Skate Uphill on the 'World's Lightest Electric Vehicle'

When you think electric vehicle, cars like the Tesla Model S or Chevy Volt might come to mind. But a Sunnyvale, Calif.-based startup wants to change that perception with what they claim is the "world's lightest electric vehicle" — and it's a skateboard.

Boosted Boards was a Kickstarter success last fall, when they raised over $467,000 to further develop their 12-pound electric longboard. The motorized board is packed with 2000 watts of power (or 2.6 horsepower) and has a six-mile range on a single charge.

“Because it’s really light and portable it means there’s a lot lower friction involved when you use it," Boosted Boards co-founder Sanjay Dastoor told Mashable at Stanford University's Cool Product Expo on Wednesday. "So you don’t have to park it, you don’t have to lock it, you don’t get stuck in traffic — things that you associate with cars or even bicycles.” Read more...