Apollo City 2022 Review

Design

Handlebars

One of the many things we love about the Apollo range is that they’re not just high-performing scooters – they’re good-looking ones, too.

Just take a look at the City’s handlebars. Sharing the same flowing, slightly upswept design as those on their sibling – the Apollo Air Pro – they double as both ergonomic and easy on the eye. The handlebars are also significantly wider and taller than those on the Air Pro. The seismic difference in these dimensions delivers a riding experience that inspires more confidence and aids the overall handling, as well as being better suited to taller riders.

The handlebars are also where you’ll control just about every aspect of the scooter: your speed, brakes, riding mode, and turn signals. With the thumb throttle to your right and an electronic regenerative brake paddle to your left, both coated in a wavey veneer of grippy rubber, their placement and design make them both smooth operate.

Alongside the already ergonomic form of the handlebars, the integrated scooter controls on either side of the cockpit allow you to turn the scooter on or off, engage either of the turn signals and select your riding mode within reach of your thumbs. I’m a particular fan of the left and right turn signal buttons. We’ve seen similar integrations on Fluid Free Ride’s Cityrider and some of VSETT’s scooters, but the Apollo City takes the functionality of its turn signals up to an entirely new level (more on this later in the review).

Adorning either side of the cockpit are the two brake levers. While these play an important role in ensuring that there are mechanical brakes to backup the electronic regen brake, they could benefit from better modulation. On a similar note, we noticed some wobble in the handgrips (fortunately, not the stem). This can be easily fixed, though, by tightening the screws holding these grips in place, and – if necessary – applying Loctite to keep them secure. And, while the grips are covered in a rubber sleeve, it would have been nice for them to have a more ergonomic shape, like those on the Apollo Ghost.

Last but by no means least, a savvy LED display adorns the middle of the handlebars. Seamlessly integrated into the aluminum mold, it sits flush to keep within the City’s sleek design.

Frame

It’s not often that a scooter brand’s CTO takes it upon themselves to design a new model. But that’s exactly what happened with the City.

Sporting a pristine, proprietary design that’s unique to Apollo, this latest model differs significantly from the original. The first City was an OEM production unit and thus shared its design with other scooters (notably, the Zero 9). The new City, however, isn’t content to share – it carves out its own distinctive identity, and it’s a doozy.

Put simply, the finish is unlike anything we’ve come across in the Apollo line so far. Before this, the City was draped in a blue, white, and black design – in contrast to newer Apollo models (think the Air Pro, Ghost, and Phantom), which instead all channel a sleek, muted tone.

The frame of the latest City takes a new direction, with a gray colorway interacting dynamically with vibrant highlights of orange. Picture a space gray iPhone, and you’re not too far off the City’s bodywork.

Deck

The handlebars aren’t the only aspect of the new City’s design that borrows heavily from the Apollo Air Pro. The deck does, too, with an elegant, upswept shape reminiscent of a Penny Skateboard, the deck tapers at the rear to a carry handle. This comes in handy both when lifting and transporting the scooter, and also serves as a kickplate – giving you extra foot room and control while traveling at speed and braking.

Coating the deck’s surface is a patina of grippy rubber. Sporting an eye-catching design of concentric semi-circles (think ripples flowing out from the splash of a stone in a pond), the deck keeps you safe and secure – and looks good doing it.

Aside from its formidable form, the deck has been built to ensure the scooter withstands the test of time, and we see that in the deck’s minor touches. The kickstand, for instance, retracts into a cavity on the underside of the deck, preventing it from protruding and picking up damage. Similarly, the charging port is embedded into the deck and covered with a plastic lid to prevent curb swiping and breakage.

And of course, we can’t fail to mention the turn signals which sit flush with the rear of the deck wrapping around the sides and rear in a conveniently arrow-shaped form.

Wheels

The tires of the all-new Apollo City upgrade both the comfort and the convenience levels of its predecessor.

At 10 x 3.5 inches, the tires sport an inflated profile – giving the scooter a more reliable feeling than the 8.5 x 2-inch tires of the original model. The tires are also tubeless and self-healing, meaning they are less likely to pick up punctures and require zero maintenance.

