Tested Evolve GTR Carbon Electric Skateboard

Ridin’ Dirty

The Evolve GTR Carbon is some of the most fun we’ve had in months. We can’t get enough of it

from R33 000 / evolveskateboardssa.com

■ The Evolve GTR Carbon Electric Longboard is up there as one of the coolest things we’ve ever played with. If you’ve ever been on a longboard (or any skateboard for that matter) you’ll know the worst part of the hobby is going uphill. The Evolve solves that with dual 1 500-watt electric motors that will have you cruising along at speeds of up to 42km/h. That sounds fast even when you’re not standing on the thing but when you actually get going… it’s exhilarating.

■ Even more impressive? The distance we got from the Evolve. On a single charge the GTR Carbon has a range of 50km, which is way more than our legs can manage on a non-motorised longboard. Even better, it’s capable of tackling hills with up to a 30% gradient but we’re fairly confident we managed even steeper hills than that (starting at speed, of course).

■ While it may seem like it’lltake ages to master, it’s remarkably simple. The handheld controller, which connects to the deck via Bluetooth, features a control scheme that relies on the frontside trigger to accelerate and the top-mounted trigger to brake.

■ The controls are responsive, more so than you’d expect on your first outing, but you’ll get to grips with everything quickly. The width of the deck makes balancing easy, and the leeway given to the trucks makes turning by shifting your weight comfortable.

Tech specs

Motor Dual 1 500-watt highperformance custom motor Battery 14AH Samsung lithium ion battery Recharge 4-5 hours Range 50km Speed ~ 42km/h Weight 9.8kg Level Select The controller allows users to change between a variety of speed settings: Safe, Eco, Pro, GTR and Custom. We mainly used Pro, because we’re cool.

Waiting Time The deck does take a rather long time to charge, so plug it in overnight so as to not miss that early morning shred.

■ Cruisin’ in style

The Evolve GTR Carbon is beautiful. Like something out of a Batman film, you’ll catch the attention of every passerby. The handmade carbon-fibre deck is slick and easy to clean after a day of offroading. Speaking of which… ■ Offroad tendency

The GTR Carbon we were sent came outfitted with off-road wheels, so of course we took it down some gravelly, dirty paths. It handles itself very well, gripping the path and providing just enough wobble to feel exciting.

STUFF SAYS Excellent fun for both skaters and non-skaters alike ★★★★✩

Lightning in a board

The Evolve GTR Carbon Electric Longboard is rad. To summarise, you remember that scene in Treasure Planet where Jim Hawkins surfs through the air on his makeshift rocket board… thing? That’s what riding on the GTR Carbon feels like, even if there are fewer explosions going off around you. It’s quick, durable and just so cool. If you have the cash and a taste for adventure, there’s no reason you should not invest in hours of fun.