Saving money for an electric skateboard? Before buying one, you should consider what parts are installed in an electric skateboard. One of the most essential parts of a motorized skateboard is its motor. These are of two types, hub, and belt motor. It has always been debated whether to select a hub or belt motor.
If you’re looking for an answer to this debate, we’ll be the ones to provide it. In this article, we’ll be discussing the two types of motors in detail and then their comparison.
Let’s jump right in!
Belt Motors – Everything you need to know
The belt motors have been in the market for several years and are considered traditional. The deck has a belt connected to the wheels in belt-driven electric skateboards.
A belt motor is noisy and is popular because it can provide stable power and better torque.
Many electric skateboard enthusiasts prefer belt motors because the user has complete control over every part of the board. This means that the parts can be replaced if damaged.
Due to its easy maintenance and the creative users being able to modify it as they like, it has been the number one choice for the longest time.
Belt-driven electric skateboards are propelled by a gear system. When you accelerate your e-board from your remote, power goes into the Electronic Speed Controller and the motors, spinning the belt and the wheels.
Hub Motors – Everything you need to know
The new motors in the market have grown quite popular. Instead of a belt inside the deck, hub motors have an engine in the motor directly part of the wheels.
Being affordable, simple, and easily fulfilling the needs of most users, these have become the new favorites in the electric skateboard market.
Hub motor-driven motorized skateboards are extremely quiet and are simpler to use.
When accelerated, the motor spins, and then the motor. The main feature of these motors is that the spinning ratio of wheels and motor is 1:1. This means that one spin of the motor=one spin of the wheels.
The mechanism mentioned above is because all the functional parts of a hub motor electric skateboards are inside the wheels.
Having discussed the basic information and the working mechanism of both belt and hub motors, let’s discuss them in detail.
1. Acceleration
Belt-driven electric skateboards have more acceleration as they have a gear system inside them. This means that you can increase the speed by increasing the gear level. If you want your motorized skateboard to reach its maximum speed, having a belt motor helps a lot.
On the other hand, hub-driven e-boards are much steadier and more smooth. If you prefer a comfortable drive with moderate acceleration, hub motors are the ones for that.
However, it should be kept in mind that speeding your board is not always suitable, but if you do so, always wear protective gear.
2. Braking
The braking system on belt-driven e-boards is the same as the acceleration system. Due to this, the brakes are stronger in electric skateboards with belt motors.
Motorized skateboards having hub motors have regenerative brakes in them. This means that the energy generated while braking is put into the battery of your electric skateboard.
Strong brakes are necessary because you may need them to stop for unexpected turns.
3. Torque
As belt-driven electric skateboards have a gear system, they have more torque than the hub motor ones. This means that riding uphill is easier on belt motors.
This feature in the belt-driven e-boards isn’t available in the hub ones, but as technology advances, this may change.
Riding comfort
Considering riding comfort, there is less difference between the two motors. Comfort is associated with the type of wheels on your electric skateboard.
In belt-driven boards, you have the option to replace the wheels. You can change the wheels and get larger ones with more comfort due to increased surface area and grip.
Hub motor-driven e-boards have smaller wheels. Replacing the parts of these boards is complicated, but you can get sleeves for them. These sleeves are like wheels but are thinner than them, so you might have to compromise comfort when getting these.
4. Sound
The belt-driven boards are louder because of the belt in the deck. When you increase the speed of your board, the sound may even get louder.
Meanwhile, hub motor-driven boards are extremely quiet and have no sound.
A board with some sound is better as it tells other vehicles and pedestrians to get out of the way. Some people even just like the sound of their electric skateboards. If you’re not one of them, getting a hub motor would be suitable.
5. Maintenance
It’s difficult to maintain a belt-driven electric skateboard but the option to replace the parts of such type of board makes it better than hub motor ones.
On the other hand, if your hub motor-driven board gets damaged, you may need to replace the whole system.
6. Efficiency
As mentioned above, hub motors have a 1:1 ratio between the motor and the wheels. This makes hub motor-driven boards much more efficient than belt-driven ones.
This depends on external conditions such as weather, terrain, and weight, but if a person uses these two motors separately, hub motor-driven boards will have a more significant life span and range.
Final Words – Wrapping it up
Belt motors have been in the market for a long time and have been popular because of their larger torque and high speed. Being able to modify your electric skateboard is also a reason why many users prefer to get belt-driven e-boards.
However, as technology advances, hub-driven boards are getting more famous. People nowadays prefer their rides to be comfortable with less noise. An affordable price makes hub-driven boards the number one choice for some people.
Having said this, it’s your choice to select the right board for you. You can compare the differences and the price range for the two types and decide what’s better for you.
