The smooth ergonomic ride of the Apollo City won out with its 600w motor, massive top speed, and truly powerful electric torque response. Paired with a 24-month warranty and a quick, smooth ride, you really feel confident venturing out on any trip. Channel your inner street racer with deck lights and the often overlooked fore and aft lights. Not only can you see where you're going, but you'll also be seen by everyone with whom you share the street.
Most folks put a lot of weight on the range metric and the Apollo City shines with a chart-topping 23 measured effective miles. Of course, you can likely reach, or get closer to, the manufacturer's claimed 28 miles with eco-conscious settings and optimal riding conditions. We found 8.5 hours, with the included standard charger, as the total real-time for a full recharge to be on the higher side. However, given this scooter's long-range, the Apollo more than makes up for it.
The manual conservatively claims a range of 22 miles from the 48V 13.2aH (633.6 Wh) Dynavolt lithium-ion cells. Our real-world testing found a range of just over 23 miles. Of course, variables like hills, rider weight, and surface conditions can affect a scooter's range, but the Apollo was one of the best in our standardized range testing. All things considered, we found it to have enough juice to complete any adventure thrown its way.
For charge time, we found it took 8.5 hours for a full charge from zero (uncommon to drain it to zero). This might seem long, but you're rarely charging from zero as the Apollo's longer range allows less frequent charging intervals. It also stands to reason that the larger 634 Wh battery capacity simply takes longer to charge than smaller batteries found on other models. You also have the option to purchase a quick charger for an additional cost to reduce the charge time to a mere 4 hours if you foresee frequent longer trips in your future.
We rode at top speeds and took the hills with our Apollo City during testing to find how it tackled the steep grades. We were pleasantly surprised by its powerful performance while smoothly accelerating and holding very respectable speeds up hills.
With an impressive measured maximum speed of 22.5 mph, the Apollo City is the fastest and most powerful electric scooter we tested. This is thanks to its robust 600W motor (800W peak), the biggest in the test. It also handles inclines well, cruising up our steep test hill, only slowing to a still respectable 7 - 8 mph. We feel this is pretty impressive compared to some other units which couldn't even complete the test and others that slowed down to around 4 or 5 mph, a speed where balance becomes a challenge.
The Apollo received top marks in this category and anyone who sees hills on their horizon would be a good fit for this rig. Even if you're not encountering hills for your errands, consider the added power a bonus for easily maintaining flow through traffic.
The majority of our scooter tests have provided reasonably comfortable rides, but we all found ourselves riding washboards or disappearing into potholes. The Apollo, however, feels well-suited for whatever you throw at it. Combining dual rear springs with the front spring suspension, you're set up to float over cracks, bumps, and the occasional small drop. Riders who experience joint or back problems and find other scooters to feel too harsh may find the Apollo to be the comfortable ride they are looking for.
The 10" air-filled tires absorb the small bumps, and the spring suspension soaks up everything else. All testers were happy with how smooth the ride was, noting even at high speeds that you feel planted and secure. We found it so comfortable in comparison, we had to rework our scoring chart to accommodate the difference. Take to the sidewalks and streets knowing you're going to glide over even the toughest of surfaces.
The transportation systems in cities constantly change, and the Apollo City adapts well and allows for a variety of mixed transit options. Carrying your scooter or slipping onto a train for a portion of your trip may be required, so we tested how easily it can be carried.
While this scooter's folding mechanism feels sturdy and collapses well, at 42.8 lbs we found it to be a little heavy for longer carries. However, when secured in its folded form, you can load it up or maneuver it into tight spots quickly.
Finding the lever to unlatch from the folded position and figuring out these systems, in general, can be less than intuitive. However, once collapsed, you're able to grab the oval bar and lift it onto a bus or into a car for convenient transitions. Due to its heavier weight, however, the Apollo City wouldn't be our first choice if you frequently need to carry it a great distance or up lots of stairs.
To round out the confidence on your commute, the Apollo is equipped to slow down and stop quickly. The key to moving fast through urban or other environments is often determined by how well-honed your braking skills are. For all the scooters tested, we checked how quickly they came to a stop after the initial squeeze. Not surprisingly, Apollo City received high marks here, too.
With disc brakes up front and the combo of a low-maintenance drum and regenerative brake in the rear, you're ready to keep the speeds in check. Overall, a comfortable ride and reactive suspension is a notable benefit here, rounded out by responsive tuned springs.
While the regenerative brake was slow to activate, we felt safer with the triple redundancy of the stopping power. One note about the regenerative brake - you're able to adjust it in the system settings, allowing you to configure and set it exactly how you'd prefer.
If you want to geek out on settings and customize your ride to fit your environment, this is the choice for you. We recommend searching for the video walkthroughs on using the settings and adjusting the controls. If you don't want to fiddle, though, the defaults are set well, as is.
There's no denying the fact that this scooter is a bit spendy. In fact, the Apollo is the most expensive electric scooter in this review. Fortunately, the high cost of admission buys you top-of-the-line performance that earned this model our highest regard. No, this scooter isn't cheap, but we feel you get what you pay for with the Apollo City.
