ROCINANTE

Powertrain

At the time this project was completed (2021), almost all electric skateboards were based on a ~48V system. Motor controllers small enough, customizable enough, and/or powerful enough hadn’t come to market yet.

I was approached by an electric skateboard manufacturer, lacroixboards.com, to test their new high voltage motor controller. The prototype given to me was the predecessor to the currently available VESC Labs VESC Duet; vesclabs.com/product/vl-duet.

With two 6384 outrunner motors equipped with a hall sensor based closed loop control, this skateboard shaped motorcycle can smoothly launch from a dead stop with up to 8400 watts of power to the motors.

A custom built Electric Skateboard capable of speeds up to 45MPH

Battery

Designing the battery for the Rocinante was easily the most demanding and rewarding part of the build. I wanted a high-performance 20s4p pack using Molicel P42A cells — something far beyond a typical 12s skateboard setup — but I had to make it fit inside an enclosure that was never meant for it. The goal was to deliver serious power and range without sacrificing safety, serviceability, or aesthetics.

Enclosure

Made of fiberglass and sourced from a manufacturer in Peru, eboardsperu.com , the enclosure was custom made for use on electric skateboards. Work was done to ensure that there is no water ingress during normal operation.