Discover Germany | Special Theme | Successful Start-ups, Germany
The endless ride Around 60 years ago, the first surfers put metal and clay under a wooden board to be able to keep surfing on land, even without waves. In 2016, Mellow was brought to life – the first mountable electric drive for any skateboard. Thereby, it smoothly catapults the asphalt surfing of yore into the world of e-mobility.
durability show the young company’s sense of corporate responsability; not to mention how much they value a lasting smile on the face of future Mellow owners.
TEXT: MELLOW BOARDS GMBH; TRANSLATION: NANE STEINHOFF I PHOTOS: MELLOW BOARDS GMBH
Mellow’s co-founders have assembled a full roster of young professionals to make the Drive and the company a reality. Unified by friendship or shared motivations - or both - these young professionals believe the strength of the start-up’s vision will create much greater value than the simple pursuit of profits.
The search for the endless ride was also the initial spark of the Mellow idea for founders Johannes and Kilian. However, with their quality product ‘made in Germany’, the Hamburg-based start-up is admittedly the stubborn village holding out against the empire of electric boards mostly manufactured in Asia. Mellow Boards has put six years into the development of its electric drive, which brings up to 40 kilometres per hour to the streets – with all imaginable safety features. Four driving modes enable everyone, from beginners to boardsport enthusiasts, to enjoy riding pleasure of the highest level. With its instantly exchangeable battery, which is also certified for air 78 | Issue 46 | January 2017
travel and an overall warranty of two years, Mellow Drive sets new standards. There are many solutions for the so-called last mile but only very few of these are so much fun that one would prefer to not get off at all. With Mellow, the way to work transforms into an endless wave that lets you casually surf past the rush hour traffic. This feeling of riding pleasure and freedom, alongside the demand for high quality, was the benchmark for the Mellow development. The topic of sustainability also plays a crucial role at Mellow Boards. Apart from the fact that the drive is, of course, emission-free, a strictly regional supply chain and product
www.mellowboards.com