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Mellow School
It's time for Mellow School. Hurry up, grab your new Mellow or order one today and listen up!
Tech/Product
1. Can I push my board in case I run out of battery out there?
Yes, you can! We have gone the extra mile and used up the entire, motor developers trick bag to reduce friction and drag within the motor to a level, where you can’t notice the difference to a normal longboard wheel anymore.
2. What is the difference between the four riding modes?
Rooky Ride: smooth acceleration, top speed 10 km/h Eco Ride: swifter acceleration, top speed 25 km/h Pro Ride: strong acceleration, top speed 40 km/h Endless Ride: you push and the motor keeps the pace (for a while) like a cruise control, top speed – whatever you can push
3. What does 15 km battery range mean in real life?
As with all vehicles, the use of energy is completely determined by the behavior of the rider. Just like your car uses more petrol in stop and go traffic than on the highway, an electric vehicle will show the same effects. This is always due to the large amounts of energy needed for acceleration. The endless ride mode is meant to minimize acceleration time for the Mellow Drive and therefor extends the range. We are quite certain that you will be able to go over 15km if you consequently use the endless ride mode. Opposite to that you will end up below 15km with lots of stop and go traffic. The best range is achieved when you accelerate very smoothly and drive at a constant speed of about 30km/h. And in the case you just love the thrill of accelerating with you Mellow Board then just get a second battery and go nuts!
4. Does Mellow have a reverse gear?
No.
5. Does Mellow also fit under a penny board?
Yes.
6. Does Mellow also work on very flexible boards?
We mounted Mellow on pretty much any board already and never had any problems.
7. Does the fast charger shorten the battery life?
The fast charger that we offer is a European make, that has some safety features built in that will prevent any damage on your battery.
8. What if I have a technical problem with my Mellow Drive?
We are doing everything in the first place to prevent this from happening. In case you are still faced with a technical problem, please do not hesitate to contact us via email or via the Mellow App. We will then help you to fix it as quick and easy as possible, so you can get back on board.
9. Whats the difference between the Mellow Drive & Mellow Drive S?
In short, the Mellow Smart Drive is the lean version of the Mellow Drive. Softer performance peaks, but still with all the safety features and high quality made in Germany.
10. When will I get my Mellow Drive S?
The Mellow Drive S can be pre-ordered now. There only will be limited units available, which will be shipped in fall 2018.
11. Who can buy the Mellow Drive S?
Everyone in the EU can buy the Mellow Drive S. For the moment we only can accept orders through www.mellowboards.com.
12. Can I buy the Mellow Drive S as a full setup including a deck?
The Mellow Drive S can only be bought as a solo drive and not as a preset Mellow Board combination.
13. Does the Mellow Drive S work with other components in our shop?
Yes, it´s the same hardware. You can combine your Mellow Drive S with all accessories available in the shop.
14. How can I upgrade my Mellow Drive S with the smart kits?
Shortly, all upgrade features will be available in our onlineshop. For now an upgrade will only be possible via iOS devices.
Safety
1. Can I ride with the Mellow Drive in bad/wet weather?
Protection of critical elements of the Drive are done against automotive industry standards. Motors, battery, battery connection, remote and drive electronics (not bearings) are splash, water jet and dust resistant and were tested under controlled laboratory conditions with a rating of IP65 under IEC standard 60529. Splash, water jet and dust resistant are not permanent conditions and resistance might decrease as a result of normal wear. You can ride in wet conditions without any problems. But stay away from the deep puddles and avoid riding in heavy rain. The connection to the battery, when clicked-in, is rated IP67, but since the rest of the system is not, it should not be immersed. Immersion of the above mentioned parts in liquids shall void the warranty in any case.
2. Why is a Dual Braking System so important?
First of all it means a lot more safety for you! With its Dual Braking System Mellow not only has a regenerative brake that refreshes your battery with every braking maneuver. It also has a second braking resistor that kicks in once your battery is fully loaded. If it wouldn’t have that, the brake would simply switch off at that point. And that’s what a lot of other e-boards actually do. We felt like this is a huge lack of safety, especially if you want to also enjoy rides with longer downhill sections.
3. What happens to my board, if I happen to fall off at full speed?
First of all, please wear a helmet, when you do that ;) The electronics of Mellow will notice if the rider is standing on the board or not. If you are leaving the board at a reasonable speed the electronics will brake it down automatically so it won’t shoot around like a new years rocket out of control.
