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A Personal Helicopter and 8 Other Electric Ways to Get Around Fast

Everything is going electric these days. Cars, motorcycles, even luxury yachts are making the switch to the cleaner energy.

Our outdoor toys are starting to make the switch, too. Where once we had to rely on nature or gravity to get our thrills, electricity is now powering everything from surfboards to underwater jetpacks. Here are a few of the latest and coolest electric outdoor toys that you’ll want to get your hands on.

Boosted Board Stealth – $1,599
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A longboard, but electric. The Boosted Stealth maintains the slow and lazy longboard feel through the use of a lightweight poplar core and Super Flex composite deck, but backs it all up with a powerful motor that can drive the board 24 mph, even up hills. The Stealth has a 14 mile range and five ride modes. The fifth ride mode, Hyper, gives you a more direct connection to the boards power and the 24 mph top speed. The Boosted Jerk Filter that helps keep you on the board as a beginner is dialed back during this mode allowing you to really engage with the board.

The board is controlled with a Bluetooth remote, charges in 1 hour 45 minutes and includes an app showing total mileage and power settings.

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Onewheel+XR Electric Skateboard – $1,799
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If you want a snowboard-like feel on concrete but need your hands free for coffee, shooting photos or video, or waving at everyone as you fly by, then the Onewheel+XR is for you. No remote necessary; just lean and go on the one, big air-filled tire.

The squishy tire can handle drops, go off-road, and cruise smoothly on cement. Lights underneath show you where you are going if you  happen to take this bad boy out after dark. The Hypercore brushless motor easily goes up hill and can hit speeds up to 19 mph. The Onewheel+ has a range of five to seven miles for $1,399. The Onewheel+HR gives you extra range of 12-18 miles for and additional $400.

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Onean Carver X Electric Surf Board – Approx $9,800
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If the concrete jungle isn’t your thing and you prefer to be on the water, the Ocean Carver X is your toy. The upgraded model of the Carver with two batteries and two jet motors all on a 39 lb board can plane with riders up to 250 pounds and hit 22 mph on the water. The waterproof hand controller has five simple speed settings and secures around your wrist. Batteries pop in and out of the board and are interchangeable with the Carver and Manta boards from Onean. Battery life is around 40 minutes.

The original Carver can hit the same 22 mph top speed as well, but with lighter riders, sorry big boys. If you’re looking for a longer trip up the river, the Manta is wider and more stable and goes for six hours at 6 mph.

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Fliteboard Electric Hydrofoil – $10,995
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There’s no need for waves with an electric surfboard, but too much chop can ruin a ride too. Not with the Fliteboard eFoil.

The Fliteboards hydrofoil sits under the water while lifting the board completely off the surface during movement. A small, but powerful, electric motor sits in the shaft of the foil, pushing the board along at up to 24 mph. It gets one hour of battery life with the larger Explore Flite Cell battery. Charge up with the snap-on magnetic charger when you’re done. For travel and easy storage, there’s a larger, more stable, inflatable version of the board.

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Segway Drift W1 – Approximately $400
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If you fancy something a little different and maybe prefer to be on roller skates from time to time, you’ll love the Segway Drift W1 e-skates. Like mini Segways on each food, they’re activated with leaning forward and back with no remote. A blessing and a curse, each foot can go a different direction, letting you choreograph any kind of adventure. They’re 7.7 lbs each and last for about 45 minutes per charge. Price will be around $400 but they are not yet for sale.

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Haibike XDuro FullSeven S 9.0 Mountain Bike – $5200
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E-bikes are all over the place now, but rarely do the go off-road. Haibike put together some of the toughest off-road e-bikes out there. The 48-pound fully-suspended bike can hit 28 mph or let you do the pedaling. A FOX Float DPS Performance EVOL rear shock gives you 4.5 inches of travel with 4 inches up front on the SR Suntour LOR fork. Shwalbe Nobby Nic Evo tires and extra large Magura MT4 hydraulic brakes keep you in control. All the fun on the way down without having to pedal on the way up.

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Outrider Horizon Off-Road Trike – $12,985
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If you can’t do two wheels or just prefer sitting for longer trips, the Outrider Horizon off-road trike is the ticket to adventure. Suspension on all three tires gives a blush ride. The 15-35 mile range gets you access to all any kind of terrain. If you need to go farther, add up to three more battery packs for up to 140 miles of range.

The Horizon gives riders of any ability the ability to get off-road and go up to 20 mph. Designed by Christopher J Wenner, a quadriplegic from an accident at 17 years old, the Horizon can be fitted with a number of adaptive accessories. The standard Horizon can even pull a 200 lb trailer.

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Cuda Underwater Jetpack – TBD
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We all dream of flying, but it just hasn’t quite become a reality yet. Flying underwater is a little bit easier, but Archie O’Brien, a design student from the UK, still had beef with the already existing products. Anything available was too slow, too heavy, or too expensive O’Brien. He also needed a final project for his design class in Leicestershire.

So, using CNC machining and 3D printing, Archie put together an underwater jetpack for himself. The patented propeller-based system sucks in water from the top and shoots it out the back. To turn, the rider moves their body. A handheld remote controls the power.

With clean lines inspired by Lamborghini, Mclaren, and Aston Martin, the Cuda will look good on the beach and in the water.

The jetpack isn’t available for purchase yet, but should go into production mid-2019.

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Kitty Hawk Flyer – TBD
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From flying underwater to actually flying in the air in a person-sized drone. Funded by Google co-founder Larry Page, the company Kitty Hawk has put together the Aero, a 10-rotor personal flying machine.

The Aero fits one person and is 100% electric. With 12 to 20 minutes of flight time, you’re not going far, but the company has proved the concept. It’s only as loud as a lawnmower at 50 feet and doesn’t require a pilots licence. With auto-stabilization, there are only 2 easy controls to learn. The company’s mission is to pave the way to personal, everyday flying. There’s no price or production date yet, though, so it’s up in the air when the rest of us can start flying to work.

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Ross Collicutt
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Ross is an outdoor adventure writer, amateur photographer, and computer programmer based on Vancouver Island, British…
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