Key Specs
Motor: 600W | Speed: 25 mph |
Battery: 634 Wh | Range: 28 miles |
Capacity: 265 lbs | Weight: 39 lbs |
Waterproof: IP54 | Incline: 15° |
Tire Size: 8.5″ | Position: Affordable |
Pros vs Cons
Pros | Cons |
---|---|
Long-distance riding | Small-sized tires for low clearance |
Premium appearance | Lack power in its price range |
Great water-resistance performance | |
Great for big guys |
Apollo City Scooter Review
If you’re looking for a price-appropriate scooter that is more powerful than the most common options on the market, Apollo City is the one you should consider.
As with any affordable electric scooter, Apollo City has a few impressive features: powerful enough to climb any hills, fast enough to get your position in a short time, further enough to go where you want to, lightweight enough for carrying around, compact enough to store under your desk or in the car trunk.
Most of all, you don’t need to break the bank. It costs under $1000, far less than those premium models priced over $2000, especially if just want to get a scooter for daily commuters.
Power Performance – Impressively Great
Motor and Speed
Of a scooter, the motor is one of the two parts that take the lion’s share of the power performance and the burden of the riding experience. The other is the battery that we’ll talk about later.
Featuring a brushless 600W motor that will roar to an 800W output power at peak, the Apollo City is absolutely worth its price. Thanks to its high-efficiency motor, the scooter reaches a top speed of 25 miles per hour, which ranks it in the middle of high-speed electric scooters. The manufacturer takes the street-legal speed into consideration when designing the Apollo City scooter as a commuting tool, as most cities have laws restricting the scooters’ riding speed.
Apollo City provides three riding modes: Gear 1 is restricted to 15 mph maximum speed, which is suitable for commuting in the city. And it takes only 4.1 seconds to accelerate to 15 mph in the zero start mode. The Gear 2 and 3 are suitable for trail riding, reaching a top speed of 22 mph and 25+ mph separately.
Climbing Hills
The 600W motor is not very powerful, at least not the most powerful on our tested scooters’ list. But you’ll be impressed by Apollo City’s ability to climb hills or handle potholes. It is capable of a 15-degree incline, letting you go uphill in most hilly cities in the US.
Not performed well as the premium models like the Ghost and Pro, which are able to climb 25-degree and 40-degree hills, but still good anyway at its price.
Battery and Range
Thanks to the 634Wh massive battery, Apollo City will go up to 28-mile far distance on a single charge. This is the furthest distance the manufacturer boasts of. The actual riding distance may vary amid the riders’ weight, the roads environments, and the power output during the riding.
For example, Allen weighs about 170 pounds and he uses the scooter for commuting about 10 miles every day on smooth city roads, the Apollo City will support three-day commutes before the battery burns out. But a heavier weighted adult up to 250 pounds will have a shorter range less than 28 miles.
Even not reaching the advertised range, the Apollo City is still a good choice for commuters who prefer riding overcharging. Its long maximum range allows several days’ commutes without charging it every day. Obviously, this saves you time on charging but provides more joy on riding.
Ride Performance – Comfortably on City Roads
Tire
As the manufacturer’s intention, the Apollo City is designed for urban riding on flat and smooth roads. It’s not surprising that this scooter has two common 8.5-inch air-filled pneumatic tires.
We’re not complaining that 8.5-inch tires are not small, but the City is one of the entry-level Apollo scooters that come with 8.5-inch wheels. The other is the Apollo Light, which is also priced under $1000, other Apollo premium models with a higher price over $1000 have bigger 10-inch wheels.
But don’t underestimate the small tires, they are also capable of various terrains: streets, bike lanes, sidewalks, trails, with ease.
Suspension
Actually, this 8.5-inch tire size is good enough for city cruising, even on slightly bumpy roads. The suspension also contributes to a comfortable riding experience. With spring suspension in the front and dual spring suspension in the rear, you won’t feel any uncomfort over bumpy roads and potholes. In addition, the 8.5 inch pneumatic (air-filled) tire in the front will further absorb shocks making your ride buttery-smooth.
Brake
Apollo City offers a fast top speed to travel. So the efficient stop power is required, especially if you encounter any emergency. Thanks to the dual braking system, the City scooter supports an average safe braking distance of 3.08 meters.
The City has the main drum braking system located in the rear wheel while uses the front disc brake as a back-up. This combination is okay to provide the Apollo City scooter stopping power for its performance. But you should know that, the major braking on the front wheel may be more powerful and efficient than major braking on the rear wheel.
Luckily, the front disc brake is the best and safest type of electric scooter brake. It will provide strong braking power in both wet and dry conditions.
Build – Very Simple and Modern
Design
Personally, we like the Apollo scooters, not just the City model, other options like the Ghost and Pro are also good scooters to consider if you don’t have a tight budget. Have a tight budget? Check these cheap electric scooters.