Thanks to a layer of gel-like sealant lining the inner edge of the tire, this particular innovation allows you to keep riding even if a 2-inch nail penetrates the tire. Once the nail is pulled out, the gel (otherwise known as tire slime), gets to work by filling the cavity to prevent air from escaping. This is the same technology used in the no-flat tires on the Dualtron Thunder 2 and Wolf King GT.

Apollo recommends pumping the tires up to a pressure of 45 PSI, but I found this to be a little stiff. For a more plush feel, I suggest lowering the pressure slightly to around 40 PSI. (This is based on a 165 lbs rider. If you weigh towards the upper end of the 220 lbs weight limit, keep the tires at 45 PSI).

Build Quality & Durability

You may have noticed that the Apollo City’s price tag is relatively high when compared to its rivals, however, this is not just a product of good marketing. There are reasons for the price tag, and one of them is the prestigious level of build quality that the City comes with.

Just as INOKIM places a premium on their models as a result of their excellent build and ride quality, Apollo has done the same for the City – and rightly so.

Made from a tough-as-nails forged, space-grade aluminum alloy, the frame has also been oil painted. This means that the scooter’s frame has been made to resist corrosion and general wear and tear – so it’s quite literally built to last.

With an IP56 water resistance rating up its sleeve, the City comes on leaps and bounds from its previous IP54 rating and is well-equipped to handle most environmental conditions.

Just as we highlighted in our review of the Apollo Air Pro, the City follows suit eschewing the clunky style that many scooters in the commuter bracket have with curved lines, flush finishes, and a design that flows from one section to the next.

From the deck-embedded charging ports to the retractable hook and kickstand, the City has been cut from a clever, calculated cloth, with a design engineered to keep the profile of the frame as clean as possible while also serving as a way to keep it in good health. Smaller details like the cable management further pay tribute to the well-thought-out build.

It’s also clear that, in designing the City, Apollo has taken some inspiration from an existing model – the Ghost. The City sports similar fenders to its spooky sibling, which are ideal for keeping the mud off your back in less agreeable conditions. These fenders are, however, made of hard plastic (with aluminum supports) – as opposed to being solely aluminum.

As always, though, there is room for improvement. As previously mentioned, during our tests we noticed that the handgrips became a little loose after we had put the City through its paces on a cobbled street to assess its suspension. We fed this back to Apollo and while it’s an easy DIY fix by tightening them up, we had confirmation that this will not happen on the units that will be sold at retail. It’s important to note here that the model we have was handmade and is one of the first of its kind. All of the small kinks will be ironed out for the retail units.

Weight & Load

One way in which the new City models differ from their ancestor is in how much they weigh. The single motor version adds 18.8 lbs of bulk to the original model, with the dual-motor model adding 7.2 lbs onto that – making it a whopping 26 lbs heavier than the original Apollo City.

The main culprit for the increased weight comes as a result of the new frame which is approximately 7% larger in stature and replaces the thin telescopic stem with a more robust tubular design.

When it comes to load, the new City supports 220 lbs. For most riders, this will be sufficient, but for those that are heavier, either the Apollo Ghost (300 lbs) or EMOVE Cruiser (352 lbs) are worth considering.

Folding & Portability

The City is super simple to fold and pack away.

It folds neatly in half at the stem courtesy of an intuitive one-click folding mechanism, which – I have to say – is the best we’ve tested. The folding mechanism comes with an in-built safety button, too. This prevents the latch from uncoupling when confronted with jarring shocks or vibrations, and helps keep the stem upright (and you safe).

During our test rides, there wasn’t so much as a suggestion of stem wobble. Just a secure, stable ride – guaranteed.

Like the Air Pro, the City sports a small folding hook at the top of the stem, which – when the scooter is folded – connects to a small latch at the rear of the deck. Not only does this hook make it easier to lift the City, but it’s also superbly subtle.

The hook retracts seamlessly into a magnetized cavity at the top of the stem, so it doesn't interfere with the City’s flowing, fabulous aesthetic.

However, the hook tends to fall out of the latch when being folded. I found that placing the hook through the carry handle does a better job of keeping the handlebars from swinging off to one side.

