Skip to main content

California just abolished its longstanding ban on electric skateboards

california removes electric skateboard ban 2015 monolith 2
Image used with permission by copyright holder
It’s been nearly four decades since California first said “no, thank you” to electric skateboards, but now new legislation is catching up to new technology. On Sunday, California Governor Jerry Brown signed Assembly Bill 604, officially granting electric skateboards the right to go anywhere bikes can go. Welcome to the big leagues, electric skateboarders. It’s good to have you.

The initial ban, which was implemented in 1977, took issue with the fact that most boards relied on two stroke gas engines that were both environmentally unfriendly and noisy. But now, we’ve abandoned the gas-powered model and moved towards high-capacity lithium battery powered skateboards, which are not only zero emission, but also much less disruptive to fellow road sharers.

Recommended Videos

Skateboards, which are particularly popular forms of transportation in California (though mostly in the traditional variety and not the motorized kind), are quickly developing to take advantage of advances in technology. Companies like ZBoard and Intuitive Motion are based in California and have released a number of electric skateboards with rather hefty price tags that manufacturers say have been less popular because of the pre-existing ban. But now that there are no legal roadblocks, these companies are hopeful that they’ll see a spike in sales.

“We are grateful that the Governor recognized the need to allow for this technology,” Brad Phillipi, chief financial officer of Intuitive Motion, told the Wall Street Journal. Indeed, as a result of the decades-old ban, the company found that many customers would place orders, do their research, and subsequently cancel their electric skateboard shipments believing them to be illegal. And while most of these high-tech skateboards currently hover around $600 a pop, there are hopes that an increase in their popularity will also lead to a price reduction.

So now that ZBoard has just released its ZBoard 2 and it’s officially protected by the law, you’ve no excuse not to indulge in your fantasies to stand still and move. After all, what better way is there to enjoy California sunshine?

Lulu Chang
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Fascinated by the effects of technology on human interaction, Lulu believes that if her parents can use your new app…
Watch NASA test the propellers of its all-electric X-57 plane in a wind tunnel
watch nasa test props of its electric x 57 plane in wind tunnel maxwell

All-Electric X-57 Propeller Designs Undergo Wind Tunnel Tests

While the mention of NASA more often than not conjures up images of space and astronauts, the agency also works on projects that focus on matters a little closer to terra firma.

Read more
California will ban the sale of new gas-powered cars by 2035
avis ai technology scans rental cars for damage busy night highway

By 2035, all new vehicles sold in California must be zero-emission, according to a new executive order Gov. Gavin Newsom signed on Wednesday.

“Cars shouldn’t give our kids asthma,” he tweeted. “Make wildfires worse. Melt glaciers. Or raise sea levels.” The order applies only to new vehicles, so residents would still be able to drive and sell their existing cars.

Read more
GM postpones the reveal of its new electric Hummer
GMC Hummer EV teaser

GM is rescheduling its reveal of the GMC Hummer EV, an electric version of “super truck.”

The debut, originally scheduled for May 20, was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic, the company announced Wednesday, April 29.

Read more