Got thrown off the GT, board took off without my command, petition to Evolve to fix remote

I have an observation I'd like to share.

I recently had a few dropouts, and soon after one of my motors failed. It either clunks or does nothing when accelerating, and shudders violently when brake is applied. I tested it by swapping the cables over and it exhibited the same behaviour.

Now, I called the shop where I bought it, and they said to call evolved.
I called evolved and had a chat. They suggested I email support@evolvedskateboards.com.au with my query. Which I did (from my Gmail account)

2 hours later I thought I would follow up with a call. They said they have not received my email.
I sent the same email from my work email address, cc ask@ and my Gmail account.
Phoned up to confirm they received it, yes they had.

My point - I wonder if there is something wrong with their email account which doesn't show @gmail.com email? Spam folder maybe? I wonder how many other support requests might not be making it thru?

My correspondence (via work email) has been fast and courteous and I'm hoping to get this motor issue sorted before the next group ride so I can get some more experience and not look like such a n00b.

 

Ok, so to continue the story... got back from my Snowboarding trip and emailed Alex @ EvolveUSA a week and a half after that once I got settled back in with work. Didn't get any response back after over a week. I just called today, both the Evolve USA line which as usual, nobody answers... I also called Alex's direct line, just voice mail. I left a detailed message as well as an email so we'll see how much longer it takes to connect up. EVOLVE, *answer* your damn phones. This is plain old general customer service practice at step #1!

So I also ordered a backup remote, this will be my 3rd remote with this board. 1st one was replaced due to board/remote drop out issues, didn't solve the issue, board went in and had the motor controller replaced. Better but still messed up, drop outs. Well my replacement remote's USB connector popped off the PCB board. Its poorly supported, actually not supported at all so be careful and I'd epoxy it down. Will discuss this issue with Evolve. So I bought another remote brand new. Well I get that a couple of days ago. I did some bench testing with it and its very very BAD. I'm back to where I started with this board. When accelerating the board will accelerate, I let off the throttle and it will still be accelerating for 3 seconds then stop. There's many drop-outs occurring when accelerating too. I repaired it and still same issue.

Then today went to take the board out to ride to work, I couldn't go 100 feet. The board proved to be dangerous with this remote within the short distance. This SUCKS. I'd accelerate and then a huge drop-out where the board shuts down its power which throws you off forward, but then out of nowhere it begins to accelerate again. I aborted that trip and put the board and new remote back in the house. I can't ride it like that. Ended up getting my trusty Metroboard with the RF trigger remote that has experienced ZERO drop-outs and ZERO dangerous situations that it provoked unexpectedly. If Metroboard can do it why can't the others? Especially when a magazine rated the Evolve GT so highly, Is it a fun and exhilarating board? YES! Is it dangerous and unpredictable and inconsistent when riding due to the poor RF design between the remote and board. HELL YES! And I have a couple of Metrobioards that use RF, ZERO dropouts and all is safe there with both of them. What gives Evolve?

I still in no way have enough trust taking full responsibility to allow anyone other than me ride this thing. I honestly hate seeing people post pics of their dogs, girlfriend, and kids on the board. Knowing what I experience with this board at any given moment puts shivers up my spine about their safety. I just hope it doesn't act up on them as mine acts up dangerously with me.

So be careful if you buy a replacement remote, it may not work as you'd expect. My guess is that some radios in the remote are weaker or stronger than others. This honestly does not give me full or any confidence that a future replacement board / remote will fix the issues I've been seeing at all with interference I've consistently been experiencing with this board since November and the multiple fixes Evolve had suggested and performed.

I guess this is good that its acting up really bad, hopefully it gives Evolve's QA department something to really research, understand and hopefully fix.

So with that, here's a DIY board that rocks. Look Ma, no drop-outs:

 

Damn I wish I have read this thread before buying my CGT.
I have the board since 10 days and I had no power dropouts but the screen has frozen a couple of times.
I will avoid to ride in the city for the next 100 km... Let's see what happens

 

Well some don't have issues, I'm thinking they don't have an environment with the right frequency at the right time to jam it. So you might be alright with your board. However, some do have major issues and that's the crux.

But with anything new and especially when others have noted issues, just take caution when riding and be ready at any time for the power to the wheels to be cut out on you and be aware when coming up to intersections for that it it drops out you may not be able to activate regen, which is your braking.

What I don't like from Evolve is that they make sure if you buy buy buy, they keep very good contact with you as the customer if you move in the buy direction. I had FaceBook notifications in my face the entire time the remote was purchased and delivered. However if you have any type of issue, you don't get any contact. They honestly need to pay somebodies kid minimum wage to at least be there and answer the phone. Also have someone who promptly replies to emails. Why don't they have a customer service API that's so responsive and keeps them informed of all the defects and customer issues like they do with their buy path? Evolve needs to reverse this experience I just had with all the notifications of myself buying this remote, and have it alert them when issues have a concern with their product.

