Apollo’s newest electric scooter is also its lowest-cost yet

Apollo has spent the last several years carving out a spot for itself toward the more premium end of the electric scooter market. Now the company is trying something different: going after the mass market with its least expensive model yet. The new Apollo Dash carries a $699 MSRP, but is launching at $599 as part of the company’s Black Friday sale running through November 30. More importantly, Apollo says the Dash isn’t intended to simply be a stripped-down budget scooter, but rather a way to bring much of its existing technology down to a lower price point. The scooter uses a 48V electrical system powering a 600W nominal, 1,200W peak-rated Bosch motor, with a top speed of 20 mph (32 km/h). Its 480Wh battery is rated for up to 25 miles (40 km) of range in Eco mode. Apollo also claims the 48V architecture avoids limiting motor power to anemic levels as the battery drains, meaning riders shouldn’t experience the same increasingly sluggish performance toward the bottom of the battery that can occur on some lower-cost scooters. At 43 lb (19.5 kg), the Dash is reasonably portable, though getting the weight and price down comes with an important compromise: there’s no suspension. Apollo also caps rider weight at 220 lb (100 kg), and points heavier riders or those regularly tackling rough roads and hills toward the more expensive Apollo Go instead. Despite the lower price, there’s still a surprisingly long feature list. The Dash gets IP66 water resistance, self-healing tubeless tires, regenerative braking, built-in turn signals, Apollo’s Beam stem light, NFC unlocking, Apple Find My integration, and connectivity with the Apollo smartphone app. Apollo says it put the frame through 10,000 km (6,200 miles) of durability validation before shipping production units. A beta test program also accumulated 1,002 miles over 144 rides without any reported punctures or maintenance issues. Beta riders averaged 19 miles (30 km) per ride while finishing with 29% battery remaining, according to Apollo. Perhaps the bigger story here, though, is where Apollo is positioning the Dash. The company says 52% of its customers previously owned scooters from brands including Segway, NIU, and Xiaomi, but historically moving up to an Apollo often meant crossing the $1,000 mark. At $599, the Dash appears designed to get those riders into Apollo’s ecosystem much earlier – while also putting the company squarely into competition with the mass-market scooters it previously sat above. And for those wanting a bit more power or features, Apollo’s more upmarket models are on sale now as part of early Black Friday promotions. FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.