The team behind the Floatwheel has made it again and launching a totally new board that’s built from the ground up, Floatwheel adv and the adv Pro. The board incorporated most of the community upgrades we have seen like adjustable rails, a threaded tire option, and a VESC controller for total control.
This will unlock some new possibilities and as a system Engineer, I´m truly impressed with what they have accomplished with this board.
Oskar Fällman (FallmanTech)
Battery
The battery is placed not only in the rear but in the front as well, with 34 cells in the back and 6 cells in the front. The benefits are getting more battery inside the board without increasing the size. This has also the added benefit of better weight distribution of the board. Compared to the GT, the cells are stacked reducing the height from 46mm to only 40mm, making it 13% slimmer.
The battery uses a 20S2P (20 cells in series and 2 in parallel) configuration with either P42A or 2170LA cells depending on the model. This is to compare with the Onewheel GT, 18S2P with 21700 cells. The result is an increased operating voltage with a slightly increased range (36/34 miles compared to 32 miles). As always we need to wait for the real-life test.
The Motor
Overheating of the Onewheel GT is a known issue in the Onewheel community. This was one of the key factors Floatwheel looked into when designing its new hub motor. CannonCore motor, with a 53% larger stator volume compared to the GT, is both larger in diameter and longer in length resulting in great magnetic flux.
To increase the cooling capabilities of the motor a couple of things have been added. The axle is greatly enlarged with a 75mm axle compared to the 35mm on the Onewheels, resulting in great heat dissipation to the rails increasing the cooling. The stators are also filled with Ferrotech AGP1100 STG fluid to reduce the air gap in the motor. All these improvements result in what they claim a 5 times better cooling capabilities. This is most likely true as using stator fluid and increasing the axle bolt is a known modification in the Onewheel GT community.
The motor gives out a massive 6HP with a peak power output of 9HP, compared to the 3HP motor in the Onewheel GT, giving it twice the power on paper in nominal conditions.
Tires
As it’s a standard 6-inch hub motor all Go-Kart tires are supported. This is a really good option and really supports the right to repair.
The Controller
The controller is built on the open source VESC project leveraging all the advancements from the community and giving you as a rider infinite tunning potential if you would like to get technical. Their new controller is using a double deck design giving more space in the front for the additional battery cells.
84v 200A output power with and Overspeed buzzer. Bluetooth connectivity and compatibility with your apple watch.
Using a light bar as the Onewheel it can show the battery percentage and the footpad status.
The headlights got 760 lumens and switch colors depending on the riding direction. The lights have got their own dedicated heatsink to ensure that they are not getting too hot. This makes them 50% more brighter than the GT with its 500 lumens and 5 times more than the XR.
The Rail
The rails are machined out of aluminum and all have 3 degrees of tilt to increase the locked-in feel of the board. The adv Pro got the option to configure the ride in 5 different riding positions.
Concave footpad
Both footpads are concave and they are less aggressive than the Onwheel GT. The team has redesigned the footpad sensor claiming that it does not ghost as the Future Motion Inc.
Supports Right to Repair
The team 100% supports the right to repair that’s why you can get each and every part of the board in case you need to change something. No need to send it back for service just replace the component yourself.
This course requires some experience and expertise from your side, as an engineer I love it!
Oskar Fällman (FallmanTech)
Price
The boards are cheaper than the Onewheel GT, the stock Floatwheel adv goes for $1599.00, and the adv Pro $1799.00. With the expected shipping date Feb 2023. As an early adopter (Founder Edition) you get a free 840w Supercharger (Worth 199$). Head over to their official website, https://floatwheel.com/
Payments are in crypt currency, this is to make it impossible for Future Motion Inc from blocking payments from USA. This happened with their first Floatwheel kit a couple of years ago.
Our recommendation is to buy at your own risk, FallmanTech is not responsible for any financial advice.
Floatwheel vs Onewheel GT Specification
| Specification | Floatwheel Adv Pro | Floatwheel Adv | Onewheel GT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Battery | 20S2P P42A | 20S2P 2170LA | 18S2P 21700 |
| Range | 36 miles | 34 miles | 32 miles |
| Top Speed | 22 mph | 22 mph | 20 mph |
| Headlight | 760 lm | 760 lm | 500 lm |
| Motor | 6HP CannonCore | 6HP CannonCore | 3HP HyperCore |
| Fast Charge | 84V 10A 840W | 84V 10A 840W | 75.6V5A 378w |
| Operation Temp | -40°C to 60C | -20°C to 60C | Not specified |
| Right to Repair | Yes | Yes | No |
Waterproofing
The Floatwheel uses the same approach as the Onewheel Pint with a groove and seal between the lid and the main battery and control apartment. De difference is that they will pressure test the sealing capabilities from the factor by applying air pressure at the front headlights before installing them.
PCB will use conformal coating, e.g be dipped in the weatherproof gel to make them more water resistant.
The foot sensor will not have a lead as the Onewheel and instead uses a contacting surface between the sensor and controller. The connector will use an o-ring to make a waterproof seal. This could be a weak design compared to a normal standard cable pass thru. Still, the cable has been a weak point for the Onewheel and it’s common to use silicone to “badger” the cable.
Conclusion
As long as they deliver then this will be the best Onewheel alternative board out there, maybe even the best one wheel board of them all. Time will tell but what we can say, this looks interesting on paper and could be a “Onewheel Killer”. The question is how good will it be for a non-technical person, there might be where Future Motion Inc. still will have the advantages compared to Floatwheel.
The big question is if they will get sued by Future Motion, like JWbatteries, or if all the upgrades and workarounds will keep them in the clear.
FallmanTech is not in any way associated with Floatwheel.