The Apollo scooters look premium, obviously at their appearance, with a classic kick-style design.
Featuring two parts on the stem which is adjustable for folding, the second half near the deck is wider and heavier, this heavier-bottom-lighter-top design offers good stability for riders on the scooter.
Curved joint between the stem and deck provides more space for the Apollo City scooter to locate a large fender on the front.
Texture deck delivers more friction so that the riders could stand up steadily on the scooter for great balance.
You’ll see the headlights above the front fender, which is very close to the wheel to avoid the mud and water stains splashed out. This ’s a thoughtful design, but you should pay attention to the blockage situations of too much mud in the gap between the deck and wheel.
Lights
Apollo City scooter is equipped with strong LED lights in the front, rear, and under the deck to ensure you ride safely at all times. The bright lights are required if you need to travel at night, and this is inevitable for city commutes from office to home.
Not like the Segway Ninebot MAX with the headlights on the top of the stem – near to the handlebar, the Apollo City has the two shinings LED headlights on the stem’s bottom, just on the fender. We just worry that if any splashes or dirty things cover the surface of the headlights, you’ll lose a clear view of the roads on your front, especially if you ride it on wet roads or in the light rain. The water splashes are not avoidable.
Waterproof
The manufacturer boasts that all the Apollo scooters feature IP54 waterproofing, meaning that you can ride the City on the wet roads, but not allowed to ride in the rain or through puddles. However, all the scooter companies do not ensure water damages for their scooters, you’ll find the warranty of major parts won’t cover the water damage, even the Apollo boasts of its world-class customer service.
Weight Limit
Apollo takes the big guys into consideration, almost every Apollo scooter has a high weight limit for slightly heavier riders. The Apollo City and Explore have a maximum load capacity of 265 pounds, good enough for 250 lbs adults; the Ghost and Pro feature a weight limit of 300 pounds and 330 pounds separately, excellent performance for 300 lbs heavy riders.
Portability
More than most scooters featuring a folding stem, the Apollo City scooter also has a foldable handlebar, allowing it to take less space for storage and carrying around.
The Apollo City is not a lightweight electric scooter as Xiaomi M365, but still within the one-hand-carrying weight range – 39 lbs, making it more portable than its premium models like the Explore (of 52 lbs), Ghost (of 64 lbs), and Pro (of 77 lbs).
With folded dimensions of 41.3 IN x 7.7 IN x 13.9 IN (105 CM x 19.5 CM x 35.4 CM), the City is very compact to store under your desk, in your car trunk, or apartment.
Specs
- Motor: 600W brushless motor with an 800W peak power output
- Battery: 634 Wh
- Charging time: 6-8 hours
- Distance: Approx. 28 miles
- Dimensions: 41.3 x 7.7 x 13.9 in (105 x 19.5 x 35.4 cm) in Folded; 44 x 7.7 x 42 in unfold
- Weight: Approx. 39 lbs (18 kg)
- Tire Size: 8.5-inch Pneumatic
- Color: Black
- Top Speed: 25 mph
- Max Incline: Approx. 15°
- Applicable terrains: streets, bike lanes, sidewalks, trails
- IP Rating: IP54 Water-Resistant
- Recommended age: 18 to 60 years old
- Max load: 120kg/ 265 pounds
- Brakes: Dual braking system (Front: disc brake and Rear: drum brake)
Alternatives
Apollo City scooter is an affordable option with a few excellent features, long range, sturdy stem, folding handlebars, IP rated 54, bright and colorful LED lights, and great customer service.
However, scootering is very personal and you might also want to know some options that can provide better performance or cheaper price.
- Segway Ninebot MAX is a cheaper option with a longer riding distance. It’s also a good commuting scooter.
- Emove Cruiser supports a higher weight limit of 352 pounds, but it’s a bit pricier.
- Swagtron Swagger 5 City is a very budget scooter with 320-pound maximum capacity, but it lacks powerful performance in speed and range.
E-scooter | Price | Motor | Speed | Battery | Range | Charging | Weight | Capacity | Tire Size | Waterproof | Incline | Seat |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Apollo City | $999 | 600W | 25 mph | 634 Wh | 28 mi. | 6 hours | 39 lb. | 265 lb. | 8.5” | IP54 | 15° | No |
Emove Cruiser | $1399 | 600W | 25 mph | 1560 Wh | 62 mi. | 9-12 hours | 52 lb. | 352 lb. | 10” | IPX6 | 20° | Yes |
Segway MAX | $799 | 350W | 18.6 mph | 551 Wh | 40 mi. | 7 hours | 42 lb. | 220 lb. | 10” | IPX5 | 20% | Yes |
Swagger 5 City | $300 | 250W | 18 mph | 36V | 11 mi. | 3.5 hours | 27 lb. | 320 lb. | 8.5” | – | – | – |