HoverKart is an accessory that transforms your hoverboard into a super fun gokart that can turn on a dime and pop effortless wheelies!
This project will only be funded if at least $150,000 is pledged by .
HoverKart is a hoverboard accessory that transforms your hoverboard into a super fun electric gokart that can accelerate, brake, turn on a dime, and pop effortless wheelies, all with simple, intuitive hand controls.
Just snap HoverKart onto your hoverboard and you’re ready to roll. Our patent-pending attachment system allows HoverKart to attach and detach in just a few seconds, leaving your hoverboard untouched.
The ride is super smooth and the instant torque from the hoverboard's brushless motors is enough to pop a wheelie and get up to a top speed of around 12mph!
HoverKart started life in our garage. We recognized the shortcomings of the hoverboard but realized the potential that it has. Being adrenaline junkies and fans of all things with wheels, we came up with the idea for a hoverboard-powered gokart and started designing. We quickly fabricated the first prototype and instantly fell in love. Given that nothing like this existed at the time, we decided to drop everything and pursue our dream of introducing something exciting to the world.
As you can see from the specs above, HoverKart's performance characteristics depend heavily on the hoverboard you're using to power it. The specs we've listed represent what we've found to be true on average across all the hoverboard brands and models we've tried so far.
Iteration
We've gone through multiple prototypes of the kart and countless iterations of each part to make sure that every detail is perfect. We've racked up almost 800 hours of 3D print time in the last 6 months!
Fabrication
Having access to TechShop (www.techshop.ws) and a background in engineering and fabrication has significantly reduced our startup costs and allowed us to bring HoverKart to market much faster than most new products.
Testing
We put a lot of emphasis on testing to ensure that our designs are robust. Before the production units hit your doorstep they'll undergo even more testing to check that the build quality is up to our high standards. We're confident that HoverKart will hold up to all the fun you can throw at it!
We know that feedback is one of the most important factors in the design process, so we put hundreds of people in the driver's seat along the way to figure out what works and what doesn't. We integrated that feedback into our design and the result is something we're extremely proud of.
We hope that with HoverKart we can build a community of people who appreciate the attention to detail that we put into our designs and who share our passion for unique electric ride-on experiences.
"I wasn't going to to buy a hoverboard because I figured I'd kill myself but this looks much easier and way more fun!" - Jeff V. - 23 years old
"It feels so natural! I've never been able to do wheelies on a bike but I can easily pull wheelies with this thing!" - Mike R. - 17 years old
"My kids have been begging me for a hoverboard, I guess I'll have to cave!" - Julia B. - 34 years old
"I'm surprised by how powerful my hoverboard is. It's way faster than i thought it would be!" - Jenna G. - 15 years old
"We could use these to get around my shop! Way cheaper than other alternatives" - Greg M. - 42 years old
Just like the prototypes pictured above, the production version of HoverKart will be available in a variety of colors. Because you're the ones bringing this project to life, we want YOU to pick the color choices! We'll poll all our backers after the campaign and pick the top responses. We'll start with 3 colors if we reach our goal and add one for every additional $100k we raise up to a maximum of 6 colors.
Our team has spent countless hours simplifying the design while maintaining all the adjustability, functionality, and robustness we set out to achieve. We want HoverKart to be simple to attach, simple to ride, simple to store, and simple to love.
We also want it to be simple to manufacture. We've kept scalability in mind throughout the entire design process to ensure that we're making use of appropriate manufacturing processes and techniques to bring HoverKart to you at an affordable price. Our goal has always been for Hoverkart to cost less than half of what a typical hoverboard costs, and we've easily achieved that as most hoverboards cost $300-$500.
The ultimate goal is for HoverKart to be compatible with every hoverboard on the market. Our patent-pending attachment system makes this possible by allowing us to simply mold different feet for each type of hoverboard.
However, there are many variations of hoverboard including a plethora of knockoffs that all look the same but really aren't. So far, we've developed feet for the typical 6.5" and 10" boards pictured below and tested them with a variety of different brands and models with 100% success.
The next step is to develop feet for some of the other popular models such as the ones pictured below in addition to models that are introduced under the new UL standards. We'll survey all our backers after the campaign so that we can make sure HoverKart is compatible with all your hoverboards. In the event that we determine HoverKart cannot work with your particular model, we will happily refund your money or point you to a recommended compatible board.
On that note, there are a few less common models that we know HoverKart will not work with, and those are pictured below. Unfortunately, these boards have certain characteristics that are incompatible with HoverKart, such as the shape of the outer body shell, or quirks within the software that controls the board.
Although it wasn't our main intention when we set out, we pride ourselves on offering a safer way to enjoy your hoverboard. When it comes to hoverboards and safety, there are two main concerns. The first relates to quality issues that arose with the first wave of hoverboards that flooded in over the 2015 holiday season. Mainly having to do with faulty batteries and/or chargers, these issues have been addressed by the Underwriter's Laboratory (UL) in the form of an entirely new safety standard for hoverboards, UL 2272 (more info here). There are a host of new hoverboard models being introduced that are certified under UL 2272 and should be perfectly safe in terms of manufacturing and quality issues.
The other concern is for personal safety given that the hoverboard can be a handful for first-timers or those with less-than-stellar balance. One of the major advantages of HoverKart is that it provides a third point of contact with the ground and the handles give you a firm grasp on the hoverboard so it's unaffected by bumps and terrain that would send even the most experienced hoverboard riders tumbling. That being said, we would recommend that you always wear a helmet when riding :)
The money we raise here on Kickstarter will go right back into scaling up our manufacturing and fulfillment operations. The total we need to start the production pipeline is around $50k. This total is made up of tooling, fixtures, software, legal fees, etc. Our $150k funding goal reflects the amount we need to raise in order to cover the costs of manufacturing and delivering all the rewards (including shipping) as well as the $50k in startup costs.
We've done a lot of prototyping and a lot of testing since last October. The design is nearly complete and we are working closely with everyone involved to make sure things will go smoothly if the campaign is successfully funded. Our manufacturing partner has 20 years of experience with over 300 different products that sell in 80 countries and are used by over 20 million people worldwide. We've estimated our lead times conservatively to account for the unexpected and done our best to prepare for every possible outcome. If our campaign is a huge success and we encounter high demand, we believe we'll be able to scale production and logistics accordingly.
Even though we’ve done everything in our power to ensure you get a quality product delivered on time.. no project is without risks. Currently we cannot foresee anything that would jeopardize the project, but if delays happen, we will be sure to keep you informed and work quickly to solve the problem.
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