Meepo V4 (Shuffle) Review – the new budget king?

Meepo states clearly on their Shuffle V4 page that this board is “The Electric Skateboard That Everyone Should Own”. The Meepo V3 is one of the most prolific electric skateboards on the market today, and the Shuffle V4 is advertised as the culmination of everything learned from Meepo’s most popular products. The V4 has dual 4th generation 620 Watt hub motors powered by either the 144 Wh standard or 302 Wh extended range (ER) battery, both of which can charge to full in under one hour. While the 11 mile/ 20 mile respective ranges on these battery’s are not setting any distance records, the 28/ 58 min charge times do change the math on the range.

Meepo Shuffle V4 battery

The V4 also brings the top speed of Meepo’s flagship offering up to 29mph, enabling the rider to make quick sprints over a wider variety of elevations than most other hub boards. The Shuffle is able to climb over a 30% incline, which will enable many riders to traverse their local roads and paths with ease. A refreshed design on both the board and the remote set this board apart from Meepo’s other boards and the competition, and it’s nice to see the board treated as a truly new iteration of their flagship line.

Pros and Cons

ProsCons
Strong motors for the priceNot very comfortable to carry
Push-Off Auto-StartConcave made feet ache after 1h of riding
High polish for budget boardNot the biggest battery for the price
Great fast charger available
Smaller turning radius
ER battery cells are top notch
Smooth controls

The Ride

The V4 offers smooth, strong acceleration offered by the new 620w hub motors. These are a full 20% more powerful than the competition’s 400-540w offerings. That said, the acceleration is still not remarkable when ranked against all other board types. The board does tackle hills better than mot hub boards and has offered great high-speed stability, avoiding speed wobbles in excess of 25mph.

Meepo Shuffle V4

Accelerating and Braking

Both acceleration and braking on the Meepo V4 are smooth and predictable, instilling confidence in the rider. As this board has a relatively low top speed, you’ll reach this peak fairly quickly and then have to resort to carving and terrain for excitement! That said, the system performs well at all speeds and is reactive to rider input. The LY-FOC 1.0 ESC allegedly samples input from both the motor and remote 1,000 times per second to provide a smooth experience that they say is “much more beginner-friendly”.

Meepo Shuffle V4

Top Speed

The V4 has an advertised top speed of 29mph, but our rider didn’t manage to exceed 25mph in his testing. The acceleration to this top speed is smooth if modest, and there are no wobbles. This is a comfortable acceleration and top speed for beginners, especially since it’s so predictable.

Meepo Shuffle V4

Range

The standard version of the V4 advertises an 11 mile range, and our rider (Daniel, 155 lbs) was able to get nearly that – 10.69 miles. The ER version claims it can go another 9 miles to reach 20, not what you’d generally consider “extended range”. However, these boards are capable of very fast charging, 28/58 minutes respectively. This makes the proposition of charging the board at your destination so you can ride it back much more feasible.

Meepo Shuffle V4 wheels

Weight and Portabtily

The new design does not feature a carry handle, a feature sorely missed on this 17lb+ skateboard. Fortunately, the shorter wheelbase lends itself to balancing, and overall it’s not the worst carrying experience. As always, the ride is better than the haul, so don’t forget your charger!

Meepo Shuffle V4

Build Quality

The build quality of the V4 is quite nice, with solid assembly a professional polish that shows from Meepo’s years of experience. The power button is of a higher quality than the competition’s, and the battery charge indicator lights are a feature rarely seen on any electric skateboard. The new deck is dark, with auburn arches swooping over the top and bottom sides. Meepo has been making lots of boards for a relatively long time…they’ve gotten good at tying things up.

Meepo Shuffle V4 ESC closing

Deck

The deck’s design itself may or may not appeal to you, but as far as the build, it’s quite stiff. Our rider enjoys this, although the concave had his feet feeling sore after an hour – a problem he’d likely surpass as he got used to it. The deep concave allows for a large area to push against, allowing you to really tighten your turning radius. The wheelbase is short, enabling sharp carves and easier carrying.

