Zealot X review: The 30 mph electric skateboard with a surprisingly fun twist
The Backfire Zealot X electric skateboard isn’t just fast and powerful. In addition to both of those traits, it’s also got another fun trick up its sleeve that will have you getting noticed everywhere you go.
The performance is there, of course. It’s a blast to ride. But with the 360-degree surround LED lighting, the skateboard is somehow even more visible to car drivers at night compared to during the day.
You’ve got to check out what it’s like in my video review below, then keep reading for all of the other details, including the build quality and performance.
Backfire Zealot X video review
Backfire Zealot X tech specs
- Motors: Dual rear 1,500W 6358 belt drive motors (3,000W total)
- Battery: 14s 2p (504 Wh) battery
- Range: 34 miles (55 km)
- Top speed: 31 mph (50 km/h)
- Max hill climb gradient: Up to 35%
- Max load: 240 lb. (110 kg)
- Weight: 24.6 lb. (11.2 kg)
- Price: $1,199
How does it ride?
The Backfire Zealot X is a great board for anyone looking for a street ride that combines good speed and power in a fairly lightweight and affordable package. It’s not perfect, but it’s pretty darn good.
Let’s jump into the feel first.
With a pair of 1,500W motors, it’s much faster and more powerful than most people will need, yet still has the performance to keep seasoned skaters interested.
The higher voltage 14s battery is where that extra speed and power is really coming from. It also uses larger Samsung cells to create a higher capacity pack than a lot of other boards in this price class. Cruising at reasonable speeds can definitely net you a solid 20 miles (32 km) of range, and relaxed speeds can push the range closer to 30 miles (51 km).
But of course it’s the higher-speed riding that will be the board’s claim to fame. I can get up to nearly 30 mph (51 km/h) on it, though I tend to feel better in the mid 20s of mph.
Part of that is because the board is just stiffer than I expected. It’s made of several layers of maple, glass fiber, and ABS plastic, and I have no doubt that it’s rugged. But that also means it doesn’t have the same give to it as a purely laminated maple or bamboo board. At top speed, that translates into feeling more road vibration.
Interestingly, the deck is also fairly flat. It has a slight concavity, but it’s pretty gentle. I would have preferred a bit more of a cupped shape to give me a better feel of the edges of the board, especially when carving. It’s not really an issue, I can ride the board just fine and it’s comfortable, but a slightly more concave deck would have been even better. And let’s get real, I’m not going 45 degrees into the turns either, so it works just fine for me.
What about the remote?
The Backfire Zealot X remote is functionally similar to many pistol-grip electric skateboard remotes out there, but I like the way Backfire molds it slightly differently.
It’s also got some great features built in, like a fingerprint unlock for security. It’s unlikely it will be used as an anti-theft device (just keep your board with you and don’t lock it up outside like a bike), but it would work that way too, just in case. In reality, it’s probably better used as a way to prevent people from messing with your board. Those pesky roommates can’t ride your board if they can’t turn it on.
I also like the one-button wake feature. You can turn on your board directly from the remote, no need to bend over and find another button on the board!
Quite a light show!
Now let’s talk about the light show, which is where this board really shines… literally.
There’s a blue LED light strip wrapped around the entirety of the deck. It’s illuminated from the hand remote and you can turn it on and off at any time.
It’s hard to explain just how cool this looks without seeing it in person, but hopefully the GIF below gives you a sense of the effect. It’s like you’re skating around on a cloud of blue light. There’s 100% no way anyone can ever claim they didn’t see you.
When it comes to safety and night time visibility, this is so much better than any LED dot lights on the front or rear of the board. I usually recommend helmet lights or other LED lights mounted up high when riding electric skateboards since deck lights are mounted so low, but these deck lights are visible enough that they could serve as your only lighting in a pinch.
Is it worth it?
At $1,199, the Backfire Zealot X isn’t the most affordable board out there. Backfire has done a good job though at splitting the difference between super-low-cost electric skateboard companies and the higher-end, more premium models. It’s truly a great Goldilocks option for a middle-of-the-road board.
It’s fast enough for 90% of riders, it’s powerful enough to handle steep hills, and it’s so visible that it wins extra points from me there. The inclusion of larger 120mm wheels is a nice option to be able to ride higher and on more varied terrain, or just not get shaken around as much by sidewalk cracks.
For $1,199, I feel like this board is quite fairly priced for what you’re getting. Budget shoppers may want to pass this one up for a board with less battery capacity and fewer features to find a lower price. But if you can swing the twelve hundred bucks, I think you’ll be very happy with the Backfire Zealot X.
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Lucid’s electric minivan can outsprint the Chevy Corvette Z06, and it has more interior space than a Ford Explorer. Is the Lucid Gravity really the “ultimate uncompromising SUV?”
Lucid Gravity SUV is faster than a Corvette Z06
Lucid’s electric SUV is impressive inside and out. The Gravity provides up to 450 miles of driving range, ultra-fast charging (200 miles in under 11 mins), and it even offers up to 120 cubic feet of cargo space. That’s more than the Ford Explorer (87.8 cu ft).
It’s also faster than most sports cars. The Grand Touring trim has up to 845 hp, good for a 0 to 60 mph sprint in just 3.4 seconds, but the Dream Edition takes it to another level.
Powered by dual electric motors, the Lucid Gravity Dream Edition boasts 1,070 hp. To see how Lucid’s minivan stacks up against the competition, Car and Driver nabbed one for testing.
On the test track, the Lucid’s minivan covered a quarter-mile in just 10.6 secs, beating a Chevrolet Corvette Z06 to 150 mph by nearly three seconds.
According to Car and Driver, the Gravity didn’t just impress in the quarter-mile, “it was a beast in every acceleration metric.” Lucid’s SUV hit 30 mph in 1.4 seconds, 70 mph in 3.7 secs, and topped 100 mph in just 5.9 seconds.
