Someone mentioned already that trains do that, but that would require a heating element, maybe a fan, and of course the chance of melting things, or catching stuff on fire if not designed properly.
Talking from a position of extreme ignorance here, but assuming they've got some genre of H-Bridge in their brushless DC driver they should be able to pulse the motor in reverse to support braking. (also making assumptions as to how the regen braking is hooked up here...)
They could switch to brakes that drain energy. That's a lot more work I'm sure, and maybe they needed an MVP. But for version 2 I'd think they'd make it a priority.
I think this board is really cool but until they fix this I'm not in the market.
I've got 500 miles on my board and it has never been a problem, just something to be aware of. Adding mechanical brakes would involve one or two servos, two sets of brake disks and pads, and a few dozen more parts. That's a lot of hardware for a problem that few experience so it will likely never happen.
I've been seriously considering buying one, but can't decide if the brakes cutting out will be a problem.
I live at the top of a steep hill, so it sounds like I wouldn't be able to leave my house on a full charge. Maybe I could just do a bit of trial and error to figure out how much "room" I need for the downhill?
The main issue with this style of brake is dissipating the huge amount of energy generated from a person riding down a long steep grade, in braking components that need to remain small and lightweight.
There is a clear warning. The board will start beeping like a m'fer. I live in Seattle and there are lots of hills that I go down. I usually make sure to charge the board to 90% instead of 100%. I agree that the brakes could be better - having the motor brake instead of an actual disc brake does sometimes cause a bad side-turning skid, but it's nothing that can't be dealt with diligently by knowing how to ride. I've never fell off due to the brakes.
True, but soft rubber shoe soles aren't exactly the most sustainable replacement for brake lining. Source: I've ruined several pairs of shoes this way.