Apollo Air 2023: A review of Apollo’s least expensive model
Let’s dive right in – I love Apollo electric scooters. The Apollo Air 2023 model is no exception. It’s an awesome scooter and the only scooter “casual” class scooter model that Apollo electric scooters offer. This “casual” class puts Apollo Air head-to-head with other mainstream scooter companies like Segway and GoTrax. We’ll get into that a bit later.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
TOP SPEED
RANGE
WEIGHT
The stats on this scooter are impressive. The top speed reaches 21 mph while providing 31 miles of the overall range. It’s a bit heavier than other scooters in its class at 38.5 lbs, but the build quality and features more than makeup for it in my mind.
Apollo Scooters – An Overview
Apollo is based in Montreal, Canada and started out as a scooter distributor. According to their website, after seeing poorly made scooters they recognized an opportunity to build something incredible.
They built their first proprietary electric scooter, the Apollo Phantom. The Phantom features a super high-quality build, beefy brakes, a big deck, tires and suspension and at the time stood alone in the high-end scooter marketplace. It’s no wonder they sold out the available units in 48 hours upon launch!
With 80% of commuter trips under 7 miles, Apollo wants to displace cars as the go-to mode of travel with their revolutionary electric scooters. We’re excited to see them continue to evolve and begin to introduce new electric scooter models like the Apollo Air.
Who Should Buy the Apollo Air Electric Scooter?
If you are looking for a high-quality ride, the Apollo electric scooter does a great job. The Apollo Air is built for someone who doesn’t want to pay for the professional grade scooter models but also doesn’t want a cheap electric scooter that will break. If you value speed, just enough range, value for your money, build quality and a Bluetooth app, this is a great scooter choice.
Features of the Apollo Air
Price
I figured it’s important to list the price range first because if you’re on a ramen noodle budget, then the Apollo Air isn’t for you. It’s definitely not a cheap electric scooter. However, you get a ton of bang for your buck because of the high-quality construction and benefits like long range and nice max speed.
If you could see, touch and feel this scooter, the price of the Apollo Air lands about where you’d expect.
The MSRP is $1,199 but most times you can get this scooter under $1,000 which is where its competitors land.
The Ninebot Max is the same price while the GoTrax Gmax Ultra is about $50 cheaper than both.
Deck
This Apollo scooter has a nice wide deck. The surface has a diamond pattern non-slip surface which is perfect if your shoes are a bit wet or you’re riding in a light drizzle. Under the deck, there is a kickstand so you don’t have to lay the scooter down on the ground when it’s not in use.
Electric Motor and Rated Power
Let’s talk about power and what this scooter is rated for. The Apollo Air has 500w motor-rated power. If you take a look at the Segway Ninebot Max and the Gmax Ultra, both of those scooters have a 350w motor.
I’d prefer to have a scooter that has a larger motor. More watt power means the motor (when geared properly) has to work less hard. While I don’t have any test results to support my assertion, I would imagine a 500w motor would last longer if it doesn’t have to work as hard to output the same speed as the Ninebot Max or Gmax Ultra.
Handlebars / Information Center / Tech Stack
The tech stack is one area where I think Apollo Air could be improved against its competitors. However, this could just be a personal preference. While comparable to the Segway Max, the LED screen on the Apollo Air is much smaller than that of the GoTrax Gmax Ultra.
I think having a nice big display with a ton of features is better. However, with that caveat, I will say that, unlike all GoTrax scooters, the Ninebot Max and the Apollo Air both have Bluetooth apps that you can connect to the scooter.
Apollo Scooter Bluetooth App
I think having a Bluetooth app is essential in the electric scooter marketplace. It’s great that Apollo has one. The Apollo app will allow you to see your speed, what percentage charge your scooter is at and directions. You also have the ability to change between the three different riding modes and to toggle cruise control on and off.
Personally, I like the Apollo app better than the Segway App because of the design and layout. This is really just personal preference.
One final note. If you’re considering the Gmax Ultra, it really drives me nuts that GoTrax doesn’t have a bluetooth app that pairs with their scooters. A bigger LED screen is nice to have but if I’m going to be spending this kind of money on a scooter, it should have an app. Most high-quality scooter brands have a Bluetooth app, and GoTrax should too. Ok, I’ll hop off my soap box now!
Tires
Tires on a scooter are so key to the quality of the ride and overall range. Personally, I think having air-filled or pneumatic tires is the only way to go with an electric scooter. The Apollo Air, thankfully, has two, pneumatic tires.
Both the front and rear are 10 inches, unlike a lot of other scooters that are out there. Why does it matter that they are both the same size? It doesn’t really, except…. I like to keep spare parts on hand.
If I have two 10-inch pneumatic tires, then I only need to stock one spare tire that is 10 inches. If my scooter had two different-sized tires, then you would need to have two different spares! But, that’s just my opinion and preference.
Suspension
This is another area where Apollo Air shines amongst its competitors. It has a front fork suspension system which, when coupled with pneumatic tires, makes for a smooth ride. The Gmax Ultra nor the Segway Max have suspension.
Braking
The Apollo air has a front drum brake and a regenerative brake in the rear. While it stops relatively quickly, there is little substitute for a disc brake. Want even more stopping power, scooters with hydraulic disc brakes stop your scooter super quick. I think the drum and regen brake work just fine on this model since it’s not hitting speeds over 25mph.
