avoiding the bike theft phenomenon).

Despite the buzz, I’m not totally convinced the Boosted Board is a product for the masses as they are marketing it out to be - for safety reasons (the maternal instincts are kicking in), and practical reasons too.   The Boosted Board has quite a hefty pricetag at the moment at $1299.

Reminds me of the Segway -- great for doing tours around cities or for giggles at the Google complex, but didn’t quite hit the streets the way they planned.

Nonetheless, Boosted Boards is getting rave reviews from its beta users and if the vibe grows, Boosted could really revolutionize city transport.

If you're interested, you can invest in Boosted Boards on Kickstarter -- and be one of the first to ride the wave.

Check out this video for more information: