Apollo Explore 2020 Electric Scooter Review

Apollo scooters gave us the chance to test out the Apollo Explore from their all-new 2020 line of electric scooters - and it's impressive. Tag along as we dive into a deep review of the Apollo Explore below.

Introduction

The Apollo Explore is the 3rd e-scooter in a range of four e-scooters released by Apollo Scooters in 2020. Apollo Scooters are based out of Montreal, Canada but they operate in the US as well, where they offer free shipping on all electric scooters.

The Explore is built on the same foundation as the Zero 10 but not only is it cheaper - it also features impressive customizations and improvements developed by Apollo scooters. To top it all off, Apollo scooters offer a market-leading 24-month warranty which makes this already impressive ordeal all the more promising.

Let's get into the details and our performance tests after riding it for more than 125 kilometers.

Motor & Battery

The Apollo Explore offers impressive speed and range for an e-scooter in its price class. A 1000W rear motor with a peak output at 1400W enables the electric scooter to reach a top speed of 31 miles per hour or 50 km/h.

As for range, the Explore has a 52V 18.2Ah (946.4Wh) li-ion battery that gives you up to 37 miles of riding on a single charge in ideal conditions. The batteries is one of the areas in which Apollo improved over the standard Zero 10. Rather than using unbranded battery cells, they tested out several leading battery brands in a 7-year simulation and discovered that Dynavolt cells (leading manufacturer in high-performance motorcycle batteries) performed on par with LG despite being 20% cheaper. They decided to go with Dynabolt cells for the Explore and pass these savings onto the end-user.

This means they'll perform better on low voltage (when the battery is running dry) and

Tested Speed & Range

So what was my personal experience with the speed and range? After riding the Apollo Explore more than 125 km, these were our test results.

Tested Top Speed at Different Battery Levels

The table above depicts the drop in top speed as the battery level on the Apollo Explore gets lower. Our conclusion is that the power drop-off is minimal and much better than on most competing e-scooters. This is most likely due to the Dynavolt battery.

Tested Range at Different Speeds

The above table shows the correlation between average speed and the achievable range on the Apollo Explore. Our conclusion is that these are very positive stats considering that brands often overshoot their range estimations. The test rider weighed 166 pounds.

Acceleration

Acceleration is an often overlooked stat when selecting the right electric scooter for your needs. If you live in a hilly area, you want something that has the required power to accelerate up inclines without a hassle. If you live in a flat area, it's not as important.

The acceleration is determined by a variety of different factors but mainly boils down to: motor power, rider weight, scooter weight.

The official measurement from Apollo Scooters is from 0-15 MPH (25 km/h) in 3.5 seconds. We were able to reach the same speed in 3.76 seconds so that's very close. Lighter riders should be able to do 3.5 seconds or even smash that.

These numbers are definitely on the good end of the spectrum - especially price considered. It won't have quite the same pull as a dual-motor setup but the 1000W motor definitely does impress as far as acceleration is concerned.

Suspension

Suspension may be one of the most important aspects of an electric scooter as it determines how smooth a ride will feel. For a scooter that's able to reach a top speed of 31 MPH, you gotta have suspension in place. Otherwise, the ride will be jumping around like crazy.

For suspension, the Apollo Explore utilizes 10-inch pneumatic tires, a spring at the front and hydraulic suspension at the rear. It's rare to see hydraulic suspension at this price range so it's an addition we definitely do welcome.

With the three suspension systems in place, the Apollo Explore is well-equipped to handle bumpy urban riding and moderate terrain as well. We tested it on grass, dirt roads and jumping up and down curbs and it handled all the obstacles really well.

Braking

When you're going this fast, you need strong and responsive brakes to take care of your safety. With the Explore, you've got front and rear disc brakes along with electric re-generative braking on the motor that'll help with improved range.

The braking distance is around 2.45 meters (8 feet) on dry flat asphalt with as solid. The brakes come pre-tuned so they feel smooth and right out of the box.

Portability

Many people use high-end electric scooters as a replacement for their usual commuting scooters. Where you're turning down bus rides to save money long-term with an electric scooter or you're simply in it for the fun, portability is an important factor.

