DIY Electric Skateboard

I believe anyone interested in this topic can find some reason why they want an electric skateboard. I want to share my experience to help an enthusiast build their own. I should note immediately that besides a screwdriver and a wrench, I also needed a 3D printer and a soldering iron. If you don’t have access to these tools or lack experience, it’s still possible to assemble everything, but you’ll need help from someone who works with a CNC machine to mill wheel adapters. A third option is using a grinder and welding equipment. The basic motor driver and howerboard wheels come with connectors, so no soldering is required.

Purchased vs. DIY

One of the prerequisites for riding an electric skateboard for me was cost. I bought a cheap skateboard that seemed perfect to start with:

• Load capacity: 100kg
• Speed: up to 20 km/h
• Weight: 7kg

This sounded acceptable for riding on bike paths in Novi Sad. The limited range was okay since it’s easy to recharge at the destination.

The biggest problem was the small 70mm wheels. On flat asphalt, that’s fine, but beside the bike path there are trees, and you can easily encounter a larger acorn or stone over 10mm in diameter. When hitting such an obstacle, the small wheel stops over just a few centimeters, and the rider has little chance to stay on the board. I fell a few times before learning to continue the path by running to stay on my feet.

It became clear that I needed a skateboard with larger wheels, but the commercial options were all "off-road" versions costing too much for my budget. The DIY version I’ll present costs less than 200 euros, unless you waste a lot of material due to poor sizing or pay someone else for help.

Components

The components I used are cheaply available on local marketplaces, and with some research, you can also find new ones at reasonable prices.

1. I bought a complete standard longboard second-hand in excellent condition, later finding a new one on sale for around 50 euros. It was 110cm long and completely flat. A seemingly great feature was its flex, which absorbs bumps and provides a smoother ride. In practice, you want a wider stance for stability during acceleration and braking, so your feet are over the axles where flex has little effect. For someone around 180cm tall, I recommend a board length of at least 100cm.
2. The drive wheels that worked best are from hoverboards, 6.5" (165mm) diameter. Maximum speed is 20 km/h. Faster than that is not recommended, but if desired, 8" hoverboard wheels are available. It’s cheapest to buy a used hoverboard because it comes with a charger and battery, all for around 50 euros.
3. Passive 6.5" wheels can be found on AliExpress. You can temporarily use smaller wheels you already have, just adding spacers to equalize the height of the board between front and rear wheels.
4. A hoverboard battery provides about 9 km of range on flat terrain. I used two connected in parallel. New batteries can now be found for around 25 euros or less.
5. The control electronics are also available on AliExpress along with a remote for under 50 euros.
6. Other materials include plastic battery boxes, wheel mounting adapters, and optionally LED strips for lighting.

Required Tools

• Wrenches
• Screwdriver
• I needed a 3D printer for the wheel adapters. It’s possible to make everything from metal. When buying a used hoverboard, examine how the wheels are attached. The aluminum adapter holding the wheel axle can be used similarly.
• Drill or better, a cordless screwdriver for drilling holes and screwing in fasteners.
• FreeCad helped me design 3D models for all plastic components. It’s cross-platform and easy to learn.
• Screws for plastic components were mostly standard wood screws, 35mm long and 3mm in diameter. The soldering iron was used to heat them slightly so they could be screwed into plastic without cracking. I also used it for wiring LED lights.

Minimal Configuration

If you want a minimal build without a 3D printer or soldering iron, you’ll need to figure out how to mount the drive wheel axles onto the skateboard axles. Make sure the skateboard axle is not perfectly cylindrical. If it is, flatten about 15mm of aluminum to create a surface that prevents the adapter from rotating.

The drive electronics can fit into a plastic food container. It’s recommended to add an aluminum heatsink for better cooling. It only needs to be twice as effective as the existing surface. I used a 100x100mm heatsink and it never overheated.

Finding a suitable battery box is harder, but it can be made from two food containers if a deep enough one isn’t available.

The charging connector I used is compatible with Xiaomi electric scooters, so I use the same charger. You can also use one removed from a discarded hoverboard. AliExpress offers all necessary adapters so soldering is optional.

Improvements

• I placed the drive wheels at the front so the center of gravity is forward, making it easier to carry when lifted by the rear axle.
• I added a carry handle just behind the battery box. When lifted, the hand remains extended, making it easier to carry all 12kg.
• I shortened the front of the board so that when upright, the front wheels and board form three points of contact, requiring less space for vertical parking.
• The lighting was made using a 3D printer, but you can attach LED strips without plastic boxes. Power wires can be any wire taped under the board. I used nickel strips for battery welding—they’re flat, wide, mechanically strong, and easy to solder. You can add a module to reduce voltage to 12V, or power LEDs directly from 36V by connecting three equal LED segments in series. You can control with a separate switch, or use the LED on the remote or battery indicator to trigger a MOSFET for the strips.
• I bought passive 6.5" wheels to match the drive wheels. They have 8mm inner diameter bearings. I used long hex screws as axles, secured with adapters similar to the drive wheels.

Mistakes

• I shortened the rear to make a square light like the front, but a better solution is the other board where the rear was not cut, and a light is mounted under the deck to match its shape.
• I planned fenders and added screw holes to the wheel adapters, making them unnecessarily robust. Later I realized fenders would break often, and without them it looks better, so I simplified adapters in the next model.
• I designed the drive electronics box separately from the battery box, resulting in boxes of different sizes and screws at uneven distances. In the next model, all boxes were designed so screws are 50mm apart lengthwise and evenly spaced widthwise, creating two parallel rows of screws on the deck for aesthetics.
• I tried to secure a battery voltage indicator, but the remote already shows battery level, so including it in the electronics box is unnecessary. Removing it simplifies the box and reduces wiring.
• I connected the battery charging connector directly to the battery. A cable fault could cause a short circuit. As a precaution, a diode should be added to prevent current from flowing back from the battery through the connector. This also lowers the maximum charge voltage to below 100%, reducing fire risk if you forget to unplug the charger.
• The first model used drive electronics without a remote or braking capability. I built my own control logic, which required a lot of effort for mediocre results. Since the complete solution is inexpensive, it’s not worth the time. The only advantage of my design was the built-in siren.

FreeCad 3D models are available here. Note that my design can be used for control electronics and batteries, but wheel adapters should be custom-designed for your axles, and lighting according to your deck shape.