Assembly

The Apollo City is a breeze to set up.

To assemble, carefully unbox and unfold it into an upright position. Connect the male and female connection cables – ensuring that the pins are aligned while doing so – and then use the hex screws provided to secure the handlebars.

You may need to tighten the drum brakes but this is as simple as twisting the nut at the end of the brake wire.

Ride Quality

Is the Apollo City 2022 Comfortable to Ride?

Ride quality is rarely an area in which Apollo scooters disappoint, and the City stays true to form.

Its large, plush tires that provide a large contact patch with the ground. With lots of rubber meeting the road – and 40-45 PSI’s worth of air cushioning you from the impact of less predictable terrain – the City serves up a fun riding experience that makes carving from side to side feel awesome.

Combined with the springs and swingarms, sizeable handlebars, and ergonomic controls, the City is well and truly primed for urban environments. You can even adjust the top speed, as well as the strength of its acceleration and regen brake to suit your preferences.

A key upgrade in ride quality from its predecessor comes in the form of stability. Here, the new model feels more comfortable to ride at top speeds. The new folding mechanism and one-piece stem are responsible here. There is better weight distribution which gives you more control over the front end.

Performance & Safety

Top Speed

How fast you can go on the Apollo City will depend on the model you’ve selected, and how many motors it has:

• Single motor: 28 mph
• Dual motor: 32 mph

So how does the top 28 mph speed of the single motor model compare with the rest of the electric scooter industry when it comes to price and weight? Let’s find out.

Speed vs Price Comparison

Let’s apply a $500 price range – taking into account 24 comparable models – to the City’s $1,499 price tag, to find out how its speed stacks up.

As you can see from the table, the single motor City placed in the lower end of the rankings. This is because its price tag is more aligned with the dual-motor models that dominate the list.

The Apollo City doesn’t come cheap, but is the extra outlay justified?

The City wasn’t made for blistering speeds, but instead a well-balanced scooter whose every component has been crafted so you’ll enjoy riding through the city. You're buying the result of hundreds of hours of research and refinement, all of which culminates in one of the most reliable scooters on the market.

Before we move on, it’s worth giving a quick shout-out to the fastest scooter in the City’s price category – the Mantis V2 18.2Ah. Available for the same price as the City (Dual motor) model, the V2 serves up a scorching 40 mph top speed from its dual 60V 1000W motors.

Yet, while the Mantis V2 and the Apollo City share the same table, these scooters are in entirely different leagues – and serve entirely different purposes. The Mantis is great for burning rubber and hitting off-road trails while the City is made for commuters.

For riders looking for a scooter like the City, but want to crank up the speed dial a couple of notches, I’d suggest checking out the Apollo Ghost.

Speed vs Weight Comparison

Take the 11 comparable models that sit within 5 lbs on either side of the Apollo City’s 57.8 lbs weight, and we get a treasure trove of scooters to compare.

But how do they weigh up against the City for pace? Here’s the full table:

As you can see, the Apollo City (Single motor) is beaten by the roster of the VSETT 9+ lineup and the Mantis 8 Pro which share first place. The Apollo City (Dual), however, slowly follows with its 32 mph top speed.

Acceleration

The Apollo City doesn’t exactly come charging out of the blocks (it’s more a regular bull, rather than a raging one). But this is to be expected – the City comes fitted with just a single motor, after all, so its acceleration was never going to be able to compete with its fiery dual-motor counterparts.

Here’s how the City compares to our recommended alternative scooters:

As you can see, the Apollo Ghost outpaces the Ciy with an acceleration rate that is 43% faster to 15 mph. This is as a result of its dual 52V 800W motors which dwarf the City’s 48V 500W single motor.

Similarly, the EMOVE Cruiser and its more powerful 52V 1000W motor delivers more brute force than the City off the line. Surprisingly, the City beats the INOKIM Quick 4, despite the INOKIM having a larger 52V 600W motor.

Maximum Mileage

Both the single and dual motor versions of the Apollo City share the same 48V 13.5Ah battery and are capable of up to 25 miles off a single charge. (Under realistic conditions, you can expect 25 miles).

