![]() ![]() We were taken to the back through their prototyping garage, which contained all sorts of boards in half built states, including another Qu4tro with its internals spilling out. When I got there, there were two other people there, as well as a huge number of engineers gathered around. I'm writing this review for future Qu4tro owners as well as Acton engineers, who I'm also linking to this review. I was invited the previous day via email, and the person I corresponded with was extremely nice and extremely prompt when responding. Today () I went over to Acton's Headquarters in Santa Clara, California, and tested the Blink Qu4tro. Here are my impressions of everything.įollow the discussion on Reddit here Introduction The Acton Blink S is available now, while the S2 will ship early 2017.I rode and tested the latest prototype Acton Blink Qu4tro (). The Acton Blink S and S2 aren't for everyone, but for some, there is no substitute. Instead, the Acton Blink S and S2 are really high-quality products that are better catered to a niche type of buyer that are young, or young at heart, and looking for a hip way to get around and will pay a little extra for the added convenience of electric motors to avoid breaking a sweat. Skateboarding isn't mainstream and electric skateboarding is less so, at least for now. So will the multitude of people that usually take the bus or put on running shoes to walk around the neighborhood immediately bring home an Acton Blink S and embrace a new way to get around? Well, probably not. The standard Blink S retails for $699 while the S2 demands $999, a $300 premium. ![]() What isn't negligible, however, is the price. What's more, the extra 3 mph top speed is negligible. The S2 has the benefit of a significantly longer range, but the S2's longer wheelbase doesn't necessarily make it any more stable than the standard S. It's easy to ride, lightweight and offers the better bang for the buck. Of the two, The Blink S is definitely the one I preferred more. While ripping the Blinks at Battery Park, the fresh whip didn't go unnoticed – the design of the Blink S and S2 turned a lot of heads and caused at least one curious pedestrian to stop and ask a couple questions about the electric skateboard and ultimately appreciate its cool appeal. Perhaps this is something Acton will continue to calibrate before launch. On the other hand, over-cautiousness will cause longer braking distances, which would obviously suck if you run out of road. However, braking will still require some finesse as a panic stop could definitely cause a person to pull back on the toggle too quickly and throw a person off the board. What's more, the S2 remote has an additional battery warning indicator when the power is running low. For the S2, braking and acceleration is further fine-tuned to manage the torque of two motors. According to Treadway, minor changes to the remote's stick improved its smoothness in braking and acceleration. The remote for the Blink S and S2 are similar to the remote offered in the original Blinkboard – a thumb stick that propels the Blink S2 forward when pushed up and slows it down when pulled back. ![]() Overall, the boards definitely feel easier to ride this time around – the acceleration on the Blink S feels more progressive and it's a delight to never have to kick-push, especially when climbing an incline. ON THE STREETSĮditor Danny Choy rides the Acton Blink S electric skateboard. You can't go wrong – both the Blink S and Blink S2 are remarkably light for an electric skateboard. Despite all the extra hardware, the Blink S2 still manages to weigh in at a relatively light 12 lbs. – 2 lbs. However, the demands of the increased top speed and range meant the S2 needed a bigger battery pack, which also required Acton to increase the length of the Blink S2 to 31.5-inches, or 3.8-inches longer than the standard Blink S. The S2 is also marginally faster, producing a top speed of 18 mph. The pair of electric motors combine for 1000 watts of power and effectively provides a range of 14 miles, which is doubles the 7 mile range in the standard Blink S. The Blink S2 gets its name for squeezing two electric motors to drive both rear wheels and the electric motor's compact design led to significant packaging benefits that made the task pretty simple. In this new design, the Blink S' motor is completely packaged within the hub of one of the rear wheels, creating a cleaner, more durable design that requires no maintenance. However, Acton learned that many riders experienced unfavorable wear and tear due to the dirt that would catch on the belt. The original Blinkboard was equipped with an electric motor integrated to the rear truck that propelled the skateboard via a belt to the rear wheel. ![]()
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