Maximum Rider Weight
The maximum rider weight on the Apollo Air is 220lbs. For those of you keeping score at home, this one is a tie between all three scooters – the Segway Max, Gmax Ultra and the Apollo Air. Each scooter has the same maximum scooter payload of 220lbs.
Riding Modes of the Apollo Air
Like many scooters in the same class, the Apollo Air offers three different riding modes. There are a number of reasons to have different riding modes.
There’s gear 1 which is the 9 mph max speed riding mode which is perfect for kids.
Then, there’s gear 2 which is the 12.5 mph riding mode. I’d use this to conserve overall range if I was using this as a commuter scooter.
Then, there’s gear 3 which is the 21 mph riding mode which provides maximum speed. To be honest, I’d be using the fastest riding mode most of the time because I don’t need a huge range and speed is something I love!
Maximum Speed of the Apollo Air
The max speed of the Apollo Air is 21 mph. In my opinion, this is a perfect speed. And, when stacking it up against its competitors, Apollo Air is faster.
The GoTrax Gmax Ultra has a top speed of 20 mph. The Segway has a max speed of 18.6 mph.
It sounds silly, but speed is probably my number one consideration when thinking about buying an electric scooter.
Overall Range on a Single Charge
The Apollo Air features an impressive overall range of 31 miles. It’s not the longest-distance electric scooter on the market. However, most daily trips people take are 7 miles long so Apollo Air provides plenty of range.
If you’re stacking it up against its competitors, it has less overall range. The Segway Ninebot Max G30LP has an overall range of 40.4 miles on a single charge. When looking at the GoTrax Gmax Ultra, it has an overall range of 45 miles.
What I will say is that what the Apollo Air lacks in range as compared to the other two scooters, it makes up for in build quality. The Segway and GoTrax, in my mind, are more “mass market” scooters whereas the Apollo Air is a hand-crafted machine.
Max Incline
The Air by Apollo can withstand inclines of 10 degrees. This is probably the only place I feel the Apollo is weaker than the Ninebot Max and GoTrax Gmax Ultra. The Segway is double the max incline at 20%, for instance.
Water Resistance
Water shouldn’t be a problem if you buy Apollo Air. It’s got an IP56 rating. This means it is protected against dust ingress and harmful deposits. It also means it’s protected against strong jets of water.
Want to learn more about water ratings? Check out this excellent article.
Portability & Weight
Apollo Air is lighter than its other two competitors. It weighs in at 38.5 lbs. However, in my opinion, has a better build quality than the other two. The Segway Max GP30 weighs just over 41 lbs. The GoTrax Gmax Ultra is a chunky boy at over 46 lbs!
How long does it take to charge Apollo Air?
Overall, the Apollo air takes approximately 5-7 hours to charge the 5000 mAh battery structure. For comparison, the GoTrax Gmax Ultra takes about the same time and the Segway GP30 takes 6 hours. They’re all about the same here.
Warranty
Pretty standard warranty here. They, along with Segway and GoTrax offer a 12-month limited warranty. Mostly, this covers manufacturers’ defects.
Safety Features
Brakes and a wide deck are about all of the safety features that are on the Apollo air. This is what competitors have too. Pretty standard stuff. Except…the Gmax Ultra does have a combination lock on the stem. While a lock isn’t necessarily a safety item for the rider, it does prevent theft! The Apollo air does not have a locking mechanism except for within the app.
OTHER SCOOTERS TO CONSIDER
SPECIFICATION, COMPARISONS, and REVIEWS
| MODELS | TOP SPEED | RANGE | WEIGHT |
|---|---|---|---|
| GoTrax Apex | 15.5 mph | 15 mi | 32.1 lbs |
| GoTrax XR Elite | 15.5 mph | 18 mi | 31.88 lbs |
| GoTrax GXL V2 | 15.5 mph | 9-12 mi | 26.4 lbs |
| GoTrax G4 | 20 mph | 25 mi | 36 lbs |
| Hiboy S2 Pro | 19 mph | 25 mi | 33 lbs |
| The Kugoo M2 Pro | 20 mph | 18.6 mi | 34 lbs |
| Segway Ninebot ES4 | 18.6 mph | 28 mi | 30 lbs |
| Segway ES1 L | 12.4 mph | 12.4 mi | 24.9 lbs |
| Segway E45 | 18.6 mph | 28 mi | 36.2 lbs |
Apollo Air Review
I love Apollo Air. It rides nice, has high-quality construction and has all of the features I care about. Speed, range, durability and tech.
I’m happy with a top speed of 21mph. It’s slower than the Gmax Ultra but faster than the Segway Max so it’s right in the sweet spot.
It’s got a good range of 31 miles. For practical purposes, I don’t think there are many people who need more range than this on a single charge. The chances of you riding it on one trip until it’s dead are unlikely. So, I’d rather pay for speed, build quality and technology.
Speaking of tech, I love the Apollo App. It has a bunch of features like speed, battery life percentage, directions for my trip and settings for the scooter like cruise control and riding modes. It would be ideal to see a larger tech stack on the handlebars but since the scooter has an app, I’m happy.
Overall, this scooter is awesome. It provides amazing value and will last you a LONG time. So, strap on a helmet and other safety gear and go out and enjoy it!
Frequently Asked Questions
Most frequent questions and answers!