Let’s explore how that figure compares to the rest of the market when it comes to the metrics of price and weight.

Mileage vs Price Comparison

Marketing is a fine thing, but it can be misleading at times. Unlike other brands, Apollo isn’t keen to showboat or inflate their maximum mileage figures in the hopes of drawing more interest. The figures Apollo puts out are modest. What you're promised is what you get.

So, with this in mind, let's take a look at how the real-world mileage of the City compares to other models in its price class.

The real-world mileage of the Apollo City 2022 beats 77% of the models in its price class. It even beats models that seemingly have longer ranges, including those which have manufacturer-stated 40-mile maximum ranges.

Plus, if we focus on just commuter-style scooters, then the real-world mileage of the Apollo City 2022 beats 71% of comparable models in its price class.

As a result, it is a top performer in its niche.

What’s important to consider here is quality. Luckily, the City has been equipped with 21700 battery cells – the same cells that have been used in Tesla’s electric cars. In brief, these hold a greater density of energy than 18650 cells which are used in many other scooters. The result is more efficient battery usage per ride. Combined with the battery management system – the City has been engineered to deliver peak performance for many years.

Of course, we can’t ignore the impressive range of, the EMOVE Cruiser. Available for $100 less than the City and sporting more than double its range, the Cruiser’s 62-mile dominance comes as no surprise. Its battery is large (52V 30Ah) and high-quality (LG 21700), so if range is what you are after, go for the Cruiser.

Mileage vs Weight Comparison

Returning to the 11 comparable models in the City’s weight bracket, it’s the INOKIM Ox Super snatching gold. With a huge 60V 21Ah LG battery, no comparison can be made to the Apollo City here.

If you want Herculean range, excellent build quality, and sublime ride quality, the INOKIM is hard to look past. The INOKIM Ox does, however, lack features like self-healing tires, fast charging, and a mobile app to customize your riding experience, as well as the City’s fantastic regen brake which captures energy lost from braking and recharges your battery on the go.

It's also worth noting that real-world mileage of the Apollo City 2022 beats 67% of the models in its weight class. And, if we focus on just commuter-style scooters, then the real-world mileage of the Apollo City 2022 beats 80% of comparable models in its weight class. As a result, it places an impressive 2nd against other commuter scooters when it comes to real-world mileage.

Hill Climbing

The Apollo City’s marketing materials claim that the single motor version can cope with a maximum incline of 10-degrees. Our tests were true to this. When you venture above 10 degrees the ride becomes sluggish. This is pretty standard for the size and power of the motor on offer. Fortunately, this is still enough for the City to handle the vast majority of urban inclines with ease.

If you live in a particularly hilly area, the dual-motor version of the City and its 20-degree incline rate will be a better choice.

Shock Absorption / Suspension

Sporting a spring and swingarm combo, the suspension setup represents a huge improvement over its predecessor.

While the original City paired a vertically aligned front spring at the bottom of the stem with two horizontally-aligned dual springs at the rear, the new version combines newly positioned springs with swingarms. The new setup delivers considerably more shock absorption.

By securing one side of each swingarm in place to the mainframe of the scooter and attaching the other to the wheels to allow free movement, the swingarms pivot vertically. Ultimately, the swingarms endow it with a better ability to absorb the rattling impact of bumps and cracks in the road.

During our test rides, we found the rear springs to be a little stiffer than its front counterpart – although we’re confident that it will become more responsive over time. Ultimately, the suspension setup is ideal for urban terrain.

For context, it sits neatly between the Apollo Air Pro and Apollo Ghost where shock absorption is concerned. The Air Pro can handle roads and streets but only has front fork suspension meaning residual vibrations are felt. The City, on the other hand, soaks the vibrations that otherwise would have been felt on the Air Pro, and then while the Ghost’s spring and swingarm combination look similar to the City, it is more responsive (i.e. has more travel) meaning it can tackle street and light off-road terrain with ease.

Braking

While the dual drum brakes – which replace the disc/drum combo of the original model – aren’t as strong as we were hoping them to be, the regen brake serves as an excellent upgrade. It’s both super easy to use and strong enough to control your pace as you are riding.