Meepo Shuffle V4 concave deck

Battery

The V4’s standard battery does not impress. Weighing in at 144Wh, it’s underrated in it’s class – competitor WowGo has 224Wh in it’s rival board. Although the V4 standard claims it can carry a rider 11 miles, we didn’t get that far. This battery will charge in just under 30 minutes (with the fast charger), but even so we think the ER is the right move if you’re considering a V4.

The V4 ER configuration adds a bit of heft with the new Molicel P42A cells, which are considered the best on the market right now. This extra weight brings the battery to 302.4Wh for 20 miles advertised range. While this is still an unremarkable distance for a flagship board, the recharge time of 58 minutes (with fast charger) to 100% makes this a contender. It’s completely reasonable to ride this to work or over to a friend’s if you know you can charge when you get there!

Meepo Shuffle V4 battey enclosure
Meepo Shuffle V4 charging port

Trucks and Bushings

The trucks on the V4 are actually quite nice, made with A356.2 aluminum alloy. Meepo has come a long way over the years in terms of the details, using better hardware overall. That said, the bushings are just fine, but this is something even higher end manufacturer’s overlook. Head on over to RipTide, they’ll set you up right.

Meepo Shuffle V4 shredder trucks
Meepo Shuffle V4 drive train

Wheels and Options

The wheels are fine, not fancy. The hub motor look is very generic, it would be nice to get some more creative energy flowing to this area. The wheel’s are standard 90mm with a durometer of 72A on the front and 82A on the back, presumably to provide better control while carving while allowing for some slide.

Meepo Shuffle V4 wheels
Meepo Shuffle V4 hub motor

Waterproofing

This board seems pretty waterproof, but keep it dry. Manufacturer’s may make efforts to waterproof your board, but they don’t cover water damage.  

Shipping Time

Fast Shipping in the USA. Starts from 5th of October.

meepo shuffle v4 shipping

Customer Service

Meepo has earned a good reputation by providing great customer service since the beginning. Even when they are backed up and super busy, they will eventually get back to you with a solution. They offer a 6 month warranty on the V4, and customer service is very helpful.

Price and competitors

Model

Meepo V4

WowGo 2S Pro

Backfire G2

Image

Price

$ 469

$ 429

$ 429

Battery Size

144 Wh

224 Wh

180 Wh

Range (real

11 miles (18 km)

12 miles (20 km)

10 miles (16 km)

Top Speed

29 mph (46 km/h)

25 mph (41 km/h)

24 mph (38 km/h)

Motors

2 x 620 Watt 

2 x 500 Watt 

2 x 400 Watt 

Weight

17 lbs (7.8 kg)

18 lbs (8.2 kg)

14.5 lbs (6.5 kg)

Max Load

330 lbs (150 kg)

264 lbs (120 kg)

260 lbs (118 kg)

Recharge Time

3.5 hours

2.5 hours

3.5 hours

Warranty

6 months

6 months

6 months

Wheel Sizes (Stock)

90 mm

90 mm

96 mm

Recommended Upgrades

Since these battery options are small, we recommend taking advantage of the fast charging capabilities with the 8 Amp Fast Charger. This refuels the battery at just under 2 miles per 5 minutes…the standard will be fully charged in 30 minutes, the ER in one hour. The bushings could also use an upgrade, and this writer always trusts RipTide to provide the right set.

Closing Thoughts

This is an excellent beginner board, and we recommend it for this purpose. It offers predictable control, smooth braking and acceleration, and fast charging. This board is ideal for the entry-level or part time user, with a top speed that offers a taste of speed. What sets this board apart from the WowGo 3 and Backfire’s G2 Black are the larger motors and the faster charging. These three boards all have 11 mile range on the base model, but the Meepo is recharged in under 30 minutes (with the fast charger) while the other two require a minimum of 2.5 hours! The Meepo also boasts larger motors – 620w each – lending to a solid 25mph real world speed, 29 advertised. With adequate hill climbing ability, the V4 makes itself useful and is a fun ride for under $500.

Meepo Shuffle V4

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