4. What is the maximum weight a Mellow rider should not overshoot?
This obviously also depends on the board and the flex of the board you are riding. If your Mellow Drive underneath the board scratches the ground, you know you are too heavy or you need a board with less flex. We had tall guys with 120 kilos riding a Mellow Board, no problem. If you have some heavy bones the 4x4 setup definitely comes in handy to get a better performance and acceleration.
5. Can I carry the Mellow Drive as hand luggage on an airplane?
Our batteries have under 100Wh of energy and all necessary certifications (such as TÜV, CE, UN, UL, FCC). We recommend that you remove your Battery Pack from your Mellow Drive before arriving at the airport. Now you can check-in the Drive and take up to 3 Battery Packs in your cabin luggage.
6. Can I ride Mellow on the street/bike lane?
In October 2015 California passed a law that allows you to ride your electric board anywhere where you can ride a bike. We truly believe this is just the beginning and the rest of the world will follow, it’s just a matter of time. Right now, it’s still sort of a legal limbo. That's why we sell Mellow as sports equipment. Where you ride it and what you do with it is your responsibility.
7. What about warranty?
The Mellow Drive comes with a solid 2 year warranty. The battery has a 1 year warranty.
Price and Payment
1. Why does the Mellow Drive cost more than other electric skateboards?
The Mellow Drive is a high quality product that’s developed, tested and produced in Germany. All the components come from here and are not cheaply produced in Asia or elsewhere in the world. The entire Mellow Drive is produced using automotive standards in terms of proofing against environmental influences as well as vibration, shocks and temperature. The single frame is made out of magnesium, not plastic! Our custom Mellow electronics are developed and produced by one of the leading electronics manufacturers in Germany. They produce electronics for aerospace applications and the automotive industry and have the highest standards and certifications. The in-wheel motors are produced at the same standards and they are going to blow your mind when it comes to performance, durability and riding pleasure. And the decks we will offer for the complete setups also stand for high quality and sustainability at the same time.
2. Can I testride Mellow before I buy it?
We are offering a lot of test rides to get as many people on board as possible. We do announce the next dates via our social media channels. Furthermore you are always able to try the Mellow in one of our "partner-shops".
3. What is the price in my currency?
We are still working on implementing an automatic price conversion to our pre-order shop. Until then please use a currency converter. (e.g.http://www.xe.com/currencyconverter/)
4. Do I still have to pay VAT if I order outside of the EU?
No. Once you select your shipping country during the order/payment process the VAT will be subtracted from the total price.
5. What if I have problems to complete my order?
That’s a worst case scenario! But please, don’t just give up. Drop us a message at hello@mellowboards.com. In 99,9% of the cases it’s not your fault, but some technical bullshit, that we will fix right away.
6. Can I get a Mellow Drive for free if I promote it on YouTube, etc.?
Since we get this question quite often, we have to really select whom we supply with a Mellow Drive for free. The deciding factor is the audience you have to offer in exchange. But if you want to write a review about the Mellow Drive, feel free to contact us on hello@mellowboards.com and we will try to hook up with you for a day or two to give you the chance to fully experience what the Endless Ride is all about.
Shipping
1. To which countries are you shipping?
Due to the complexity of international shipping, we are focusing on a selected range of countries, including EU countries and USA (through Origin Distribution). For special inquiries feel free to get in touch via hello@mellowboards.com.
2. What about customs?
Customs are already included in your shipping costs. Which means you pay a little extra, but you get your Mellow Drive delivered right up to your doorstep without any hassle.
Accessories
1. What size wheels and trucks do you use for the Mellow Drive?
We use 80mm 86a wheels and the truck is a standard 180mm longboard truck.
2. Are you also going to offer different wheels?
Yes, in the future we will stock up our online shop with a variety of wheels in different sizes, duro and shapes.
3. How quick do the wheels wear off and how can I replace them?
This definitely depends on how you ride your board, but should last a few years with normal use. Mellow Wheels are very robust, but if you slide a lot with your board they will of course wear out more quickly. To replace them just unscrew the nut from the axle with a regular skateboard tool, slide off the used wheel, slide the new one back on, tighten the nut – done.
4. Can I also get a matching front truck and wheels with my Mellow Drive?
Yes, we also offer a single front truck with wheels in the same color and shape as the one on the Mellow Drive.