This is a fun board, but Evolve needs to really be concerned and address these ongoing connectivity issues and answer their phones. You can call and transfer to all their departments, sales, service and nobody answers.

 

The problem is that now I'm afraid not being in the conditions to fully ejoy the board anymore or maybe not in the near future

 

Email Evolve with how you feel, point them to this thread if you like. But honestly ALWAYS wear a helmet with this board. Any board really. But this one since its the most unpredictable one I've ever seen and I've owned 5 E-boards now.

If enough customers voice Evolve, they may begin fixing things with their flawed RF design and actually have someone answer their phones and promptly respond back to the customer during normal business hours.

 

You sure are cursed, what a journey so far you have had - had I experienced the same I too would like react in a similar way.

I have the knowledge and professional expertise to be aware of RF and electronics issues, and can also identify clear problems like the ones you describe.

The throttle remaining on for 3 seconds after releasing the trigger !!! thats crazy !! very serious issue and dangerous.

I have my board 3 months now - and my throttle and remote are excellent. Immediate response, reliable - and predictable. I take the same precautions as others here i.e. change gear without throttle and ensure correct gear selected before pressing throttle again. And perfect.

I realise I am lucky - but for a customer like yourself - who has a clear and demonstrable issue - with all the tests and experience to back it up. It is then unacceptable the response you have gotten from evolve

Stick with it - the minimum they should do is replace the entire board - apologise - and ensure through follow-ups that the issue is resolved and that you are happy.

This cannot be doing them any good - or their reputation - they should resolve it completely and turn you into a advocate of their customer service - i am sure you would acknowledge if they sorted out your clear reasonable understandable problem

 

...ok email thread started back up with Evolve, service and Brandon responded. Evidently there are people out sick and others left with their hands full, so understaffed I guess at the moment.

Looks like things are moving forward again.

 

Ohh, so in the video it appears you can build up a pretty sick board using parts from Trampa:

Trampa Boards Ltd, Mountainboard, Mountain Boards, Mountainboards, Kite board, Kiteboards, Kiteboarding, Landboard, Mountain Board, Mountain Boarding, Mountainboarding, Skate Boarding, Long Boarding, Kite Landboarding

You can build it with a dual drive and 136kv motors. Have to see what real world specs this will have once you do a quality build on it. Only thing I see bad is that you can't do an easy 2-in-1 switch over fast like the GT. Have to inquire them about that. Possibly they have an inexpensive quick fitting solution.

 

Yes feannorr what you said is all true. I've been trying to stay in the middle and report as resonable as I can. When I felt like it was resolved I did note that in this thread, but then it always seemed to be a false confidence and the board would eventually act up the week later.

I honestly want Evolve to come out on top with the customers on this. Nobody likes seeing someone else get hurt when all they're doing is trying to enjoy life to the fullest.

Lets hope that Evolve does due diligence in diagnosing my board especially when combined with this new remote, identify the root issue, address it and regress on every board produced after that it so it never pops up again in the future.

 

I have had my my CGT for over a month now; so far, so good. When I first got the board, I would ride with a wrist guard, elbow/knee pads, and a helmet. Now that my confidence has grown and I've grown accustomed to the board; I'm riding with just the helmet. Good luck with your endeavors/issues and keep us posted!

 

so sorry mate
luckily in germany we have good customer laws
you would get a new board here no matter what
my first board had a transport damage because the packing is a joke
where is the styropor?
after a few emails i had my new board

but this new has motor dropouts too
sometimes only one motor accelerates

 

Thanks. Sounds more like your motor controller acting up if one motor powers but not the other. I for sure would get on them to get that fixed ASAP. Good luck.

The more I look at the Trampa setup I'm really starting to lean towards a refund honestly since the new remote was odd for me. At least with the Trampa I can put a solid RF communication layer on it, one I'm using and have trusted completely with my MetroBoards. I then have the option to add my own battery capacity and size. And no voltage sags with the battery readings ore ECO drive drops at 20% but really 30-35% SOC if you let it sit. The Tampa goes 29mph with the dual 136kV motor setup, so I'm down for that. I can choose the flex of board I want and have full control over the power curves. Only thing is that the 2-in-1 setup won't be as easy since the offroad setup / drivetrain is a bit different than the street. But if I buy a whole new set of motors, mounts, trucks I can do a quick swap over by just swapping the trucks with the motor-mounts. I'll be at or under what the Carbon 2-in-1 GT would sell for. So it sounds very appealing to me.

