Let's Chat: Evolve Electric Skateboards w/ Jake M

Let's Chat: Evolve Electric Skateboards

I can’t honestly think of a shipment I was more excited to receive at the shop than our Evolve boards. After first jumping on the Yuneec E-Go nearly two years ago, I’ve been in love with electric skateboards ever since– a love only intensified by Boosted. Combing the e-skate forums, the only board that routinely beat out Boosted was Evolve, namely the Carbon GT. A board better than Boosted? I thought to myself. That I had to try. And at long last, I was finally able to.

Evolve offers a series of different boards. The most cost effective board is their Bamboo One, featuring a single 2000W brushless motor and bamboo deck with a range of up to 21 miles and a top speed of 22 mph. That, for $1099. Did I mention that includes Abec 9 precision bearings and double kingpin carving trucks? You’re getting a lot of board for $1099.

Next is the GT Bamboo, available in a Street (standard skate wheel) or All-Terrain. The GT features two 1500W motors (one for each back wheel), giving you even more power and off-the-line acceleration. The All-Terrain wheels really set the Bamboo GT apart though, allowing you to take your board off the sidewalk with 7” plush tires.

The GT Carbon is the top of the line board offered by Evolve. It also features 1500W motors like the GT Bamboo, offering a top speed of 22-25 miles per hour. This is a high performance machine, and will have you keeping up with if not outpacing traffic in the FAST and GT modes.

So far I’ve been able to test the Bamboo One and GT Bamboo. The first thing you’ll notice is the remote. While the standard One Remote is nothing to write home about, the GT Remote features a digital readout that gives you a live speed and battery readout. Board speed is controlled by a curved trigger on the back of the remote. The remote feels natural in your hand (although not quite as much as the Inboard M1 RFLX), and the trigger is very responsive. In my opinion, a bit too responsive, which ends up being my biggest criticism of the board. In the FAST and GT settings, the board has so much power that any exaggerated movements of the trigger result in speed changes that can send you flying from the board. For this reason, I really suggest getting knee and elbow pads to pair with your helmet. These really are high performance vehicles.

The Bamboo One offers everything I’ve come to look for in an electric skateboard and more. It has good acceleration (despite the one belt), good top end, and outstanding battery life. With brands like Boosted and M1 offering battery packs to extend your range to 8-10 miles, it’s almost comical to compare that to the 15-20 mile range Evolve offers out of the box. The dual kingpin trucks make the board feel super smooth when leaning into a carve, and I personally like the light springiness that comes through on the Bamboo deck.

Jumping on the GT Bamboo All-Terrain, I immediately knew I had found my favorite board in the Evolve line. The all-terrain tires definitely shift the experience from a more traditional longboard one to something more mountain-board esque, but I found the ride very comfortable. While the tires do allow you to ride off-road, more than that they help smooth out your ride on the road / sidewalk, damping the vibrations caused by uneven surfaces and rough pavement. I found myself carving back and forth, jumping from road to sidewalk to the occasional lawn. Think Onewheel, but on a more traditional skateboard platform.

At the end of the day, I really enjoyed the Evolve skateboards. If you find yourself in one of the below three camps, I don’t think there’s a better electric skateboard currently on the market –

1. Looking for a high-performance electric skateboard right around that $1000 range. Seriously, the Bamboo One offers a ton of performance and features for the $1099 price.

2. You want an all-terrain skateboard experience without going full Onewheel. The ability to switch between the street and all-terrain tires on the GT boards means you’re not pigeon-holing yourself either.

3. You want a fast, high adrenaline ride. The FAST and GT modes on the Evolve GT are straight heart-pumping rides.

Personally, I’m still in the Boosted camp. While I really enjoyed the Evolve, the smooth power delivery and control that Boosted delivers is of chief importance to me. If you’re after something that’ll feel like a traditional longboard, the free wheel of the M1 Monolith (accomplished by integrating the motors in the wheels) may be the way to go. And if you want an off-road machine unlike any of the other boards talked about here, check out the Onewheel. What I can say with utmost certainty if you want to electrify your skateboarding experience, there’s never been a better time.