When we first heard of the hoverboard, no one took it seriously. They were as much of toys as a kid’s scooty that is only good enough to roll about a couple of city blocks. Many companies are in the business of making hoverboards, but at the beginning of 2016, many of these were reported to catch fire. Radical Transport got their first prototype ready around the same time in February 2016.
Radical MOOV, the hoverboard created by the company was meant for an entirely different market, and the added advantage was Mark Cuban’s backing both; in funds and in strategy. The Radical Transport founders Nick Fragnito and Evan Williams were very confident that they could build a much better and safer board. Hence, they looked up at the explosion incidents as an opportunity.
While Mark Cuban is providing the team funds and strategic advice, the engineering and marketing is totally up to the founders. The team is currently testing the Radical MOOV prototypes working on them to become a legit transportation mode and not just a toy to wander around. The price tag is marked at $1,500 which is close to the Urbe bike or Moped.
The Radical MOOV varies from the traditional hoverboards in its halved swivel design that allows for a weight-based steering system rather than depending on foot position. According to Fragnito, it will allow the user to enjoy a more sporty ride. The company’s smartphone app lets you choose between different rider profiles depending on your skill level. If you are a newbie to hoverboard ride, you can pick the novice profile and later move on to advanced as you build up the skills. A handle on the board makes your everyday riding convenient, and you can even personalize your ride by changing the deck boards. There will soon be an option to get a custom deck made of your choice.
Both the founders have already begun to incorporate the board in their daily lives even though they did not consider themselves as hoverboard purchaser type. The “electric rideable” is a “showstopper, it’s sleek and doesn’t look like a toy,” states Fragnito.
Fragnito and Willians were recruited by Cuban in August 2015 as he intended to purchase the original hoverboard patent from Shane Chen. Cuban made them work in his engineering team. He did buy the license, but as his two engineers took a visit to Chen’s factory, they realized they needed to redesign the board entirely. Cuban later announced that he’d make his own hoverboard instead with the intention of making the board safer and the business more scalable.
The 6600 mAh, 37 V Lithium-ion batteries give the board a travel time of 4 hours or 12 miles at the top speed of 15 miles per hour. The batteries are fully charged in just 2.5 hours, and a half hour fast charge still gives an added distance of four miles.
Sourced and manufactured in Dallas, Texas, the team is looking to become one of the very few UL hoverboard safety compliant companies. In February 2016, the Consumer Products Safety Commission issued a statement banning all retail outlets from selling any boards that were not UL standard compliant. Being the only board entirely made in the USA and following safety standards with innovative engineering, MOOV stands tall from all other in the arena.
The Kickstarter campaign for the Radical MOOV went live a little while back where you can get the early bird special for $1,099. The campaign has been remarkably successful and achieved its goal in just two days proving that consumers are eagerly waiting to hop on for easier and lighter daily transport.