 

Ok. So here's the end of all this. I'm doing the refund rather than exchange after talking to Alex from Evolve today. Having a new remote is either bad luck or just bad batches of parts. Having a board that was not operating as it should and buying a brand new remote that made the issue worse made me feel my chances to resolve all this RF interference rather diminishing. The hopes that an exchange will completely fix the problem is honestly low. It would be the same hardware and software that I currently have, so I did the pass. Would have loved to get back on another GT, but I think I need to cut out when I can and put the money into a custom build as I had mentioned so I can have full control of everything that's under my feet and can build it with quality components that have been proven though the DIY community.

Thanks for all who read, listened and contributed to this thread. I hope this thread absolutely helps others diagnose and successfully resolve any of their issues.

One thing I will say is that Alex @ EvolveUSA was great. He is a champion for us the customer and wants us to be happy. He truly understands that this board costs a pretty penny and that it should perform perfectly, that the expectation of the customer having the board working perfectly is 100% legitimate and he too would have the same expectation. From this, please, if you have any issues, do connect your distributor. And if it was the EvolveUSA distributor, please try to resolve the issue first through email/phone calls through Evolve Service. If that doesn't address your issue, contact Alex and explain the issues your having so he can try and resolve them so the board can meet your expectations.

So with that, Ride on and have fun!

 

Just had ANOTHER amazing ride with ABSOLUTELY NO PROBLEMS!!! I LOVE THIS BOARD!!!

I know, i know, I'm very fortunate.

Take advantage of everything this board offers and avoid the behaviors that are more risky:
- ride with a helmet
- check/maintain your equipment
- ride within your skill level (especially around large metal moving objects)
- don't shift gears (there's really very little reason to do so), and if you do, simply glance at the remote before hitting the throttle (just like in your car).
- release the throttle and coast to a stop if you lose connection while changing gears (especially when down shifting)
- RTFM!!!

seems to me that people fall into one of three categories:
1) those with board defects - small percentage of boards - most seem to get resolved successfully
2) Very, very satisfied riders who recognize limits and accept responsibility for their actions, and accept risk for new technology
3) People who describe doing crazy things (like hot shifting into GT at full throttle), or downshifting while moving (which is pretty damn unnecessary), and who complain about everything and blackmail the company into a refund.

I'm in the 2nd category. I think most people are, except those who get a defective board. and then they are.

 

Happy you're so pleased with your board and obviously butter up to the company. Yes you're very very fortunate. Most of all I'm happy you didn't get injured from an Evolve GT.

You are lucky enough to live in an area where you're not affected by RF interference, meaning you don't have a certain RF band and frequency as well as the correct amplitude to easily disconnect your communication between your board and remote. Or you have a board that has a radio both at the remote and board side, a good motor controller, and motors that don't fall off after a few days of ownership, motor bearings that don't sound like rocks in them after a few rides, etc, etc. they either did real QA on that day they built your board and / or put quality components into it that are a measured tolerance that doesn't equate to a defect. Ever here of W. Edwards Deming? Read up on this guy, he may teach you a think or two about quality defects, how to measure them, and how to ensure that every product you put out the door meets the customer's expectation and limits serious dangerous situations that can put peoples lives at risk. I honestly don't think you understand the term quality.

I'm still curious what you do and your background? Engineer? RF signal analyst? QA engineer? or sideline critic?

However in the consumer market, people like you have a very low expectation for what quality means and what a product should be, so that's how these things also get out the door. In an "Industrial" market these defects would have no tolerance whatsoever. Imagine if there was a "low" percentage of defects for an industrial machinery that builds cars, makes food, or works with molten hot metal? That lets say every 3% of the production runs a worker looses a limb, gets seriously injured, or dies. This isn't about "risk" of working around the machinery that you keep eluding too about the skateboarding market and the Evolve GT's many defects. Its about responsibility, ethics and morals of the company. Also the market, industrial, would not allow the company to survive and lawsuits would have been filed immediately due to indirect liability of the worker's company, even though they didn't have any part in the issue. But they still hold responsibility to some extent. The worker using the machine was the audience of the product and who should have been protected via a machine that should have had been shooting for a ZERO defect count. If there was a 3% defect in the machinery released, someone's not doing their job.

And what do you mean "blackmail" and who are you referring to, I'd like to know. But that type of talk is what I'd expect from a person who doesn't give a damn about people getting hurt from a defect that the could have avoided or at minimum remedied as soon as customers bought it up. Here it is April, 2017, and people are still getting hurt and complaining about the same quality issues I've been having since November 2016. And amazing how I can buy a brand new remote, and see that dramatically make the board unreadable and a complete danger. So there's a huge delta in the RF transmitter in that remote radio, which points to the fact they're probably not doing any bench testing for RF signal quality after the remote's been assembled. All Evolve does is do a turn on, pair, rev the motors, and if its on a board, ride it up and down the road a bit in an area that's basically free from RF contamination.

