E-Skateboard Hill Climbing Power & Gear Estimator for Steep Inclines

Estimate required motor power, torque, and gear settings for hill climbing based on grade, rider weight, and board type to conquer steep inclines without stalling.

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Plans hilly routes.

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We ask for board type, hill grade, rider + gear weight, motor power, assist / throttle level, gear / drive system, and current climbing issue because these estimate power needs (e.g., high torque for steep). These inputs conquer hills. Limitation: the tool uses estimates and may not reflect actual torque; test on similar hills.

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E-Skateboard Climbing Power and Torque Estimation

Inputs Summary

• Type: Standard E-Skateboard
• Hill Grade: 10-15%
• Weight (Rider + Board): 150-200 lbs
• Motor Power: 500-750W
• Riding Style: Medium
• Motor Type: Hub Motor
• Battery Life: Drains Fast

1. Power Requirements

To estimate the power needed for climbing, we first need to consider the hill grade and total weight.

Power Calculation:

• Formula: Power = Weight × Gravity × Slope
• Weight in Newtons: ( \text{Weight (lbs)} \times 0.453592 \times 9.81 )
• Slope: For a 10-15% incline, use 0.10 to 0.15 as slope values.

Estimated Power Needed:

• For 10% Grade:
  • Power = ( (150 \text{ lbs} \times 0.453592 \times 9.81) \times 0.10 ) ≈ 66.5W
• For 15% Grade:
  • Power = ( (200 \text{ lbs} \times 0.453592 \times 9.81) \times 0.15 ) ≈ 147W

Total Recommended Power:

• Approximate minimum power needed = 150W (for 10%) to 150W (for 15%), but considering losses, aim for 300-500W for sustained climbing.

2. Torque Requirements

Torque is essential for acceleration and maintaining speed on inclines.

Torque Calculation:

• Formula: Torque = Power / Angular Velocity
• Assumed Wheel Radius: 0.3 m (approx. 12 inches)
• Angular Velocity: For a moderate speed (e.g., 10 mph ≈ 4.47 m/s), use:
  • ( \text{Angular Velocity} = \frac{Speed}{Wheel Radius} )

Estimated Torque:

• For a 500W Motor:
  • Torque ≈ ( \frac{500W}{(4.47 / 0.3)} ) ≈ 33.7 Nm
• For a 750W Motor:
  • Torque ≈ ( \frac{750W}{(4.47 / 0.3)} ) ≈ 50.5 Nm

Total Recommended Torque:

• 33.7 Nm to 50.5 Nm depending on the motor power.

3. Hill Grade Effects

• Increased Resistance: As the hill grade increases, so does the resistance against the e-skateboard, requiring more power to maintain speed.
• Acceleration Decrease: On steeper grades, acceleration will be slower unless sufficient power and torque are provided.
• Battery Drain: Climbing steep hills can drain the battery rapidly due to increased power demands, especially with a hub motor.

4. Cadence Advice

For climbing:

• Adjust Cadence: Maintain a steady cadence rather than rapid accelerations. This helps conserve battery life and maintain control.
• Optimal Range: Aim for a consistent speed of around 5-10 mph on inclines to balance power usage and comfort.

Conclusion

For a Standard E-Skateboard tackling 10-15% grades, ensure your motor provides 300-750W of power with a torque range of 33.7-50.5 Nm. Manage your cadence and riding style to maximize battery efficiency.

Brought to you by TheToolCollective.com

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Made by The Tool Collective team. We are a small group of multi-talented and diverse hobbyists creating unique and helpful decision tools to help those entering or sharing our passions or interests. E-Skateboards and Onewheels fit into the same realm as E-bikes for our team, which we are heavily invested in. They were a staple for many of us, especially in college, giving us an incredibly easy, and FUN, way to commute and travel around campus. This is an absolutely exploding industry, so we decided to put our knowledge together and create a big bunch of decision tools to help those entering the world of E-Skateboards and/or Onewheels.

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Made with The Tool Collective's signature model. We combine an AI engine which process the user's input choices and runs it through our specifically designed logic and reasoning parameters for that tool to curate a precise and organized output. An enthusiast knowledgeable in the tool category designs the tools inputs and input choices, writes custom logic parameters, and defines the output format and requirements. The AI engine powers the system and creates a lightning fast, highly intelligent decision tool, which is always up-to-date with current pricing and publicly available information on whatever the tool is designed for. Combines all of the internets resources into one.

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