The Apollo Explore weighs approximately 52 pounds (23 kg) which isn't exactly light nor heavy. Considering how sturdy it is and the power it holds, the weight is definitely justified.

If you care a lot about having something super portable that you can carry up stairs every day with ease, the Apollo Explore may be too heavy for you. Instead, you may want to check out the Apollo Light.

Personally, I live at ground level and care a lot more about power than portability so I would pick the Apollo Explore any day of the week but it's something you'll have to evaluate for yourself.

Despite being 52 pounds, the Apollo Explore folds together into a very compact size. The stem and front-wheel can be folded up over the deck and the handlebars can be screwed loose and folded in. This is awesome if you want to take it with you in the trunk or don't want it to take too much space in your home.

Built Quality & Safety

Safety is important and especially when you travel at high speeds. You want an electric scooter that'll last for a long time and keep you safe when you use it.

Built quality is another area in which the Apollo Explore particularly excels. Whereas the the Zero 10 uses die-cast aluminum, the Apollo Explore uses forged aluminum for all of the critical parts of the e-scooter (base, stem and handlebar). The Zero 10 has been known to have issues with the folding mechanism so to ensure rider safety, Apollo Scooters took it a step further and decided to upgrade the frame quality.

On the Apollo Explore, the external cables are wrapped in hard plastic coil to prevent cut or torn cables. The Zero 10 uses cloth of cover their external cables but this doesn't offer the same cable protection as hard plastic coil does.

Another point I want to make is that I'm really happy with the lighting. There's LED strips on each side of the deck and up the stem. Apart from that, there are three headlights and three rear brake lights which definitely ensures people will be able to see you in low light conditions.

Customer Service & Warranty

As you thought things couldn't get any better with the Explore, they just did.

Some cheap electric scooters are drop-shipped straight out of Asia and with minimal support and few repair options, you're out of luck if anything happens to your e-scooter.

The story is entirely different with Apollo Scooters. Operating out of Montreal, Canada, the guys behind the brand offers an impressive 24-month warranty which is really pushing to change the entire e-scooter game. They're so confident in the quality of their products that they're willing to offer you 2 years of warranty which tells a lot.

Before everything is shipped out, the Explore undergoes a strict triple inspection quality control (143-point checklist) to ensure you get an electric scooter in perfect condition out of the box.

The Apollo team is both fair, knowledgeable and it shows that they genuinely care about building their business on solid and responsive customer service. They have a live chat system in place on their website which allows you to get the answers you need quickly. Very few brands offer this at the given moment.

What Could Be Improved

Although the Apollo Explore is an impressive and pleasant experience, there are a few things that we'd like the team to work on, should they ever make a V2.

• Handlebars can loosen a bit - Although the foldable handlebars are convenient, they do bring along a problem. It is probably more of an annoyance than a problem, though. As you tighten them and ride for a while, they'll eventually loosen themselves a bit. Not to the point where there's a safety risk of them folding together, but they do become loose enough to wobble a bit. It doesn't really affect the riding experience much but it's slightly annoying that you have to tighten them further every now and then.
  
• Folding mechanism can be tough - On the demo model I tested, the folding mechanism was extremely tough. Although I'm happy that it was super sturdy, it was hard to fold and lock into the upright position. If you're careful with expensive technology like me, you'd rather not have to exercise violence to it. There is a good chance that the folding mechanism gets smoother with time, though I think it's important to know for new users as it surprised me a bit.
  

Conclusion

Overall, the Apollo Explore is one of the best electric scooters to reach the market in 2020. The support and value are pretty much second to none and the 24-month warranty is an absolute game-changer.

The Apollo Explore has excellent power and an impressive range and the team behind it went the extra mile to ensure optimal performance and built quality.

The suspension system feels really smooth and there is plenty of lighting for nighttime visibility.

Overall, the Apollo Explore scores an impressive 8.5 points out of a possible 10 which is one of the highest scores we've given yet. There are a few minuscule things the team may want to address in future batches, but the overall experience with the Explore was incredible.

Can't get enough of Apollo Scooters? Watch our 4K ride test of the Explore below or read our review of the Apollo City or Apollo Ghost.

Full Specifications