Don't worry, I've got my new build in the works for configuration. Twin 230kV motors with a battery capacity of 20 miles, that's 20 miles riding an average of 17mph. Top speed will be 36 mph. Not that I have a need to go that fast. And I'm building it with the same 2.4 Ghz RC remote that's been proven and I run in my two MetroBoards that have ZERO dropouts. How about that one right. Its going to be a 2-in-1 board and will be build complete with 2 heavy duty VESC controllers with sensors to the motors and full heat sinks. I've been teaming up with other veteran riders, engineers, and passionate intelligent riders in the DIY E-Board community to make sure I build one of the best boards out there where I have full control of everything, the power curve, the braking, the RF communication layer, the battery, the range, the BMS, etc. But I think I may have lost you there anticrisis. These veteran riders have also owned Evolve Carbon GTs, have also experienced serious defects with the board that resulted in dangerous situations due to dropouts. They also fought the same fight I did, but had to get lawyers involved to get their money refunded back for a clearly defective product. That's crappy customer service if you have to go through all that with any company. Period.

For the next person who comes across defects with your GT, especially if it endangers you. Document document document. Email, forums, times called, record times phones not answered. Do try to resolve the issue as I did. If it does not meet your expectations and they become cold / screen calls, and your issue has not been resolved to your satisfaction, please consult a lawyer. Have you're lawyer write them a letter. Your documentation will help support your case if you need to take it down that path. Also contact other riders who've documented the issues and supply that as evidence. And hopefully Evolve will listen. Truth is companies don't change unless it hurts them financially. When you get lawyers involved, that's a threat to the company financially. That's NOT "blackmail", that's called consumer rights.

 

1) Speaking directly to you, Wiztecy!

2) blah, blah, blah - do you ever stop?
3) I followed your initial post and was impressed by your knowledge on the site. I was also unfortunately sucked into reading your incessant complaints while your motives became increasingly obvious ==> blackmail.

SAD!

 

Again, the guy who never puts any of his background or current experience that gives him any idea, not even a smidgen, about any of the technology he's riding on. Your side of the conversation has zero reasoned analysis but rather show signs of avoidance and sneer.



I won't ask your age nor comment on it, but it sounds like you have a interest with technology until it goes over your head or you can't relate nor understand. Then you have to use low blows of attacks due to your incompetence of the subject matter.

But you're what people call 'trolls' You follow people but don't contribute anything that helps others to grow in learning nor do you have any compassion for others who have had unfortunate experiences or consequences of a defective product. This is termed "Living in a Bubble". But this is my last response to you, its honestly counter productive to any good person and basically mimics the same attitude that some customers and myself have had with Evolve in getting a their issues resolved properly.

Again, to people out there who have any issue with their GT. Don't give up. This board costs people around $2k, so unless you are a spoiled and entitled trust fund kid, you really had to work hard for that money so indeed you should fight for it.

For those who want to buy a new GT today, Evolve did NO changes in the software or hardware to address problems that are well-known. I can say to this day, March 29, 2017 that the GTs produced today are the same exact configuration, software/firmware, hardware as the one I bought that exhibits issues I purchased back in November 2016. Its basically playing Russian roulette. You may get a board that works, doesn't have mechanical issues, electrical issues with the battery, BMS issues, bearing issues, and RF issues. But you very much can end up with one, two, or a few. So out of a six shooter, lets take one chamber for the bullet, this represents the defects that were let loose (which people say are a small percentage) and leave the other 5 chambers empty for the boards that don't have any issues. So let me ask you, do you feel lucky if you spun the chamber and pulled the trigger?

And for those who want to learn more about proper quality control and the person in history who revolutionized what "quality" is. He is such an important person that this person was named "The Father of Quality", Dr. W. Edwards Deming:

W. Edwards Deming - Wikipedia

 

don't feed the trolls dude, you'll never please them. It sucks that you had issues, but I am happy you finally got a response from them, even if it was to get a full refund . I've had issues so i feel your pain, all we want is good quality working boards.

 

Is interesting reading this after having problems with mine and Evolve charging me for a new MC. Apparently I shouldn't have taken it apart but if I didn't I wouldn't have been privvy to what was wrong....



Will be ordering a new one soon, managed to get it at 1/2 price but if I continue to have problems I'm going to sell the board as I've already spent £200 on issues. With mine the left hand motor refused to work, prior to that the battery was lasting some 40mins before asking for a recharge the readings were also too wild to be accurate.