Review: Apollo Ghost

Exhilarating and frightening. That's what it feels like riding the Apollo Ghost. This dual-motor electric kick scooter from the Canadian company Apollo Scooters is so powerful you'll feel your soul lurch out of your body as you hit the throttle. That's probably where the thing gets its name.

Seriously, it's easy to creep close to 40 mph with both motors engaged. The problem? Those speeds are illegal here in New York City where I live; escooters are only allowed to go up to 15 mph in bike lanes. In fact, most states cap speeds between 15 and 30 mph. The onus is on the rider to make sure speed limits aren't ignored. 

This much power is overkill for most people. The $1,499 price tag is too high for most people as well. Still, the Apollo Ghost is one of the most well-built scooters I've ever ridden, and it glides ever so smoothly on all but the worst roads. 

You won't need to do a ton of setup before taking that first Ghost ride, but it might depend on how rough the shipping process was on the box. 

My test unit had two missing screws that were meant for securing the ignition switch and the LED display to the handlebars (they're loose on purpose to prevent damage during shipping). Thankfully, after digging deep into scraps of cardboard, I found them hiding between the flaps. Whew. Apollo says I had a preproduction unit, so this shouldn't happen with retail models.

This handy setup video from Apollo's YouTube channel is easy to follow, though a written user guide is included. But both the video and the manual have a missing step: attaching the handlebars to the stem. It's not difficult to figure out, but it did throw me off. For what it's worth, Apollo has a customer service team you can email or call if you need help, and the company says it's going to edit the video to include this step.

The Ghost folds down, making it easier to store.

Photograph: JULIAN CHOKKATTU

Next, just tighten the controls on the handlebars, and that's it! The Ghost requires a key to be inserted into the ignition and the LED display to be turned on for it to start. It's a shame it requires two steps instead of just the key, but that's just me nitpicking.  

What might be a little confusing is the second display next to the ignition. It shows the battery's voltage level, and if the Ghost is fully charged, it should read around 58 volts. When it's nearly dead, it'll sit close to 44 volts—not the most intuitive way to signal the low battery level. There's a more traditional battery bar on the odometer, which also shows data like speed and distance traveled, but I found it more useful to remember these two voltage numbers to gauge the remaining battery life. I wish both displays were brighter though; they're tough to read on sunny days.

Generally, I've been able to get a little under 20 miles out of the scooter before needing to recharge it, but that range fluctuates due to a variety of factors including speed, road condition, and rider weight. The scooter does take 12 hours to fully recharge, so I usually left it plugged in overnight after long rides. Apollo sells a fast charger for $99 that cuts that time in half, but frankly, that should be included at this price.

At night, your own visibility isn't an issue. Two LEDs sit at the front of the deck—they're not enough to light up much of the road ahead, but they pair with a strip of LEDs underneath the deck and light you up enough to make you difficult to miss in the dark. The brake lights are, thankfully, brighter. There is a built-in bell too.

The Mode button on the throttle is how you cycle through the Ghost's three gears. Selecting a specific gear gives you an easy way to loosely regulate your top speed: Gear 1 maxes out around 16 mph, Gear 2 hovers at 25 mph, and Gear 3 can hit the top speed of 38 mph (if both motors are employed). The button itself is a little unsatisfying to press, so rather than frequently switching gears, I often left it on the first or second gear. 

The Ghost has this sci-fi aesthetic with all its wires, various buttons, and displays scattered about on the command center. It feels a little like the jet bike from Looper. And like most sci-fi vehicles, there's a big red button that's just begging to be pressed.

The Ghost's cockpit.

Photograph: JULIAN CHOKKATTU

The scooter has two 800-watt motors that can deliver 1,000 watts of peak power each. The red button switches between single- and dual-motor operation. With the former, I usually cruised at 18 mph and could effortlessly go up to 25. But with dual motors, I felt like Will Smith right after he pushed the red button in Men in Black. Really. I was able to accelerate from zero to 25 miles per hour in roughly six seconds. (The button is also so satisfying to push.)

My entire body lurched back when I hit the throttle with both motors engaged, so … be gentle! Gaining speed that quickly feels exhilarating but it's also terrifying. It doesn't take long to rocket past 30 mph. That might not sound like much if you're used to going that fast in a car, but when you're balancing upright on a scooter and all you've got for protection is a helmet on your head—let's just say my heart was racing. 

I'm also in New York City. Unless I'm riding over the Williamsburg bridge, I usually had to hit the (effective!) disc brakes every few minutes due to traffic lights, cars, or pedestrians. The opportunities to ride faster than 20 mph are slim. Still, it's nice having this much power to draw from.

One thing to drill into your head is to never switch between dual to single motor while riding. The company says “it's like downshifting from sixth gear to first gear in a car, and can lead to a fall or injury due to the heavy deceleration.” Yikes. After I read that, I never pressed any of the buttons until I came to a full stop out of caution. 

The orange button next to the red Single/Dual button switches the Ghost between Eco and Turbo mode. The Turbo button just lets the scooter hit top speed on demand. Eco, of course, increases the motors' efficiency. It makes your rate of travel noticeably slower, but it's handy if the Ghost is creeping toward a dead battery and you still have a long ride ahead.

Most importantly, whatever the speed, the ride itself is very comfortable. The 10-inch pneumatic tires paired with the dual-spring suspension system make it feel like you're gliding over most roads, and even pot-hole-ridden streets don't feel too rough. (I don't recommend it for off-road use.) It is IP54 water resistant, and that level of protection did the job in light rain as well as slush after it snowed in January, though the fenders didn't do much to protect my shoes from getting wet and dirty. 

The brakes supposedly feature regenerative braking, meaning they'll recharge the battery as you come to a halt. I didn't notice any significant battery gains though.  

Folding up the Ghost at the end of a ride is simple, but not as speedy as I'd like. You need to spend a few seconds twisting a rod between the handlebars to tuck them down, and the clamp at the bottom of the main stem that enables the folding mechanism requires some force to undo. You can bring the stem down and secure it to a hook near the back of the deck to keep it in place. It packs down into a storable size, but it's still too tall to fit under the couch.

Worse yet, it's a 64-pound machine! That's heavier than this folding fat tire electric bike. Don't expect to easily tote this e-scooter around.

Photograph: Apollo

If you're spending this much on an electric scooter, it's important to make sure it won't conk out after a year. After four months of use, the Ghost still works just as reliably as my first day with it. 

Apollo only offers a standard one-year warranty on the scooter, but it claims the battery on the Ghost can last four years before needing to be replaced. You can order a replacement from the company, and there are other spare parts you can buy. The company has also partnered with service centers in New York City, San Francisco, New Orleans, and Golden, Colorado, if you need professional help.

Considering I spent most of my time cruising with just the single motor, I'd say the Ghost is best for folks who can travel for long stretches without much interruption to make use of those high speeds. (As long as it's legal!) Otherwise, it's overkill for cities. Its weight makes it a difficult proposition for anyone in a building without an elevator too. 

Apollo has several cheaper scooters, including the upcoming Apollo Air Pro, which is much lighter, and the top speed of 18 mph makes it a better choice for densely-packed urban environments.

Nevertheless, the Apollo Ghost does everything it's made to do really well. It's built like a tank, has incredible raw power, and reliable range. Just … brace yourself before you hit that red button.  

Correction: We've updated the article to clarify the NYC e-scooter speed limit is 15 MPH, not 30 MPH.