Apollo City vs Kaabo Mantis King GT: Which Should You Buy? (2026)

Side by side

	Apollo City 65	Kaabo Mantis King GT 63
Motor & speed
Top speed (claimed)	32 mph	43 mph✓
Peak power	2000 W	4300 W✓
Nominal power	1000 W	2200 W✓
Drive	Dual motor	Dual motor
Max incline	46.6%	58%✓
Battery & range
Claimed range	43 mi	56 mi✓
Est. real-world range	24–30 mi	31–39 mi✓
Battery	960 Wh	1440 Wh✓
Charge time	4.5 h✓	6 h
Build
Weight	65 lb✓	73 lb
Max load	265 lb	265 lb
Suspension	dual	dual
Brakes	Dual drum + regenerative	Front & rear hydraulic disc (140mm) + EABS
Water resistance	IP66	IPX5
Tyres	10" tubeless	10" pneumatic
Features
Score (within category)	65/100✓	63/100
Price	$1,299✓	$1,999

A green ✓ marks the better figure on that row. “—” means the manufacturer does not publish it; a blank is never counted as a loss. Scores compare each model within its own category.

Motor & speed

The Kaabo Mantis King GT is the faster of the pair, 43 mph against 32 mph — a 11 mph gap that shows on open stretches but rarely in traffic, where junctions and shared paths set the pace regardless of what the scooter can do. At the Mantis King GT's speeds, braking matters more than the extra miles per hour: check the build section below, because stopping distance climbs faster than speed does. The Kaabo Mantis King GT carries more motor on paper, and that surplus shows up in acceleration and on climbs rather than in a higher cruising speed — the place a stronger motor actually earns its keep is the hill you take twice a day. The Kaabo Mantis King GT also claims the steeper hill-climbing grade, worth noting if your commute has a real gradient rather than a gentle rise. Read any top-speed figure as a maximum reached under ideal conditions; rider weight and gradient both pull it down in the real world, so treat these numbers as a ceiling rather than a cruising promise.

Battery & range

Battery capacity is the honest way to compare range, because watt-hours cannot be marketed around: the City holds 960 Wh and the Mantis King GT 1440 Wh. The Kaabo Mantis King GT's 50% larger pack will out-last the other on the same route whatever the two brochures claim, and it is the single number to trust most in this section. Both claims deserve the usual discount. The City's 43-mile figure realistically works out to about 24–30 miles once you account for a normal rider at real speeds; the Mantis King GT's 56 lands at roughly 31–39. Plan around the lower end of whichever band matters to you: if your daily round trip does not fit inside it with margin to spare, the range difference here is the deciding factor and you should pick the bigger battery. Recharging also differs: the Apollo City is back to full in about 4.5 hours against 6, which matters if you top up between a morning and evening commute rather than overnight. Whichever you choose, remember that both figures assume a fresh battery; a pack loses roughly 20–30% of its capacity after a couple of years of daily cycling, so a used example of either will fall short of these numbers.

Build & ride

Weight is where the daily reality lives: 65 lb against 73 lb, a 8 lb difference. If you carry the scooter up stairs or onto a train, the lighter Apollo City is the one you will actually keep using — the difference between a scooter that gets ridden and one that gathers dust is often a single flight of steps. Both run suspension at both ends, so both should ride comfortably over broken ground — a genuine point in common rather than a tie-breaker. Each publishes a water-resistance rating (IP66 and IPX5); the higher of the two shrugs off heavier rain, though neither should be ridden through standing water or pressure-washed. Braking favours the Kaabo Mantis King GT, whose hydraulics are stronger and more consistent at the lever than the other's setup — the specification that matters most as speed rises, and worth prioritising over almost any other feature on a fast scooter. Tyres differ too: City runs tubeless and Mantis King GT pneumatic. Pneumatic and tubeless tyres absorb more of the road than solid ones, at the cost of the occasional puncture; solid tyres never flat but pass more buzz into your hands and feet.

Price, score & value

The Apollo City is the cheaper of the two, $1,299 against $1,999 — a $700 gap. Whether that gap is worth closing depends entirely on whether the pricier scooter's advantages above line up with your priorities. Within their category the Apollo City scores higher (65/100 to 63/100). Remember that our scores are within-category judgements — this comparison is only meaningful because both sit in the same or an adjacent class. If value per dollar is your lens, use the cost-of-ownership calculator on this site: a slightly cheaper scooter with pneumatic tyres can cost more to run over a few years than a pricier one on solid tyres, and the sticker price alone hides that.

What the extra $700 buys

What these numbers actually govern

Here is what each of these measures controls in general — both the ones that separate these two and the ones they share. These describe the measure, not a claim about how either scooter rides, which we have not tested.

nominal power

Nominal power describes sustained output: it shows up in acceleration and in holding speed on a long climb rather than in a higher top speed.

peak power

Peak power is a short-burst figure — it describes acceleration headroom rather than what a motor can hold on a sustained climb.

price

Price is the one figure that is not a specification — it moves with stock and promotions, so treat any gap as current rather than permanent.

battery capacity

Watt-hours are the single best predictor of range, because capacity is the one range input that cannot be marketed around.

brakes

Hydraulic discs are more consistent at the lever than mechanical discs, and drums trade outright stopping power for lower maintenance — a difference that grows with speed.

Max load (both 265 lb)identical on both

A load rating covers rider plus cargo, not the rider alone. Where both models publish the same limit, rider weight cannot separate them.

Suspension (both dual)identical on both

Suspension is the component that most changes how a scooter handles broken pavement; where both models carry the same arrangement, road comfort is not a differentiator between them.

Drive (both Dual motor)identical on both

A second motor adds traction and acceleration at the cost of weight and battery drain. Where both use the same arrangement, drive layout is not a separator.

Price & where to buy

Who should buy which

Buy the Apollo City if you want to spend less ($1,299 vs $1,999), or you top up between commutes rather than overnight (4.5 h vs 6 h). Buy the Kaabo Mantis King GT if you want more sustained power (2200 W vs 1000 W — a decisive 55% edge), or you want more peak output (4300 W vs 2000 W — a decisive 53% edge). Whichever you pick, 4 specifications are identical across both — max load, suspension, tyre size — so those rows cannot decide it. Within their category our score puts the Apollo City at 65/100 against 63/100.

Bottom line: the Apollo City is the safer default here — it costs less ($1,299 vs $1,999). The Kaabo Mantis King GT earns its place if more nominal power (2200 W vs 1000 W) matters more to you. Every figure here is the manufacturer's published claim or a value we compute from it, linked back to each maker's own specification so you can check it yourself.

Frequently asked questions