Dave Vanderwerp, the testing director who took the Gravity for a spin, said the electric SUV “gets a sort of second wave of thrust starting around 60 mph.”
With a quarter-mile of just 10.6 secs, Lucid’s Gravity is the fastest SUV they have ever tested, beating out the Rivian Tri-Motor Max (11.1 secs), BMW iX M60 (11.5 secs), and Mercedes-AMG EQE53 SUV.
Although the Rivian’s 850 hp R1S Tri-Motor beat the Gravity to 60 mph, Lucid’s SUV sprinted ahead in the quarter-mile, traveling nearly 20 mph faster.
It was also faster than gas-powered super SUVs, including the Lamborghini Urus Performante (11.2 secs) and Porsche Cayenne Turbo GT (11.2 secs). However, they have yet to test a Tesla Model X Plaid, so that could change the game.
In what it called the “1,000 hp mom missiles” drag race, Hagerty recently pitted the Gravity Dream Edition against the Audi RS Q8 Performance, Range Rover Sport SV, Porsche Macan Turbo Electric, Rivian R1S Quad, and Porsche Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid.
The result was a three-way tie between Lucid’s Gravity, the Porsche Panamera Turbo, and Rivian R1S Quad hitting the quarter-mile in 10.5 seconds.
The Lucid Gravity is available to order starting at $94,900 in the US. Later this year, Lucid is launching the lower-priced Touring trim, priced from $79,900.
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Solar provided over 11% of total US electrical generation in May, while wind + solar produced over one-fifth, and the mix of all renewable energy sources generated nearly 30%, according to data just released by the US Energy Information Administration (EIA).
Solar continues to set new records
Solar continues to be the fastest-growing source of US electricity, according to EIA’s latest “Electric Power Monthly” report (with data through May 31, 2025), which the SUN DAY Campaign reviewed.
In May alone, electrical generation by utility-scale solar (>1-megawatt (MW)) increased by 33.3% year-over-year, while “estimated” small-scale (e.g., rooftop) solar PV increased by 8.9%. Combined, they grew by 26.4% and provided over 11% of US electrical output during the month.
For the first time ever, the mix of utility-scale and small-scale solar produced more electricity than wind: solar – 38,965 gigawatt-hours (GWh); wind – 36,907-GWh.
Moreover, utility-scale solar thermal and photovoltaic expanded by 39.8% while that from small-scale systems rose by 10.7% during the first five months of 2025 compared to the same period in 2024. The combination of utility-scale and small-scale solar increased by 31.1% and was nearly 8.4% of total US electrical generation for January to May – up from 6.6% a year earlier.
Solar-generated electricity easily surpassed the output of US hydropower plants (6.1%). Solar now produces more electricity than hydropower, biomass, and geothermal combined.
Wind is also on the rise in 2025
Wind produced 12.2% of US electricity in the first five months of 2025. Its output was 3.9% greater than the year before, almost double that produced by hydropower.
During the first five months of 2025, electrical generation by wind + utility-scale and small-scale solar provided 20.5% of the US total, up from 18.7% during the first five months of 2024. Solar + wind accounted for nearly 21.5% of US electrical output in May alone.
During the first five months of this year, wind and solar provided 26.2% more electricity than coal, and 15.4% more than US nuclear power plants. In May alone, the disparity increased further when solar + wind outproduced coal and nuclear power by 55.7% and 22.1%, respectively.
All renewables produced almost 30% in May
The mix of all renewables – wind, solar, hydropower, biomass, geothermal – produced 9.7% more electricity in January to May than they did a year ago (7.6% more in May alone) and provided 28.1% of total US electricity production compared to 26.5% 12 months earlier.
Electrical generation by all renewables in May alone provided 29.7% of total US electrical generation. Renewables’ share of electrical generation is now second only to that of natural gas, whose electrical output actually dropped by 5.9% during the month.
“Solar and wind continue to grow, set new records, and outproduce both coal and nuclear power,” said Ken Bossong, the SUN DAY Campaign’s executive director. “Consequently, the ongoing Republican assault against renewables is not only misguided and illogical but also a good example of shooting oneself in the foot.”
Read more: FERC: Solar + wind made up 96% of new US power generating capacity in first third of 2025
The 30% federal solar tax credit is ending this year. If you’ve ever considered going solar, now’s the time to act. To make sure you find a trusted, reliable solar installer near you that offers competitive pricing, check out EnergySage, a free service that makes it easy for you to go solar. It has hundreds of pre-vetted solar installers competing for your business, ensuring you get high-quality solutions and save 20-30% compared to going it alone. Plus, it’s free to use, and you won’t get sales calls until you select an installer and share your phone number with them.
Your personalized solar quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisors to help you every step of the way. Get started here.
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Environment
Podcast: Tesla’s disturbing earnings, self-driving challenge, solid state batteries, and more
In the Electrek Podcast, we discuss the most popular news in the world of sustainable transport and energy. In this week’s episode, we discuss Tesla’s disturbing earnings, a new self-driving challenge, solid-state batteries, and more.
The show is live every Friday at 4 p.m. ET on Electrek’s YouTube channel.
As a reminder, we’ll have an accompanying post, like this one, on the site with an embedded link to the live stream. Head to the YouTube channel to get your questions and comments in.
After the show ends at around 5 p.m. ET, the video will be archived on YouTube and the audio on all your favorite podcast apps:
We now have a Patreon if you want to help us avoid more ads and invest more in our content. We have some awesome gifts for our Patreons and more coming.
Here are a few of the articles that we will discuss during the podcast:
Here’s the live stream for today’s episode starting at 4:00 p.m. ET (or the video after 5 p.m. ET:
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