Using the drum brakes and regen brake together brings you to a stop in 3.4 meters. For context, we consider a braking distance of between 3.0 and 3.4 meters to be good, so the City performs well here.

To see how this compares to the old City and the rest of the Apollo lineup, check out this table:

We put the slight difference in braking distance between the old City and the new model down to the increased weight of the latter. Here, the 2022 model has more momentum that needs to be slowed.

Charge Time

The Apollo City takes just 4.5 hours to reach full charge thanks to its 3a fast charging port. Unlike other brands, Apollo won’t make you pay for a fast charger, instead, they provide one in the box.

Extra Features

LED Display

Integrated into the center of the handlebar console is a slick LED display.

Aesthetically, it ticks all the boxes – it doesn’t protrude awkwardly or disrupt the scooter’s flow, and its glowing nixie tubes look beautiful. Crucially, the display is functional, too – it’s bright and easy to read, even in direct sunlight. But what does this display tell you?

Along with your speed and battery life, the screen lets you know of any issues with your scooter (in the form of ‘failure displays’), which help when it comes to repair or replacement.

Icons on the console also pop up when your lights are on, and when you’ve engaged your turn signals. This latter feature is super useful, as it means you won’t ever accidentally leave your indicators on.

The screen also lets you know what riding mode you’re in. The City has three modes – ’Eco’, ‘Comfort’, and ‘Sport’ – which limit your speed and help you conserve battery. No icon indicates you’re traveling with the ‘Eco’ setting engaged, a green ‘S’ means you’re in ‘Comfort’ mode, and a red ‘S’ stands for ‘Sport’.

Integrated Mobile App

Pairing the City with the Apollo Scooters mobile app unlocks an extra layer of personalization. From the app – which is available for both Android and iOS – you can adjust the strength of the scooter’s regenerative brake and acceleration, toggle with its gears, cruise control, and kick-to-start function, and place a cap on its top speed.

On top of this, there’s an in-built navigation system, as well as the option to enable a digital lock. When engaged, the electronic brake causes resistance when pushing the scooter. The data heads out there will also love the ride analytics screen, while everyone will appreciate the regular software updates that keep the app up to date.

Headlight, Taillight, and Turn Signals

Like the LED display, its headlight has been seamlessly integrated into the stem. Sat just under the handlebars, it’s surprisingly bright and easily enables efficient nighttime riding.

A responsive taillight is perched atop the rear fender and flashes when you squeeze the brakes.

But the real piece de resistance of the lighting display is its pair of turn signals. As you may already know, turn signals are rare on electric scooters – and good turn signals are even rarer.

Not only does the LED display inform you of when the signals are on (via a left or right flashing arrow), they also beep while in use – and auto-turn-off after ten seconds. These indicators are super bright, and – because they wrap around the sides and rear of the scooter – can be seen from both the side and back.

Simply put, they’re the best we’ve tested. Bravo, Apollo.

Warranty & Post-Purchase Support

Warranty

The Apollo City comes with a 12-month warranty that covers manufacturing defects. This warranty includes:

• Battery
• Frame and stem
• Controller
• Handlebars and throttle
• Lights
• Motor
• Display screen and
• wiring

For the rims, brake calipers, and other consumables, the warranty is only eligible for the first 30 days (or 6 miles) of use – whichever comes first.

The warranty doesn’t cover:

• Wear and tear
• Shipping costs (should you need to get a repaired or replaced City delivered)
• Any damage caused by your misuse or abuse of the scooter
• Water damage, improper maintenance, or “acts of God”
• Unauthorized repairs
• And more – it’s worth checking out this online copy of the City’s manual to find out what is and isn’t covered

Post-Purchase Support

When it comes to post-purchase support, few electric scooter brands are on par with the level of customer commitment Apollo provides.

They have an entire Help Center filled to the brim with information ranging from maintenance guides to repair and troubleshooting FAQs, and even shipping, return, and servicing information.

And, if you can’t find what you are looking for in the Help Center you can always leave a message with your email via their website chatbox. We’ve used this service and can confirm that Apollo’s responses were speedy and thorough.