23 Reasons to Buy or NOT to Buy the Apollo City / City Pro 2022
Sporting a proprietary design, industry-leading level of build quality, and a veritable smorgasbord of extra features that wouldn’t look out of place on an alien mothership, the Apollo City and it's even glitzier counterpart, the City Pro, are taking urban sprawls by storm. Both scooters share an almost identical spec sheet, though the Pro has a larger battery and dual motors.
But with such a highlight reel comes a hefty price tag. So, is it worth it? To help you make that decision, I’ve shared my experience riding both scooters over the course of a year.
18 in total
5 in total
18 Reasons to Buy the Apollo City / City Pro
1. Featuring a proprietary frame, every detail is intended on optimizing the scooter for the urban environment. Developed at great expense, the single-mold build is incredibly durable, with an anti-corrosive graphite paint and IP66 water-resistance rating.
2. It balances performance with industry-leading build quality, features, and a low-maintenance design to deliver a premium commuter scooter.
3. For its carefully-manicured design, meticulous attention to detail, and seamless integration of tech, the Apollo City won the Electric Scooter Insider Award for the Most Tech-Savvy Electric Scooter of 2022.
4. With a gray colorway interacting dynamically with vibrant highlights of orange, the Apollo City is evocative of the sleek finish you see on a space gray iPhone.
5. If you value user experience, you’ll love the mobile app. It unlocks customizable riding settings and provides dashboards of advanced insights. Most notably, you can use the app to dial in the strength of the regen brake and acceleration, adjust the top speeds of each riding mode, and turn the digital lock on and off – which immobilizes the scooter by applying the electronic brakes.
6. Measuring 24.8 inches, the handlebars are wide to ensure a riding experience that inspires confidence – even at top speeds.
7. The thumb throttle and regen brake paddles are coated in a wavey veneer of grippy rubber, while the controls – including the power, riding mode, and turn signals buttons – are integrated into either side of the cockpit. Combined, the handlebars promise an ergonomic design that aids overall handling.
8. Thanks to a deck-to-handlebar height of 41.3 inches, it’s well suited to tall riders over 6 ft.
9. With an elegant, upswept shape reminiscent of a Penny Skateboard, the deck tapers at the rear to a carry handle. This comes in handy when lifting the scooter and also serves as a kickplate – giving you extra foot room and control while traveling at speed and braking.
10. At 10 x 3.5 inches, the tires sport an inflated profile giving the scooter more stability than some of its competitors that sport thinner tires. They are also tubeless and self-healing, meaning punctures are less of a concern.
11. The one-click folding mechanism is one of the best I’ve tested.
12. How fast you can go depends on the model that you select. The standard City is equipped with a single 48V 500W motor (28 mph), while the Pro is equipped with two. The Pro takes the lead with 32 mph, making it the fastest commuter scooter in our database of 100+ models.
13. With its dual motors, the City Pro has a rapid acceleration rate of 0-15 mph in just 2.9 seconds. If you opt for the single-motor option, then expect that rate to decrease to 4.0 seconds.
14. Brandishing a 48V 13.5Ah battery, the City promises a maximum range of 30 miles. According to my tests, I got a respectable 25 miles. This picture changes for the Pro, which sports a larger 48V 18Ah battery. Here, the Pro has a max of 38 miles, and a tested range of 30 miles.
15. The real-world mileage of both the Apollo City and City Pro beats 89% of comparable commuter models.
16. Sporting triple springs and dual swingarms, it has the most comprehensive suspension setup of any commuter scooter.
17. The combined stopping power of the drum and regen brakes bring you to a halt in 3.4 meters from 15 mph. I consider a braking distance of between 3.0 and 3.4 meters to be good, so it performs well here.
18. Boasting a strong 500-lumen headlight, a responsive taillight that blinks when you brake, and arrow-shaped turn signals that sit flush at the rear of the deck, it’s well-equipped for night rides.
5 Reasons NOT to Buy the Apollo City / City Pro
1. Weighing in at 57 and 65 lbs (depending on the model that you choose), it’s the heaviest commuter scooter, and as a result, it’s not as portable as some of its competitors (i.e. the Horizon).
2. Although it has one of the best one-click folding mechanisms, the hook on the back of the handlebars tends to fall out of the latch on the deck when the scooter is folded and stationary (i.e. not being lifted).
3. During my tests, I found that the rear springs were stiffer than the one at the front. Initially, this meant that the ride could get a little bumpy over rough roads. However, the springs do become more responsive over time.
4. While both models are top performers in the commuter scooter class, when we expand the comparison pool to include all similarly-priced scooters, there’s no denying that they are outpaced in speed and mileage. Nevertheless, you have to account for the fact that you are buying into the Apollo ecosystem – much like folks buy into Apple products because of an excellent end-to-end user experience.
5. From a price-to-performance perspective, a worthwhile alternative to the standard City model is the EMOVE Cruiser S. It has a more powerful 52V 1000W motor, a top speed of 33 mph, and a maximum range of 62 miles. On the other hand, if you want the boost of power that the City Pro delivers, a cheaper alternative is the SPLACH Titan. The Titan may not be as well integrated, but it outperforms the Pro where raw performance is concerned, including top speed, acceleration, range, braking, hill climbing, and shock absorption.
Bottom Line
If you’re a tech-savvy urbanite who values design and wants an exquisitely built scooter for everyday use, the Apollo City is a gift from the gods. And if you prize power as part of the package, then the City Pro adds a nice dose of it. This is a modern scooter for modern life, with app connectivity and cutting-edge features par the course.
But there’s no getting away from the fact that, whichever model you have your eye on, the price tag is sizable.
What the City and City Pro do have going for them, though, is that they come backed by thousands of riders. Ultimately, you’re buying into a lot more than just specs. The experience of owning and riding a scooter from Apollo is like no other. Often, customer service, warranties, and the future-proofing of scooters are overlooked. Not with Apollo. This is their crowning glory.
Have both scooters done enough to be considered worthwhile investments? I think so.
