Mellow Boards was a Hamburg-based company founded in 2015 by Johannes Schewe and Kilian Green. It developed the modular Mellow Drive — a rear truck assembly with dual in-wheel motors, battery, and wireless remote that mounted onto compatible longboard decks. The company also sold complete boards (Mellow Cruiser and Mellow Surfer) using Buddybuddy decks. TQ Systems acquired Mellow in November 2018.
No. Mellowboards.com is an independent editorial archive documenting publicly reported history and technology. It is not operated by, endorsed by, or affiliated with Mellow Boards GmbH, TQ-Group, or TQ-Systems unless independently verified. We do not provide warranty support, orders, or official firmware.
Launch-period materials consistently cited: 40 km/h top speed, approximately 15 km range, 99 Wh battery, 3.9 kg weight, dimensions 366 × 174 × 59 mm, IP65 ingress protection, dual in-wheel motors, regenerative braking, and four riding modes. See the technology overview for subsystem detail.
In May–June 2015, Mellow's Kickstarter campaign sought €100,000 and closed with €309,978 pledged by 364 backers — more than triple the goal. That result funded tooling and production beyond the minimum viable batch. Full campaign context.
Contemporary sources document commercial launch and backer shipments in March 2017, following development and manufacturing work after the 2015 campaign. Schedule slips were communicated via Kickstarter updates — common for first-run hardware of the era.
TQ Systems, part of the TQ-Group, acquired Mellow Boards in November 2018 according to public reporting at the time. Post-acquisition consumer-facing operations could not be independently verified for this archive. History overview.
We do not document current product availability or pricing. Corporate ownership changed in 2018; official sales channels may have changed or closed. Treat any third-party listings as unverified unless you independently confirm authenticity and support. This site provides historical information only — no purchase links.
The Drive replaced rear trucks on existing longboard decks rather than requiring a proprietary monolithic board. Riders could swap decks while retaining the powertrain — a design choice rare among 2015-era crowdfunded e-skates. Complete-board SKUs still used the same Drive module integrated at the factory with Buddybuddy decks.
In-wheel (hub) motors sit inside the wheel hub instead of driving the wheel via belt and external motor. Mellow used two powered rear hubs for traction and a clean aesthetic without exposed belts. Trade-offs versus belt drives include heat management and wheel compatibility — covered on our in-wheel motor page.
99 Wh balanced weight, range, and portability. It sat near airline carry-on battery limits commonly discussed in the period — relevant for travellers when regulations allowed — while keeping total drive mass near 3.9 kg. Shorter absolute range was partially offset by regenerative braking and Eco mode riding.
Modes adjusted acceleration curves and top speed within the 40 km/h maximum. Eco prioritised range; Rookie softened response for learning; Pro unlocked performance; Endless mode assumed experienced riders and local legal compliance. Exact naming varied slightly in translations. Riding modes page.
Regeneration recovers energy when slowing by using motors as generators, feeding the battery when safe. It complemented — not universally replaced — foot braking and longboard stopping techniques, especially on steep grades or when the battery could not accept more charge. Rider education on this point appeared in period owner materials.
IP65 indicates dust protection and resistance to low-pressure water jets in standardised lab testing. It signalled intent for wet urban streets but did not mean submersion-safe or charge-port negligence-proof operation. Maintenance after wet rides was still recommended in historical guidance.
Historical marketing referenced the 99 Wh pack relative to common airline limits of the period, but airline and jurisdiction rules vary and change. Always verify current regulations with your carrier and authorities before travel. This archive does not provide legal or travel advice.
Belt drives of the era often delivered sharper acceleration but exposed components to debris. Mellow's hub-drive modular unit prioritised quiet operation, sealing, and deck flexibility. Neither architecture universally dominates — context matters. Our technology pillar discusses historical market positioning without ranking current products we have not verified.
Because unverified present-day claims mislead owners and researchers. After the 2018 acquisition, public consumer-facing detail thinned in open sources. We document what was reported during Mellow's documented active period and clearly label uncertainty about current support, pricing, and corporate status — aligning with responsible archival practice.
Both were complete-board products pairing the same Mellow Drive with Buddybuddy decks. The Cruiser targeted stable urban commuting geometry; the Surfer used a surf-inspired shape for carving aesthetics. Drive specifications — speed, range, battery, modes — were identical. Choose based on documented deck shape preferences, not differing motor hardware. See Cruiser and Surfer pages.
The May–June 2015 campaign projected earlier delivery than the March 2017 launch documented in contemporary sources — a multi-year gap communicated through Kickstarter updates. Delays reflected manufacturing ramp, testing, and supply-chain tasks typical of first-run hardware in that era, not a silent disappearance. Timeline detail: historical timeline.
No. Kickstarter provided initial capital and community, but Mellow subsequently sold through retail channels noted in launch-period press after backer fulfilment. The campaign was an inflection point, not the entire commercial history. Kickstarter page · Company history.
Public reporting in November 2018 announced acquisition by TQ Systems, part of TQ-Group. Consumer-facing Mellow branding and support may have changed afterward; specifics could not be independently verified for this archive. Industrial acquisitions often integrate engineering IP into broader mobility portfolios. We do not document post-acquisition product roadmaps without primary sources.
Period documentation emphasised compatible longboard decks with appropriate wheelbase, flex, and mounting points — not arbitrary boards. Incorrect flex or mount torque caused poor ride quality or hardware stress. Complete-board SKUs existed partly to guarantee validated pairings. Technical mounting detail: Mellow Drive technology.
Launch-period reviews often noted hub quietness versus belt-driven competitors — a expected benefit of eliminating external motors and belts. Noise does not equal absence of mechanical sound; gear/hub whine and road noise remained. Quiet operation suited urban commuters concerned about attention, though legal status of powered boards varied by location regardless of noise.
Period safety messaging aligned with skate industry norms: helmets and appropriate protective equipment, especially while learning modes and regeneration behaviour. This archive repeats that historical guidance as context, not personalised safety advice. Local laws may mandate additional requirements for powered boards.
No. We are an editorial archive without commerce. Replacement parts availability from original or third-party sources could not be verified here. Owners should consult qualified technicians and exercise caution with lithium cells and unofficial firmware or batteries.
Cite as an independent secondary compilation pointing to primary sources described on our sources page. Prefer citing original Kickstarter archives, contemporaneous press, and specification PDFs when available. Note the site's independence from Mellow Boards GmbH and TQ entities in academic acknowledgements. Include access date because archival pages may update when new primary sources emerge. For verbatim specification tables, cite the underlying manufacturer PDF or archived campaign page rather than this site's reformulation alone.