Apollo Dash vs Apollo Explore 2.0: Which Should You Buy? (2026)

Side by side

	Apollo Dash 47	Apollo Explore 2.0 62
Motor & speed
Top speed (claimed)	21 mph	25 mph✓
Peak power	—	1650 W
Nominal power	1200 W	—
Drive	Single motor	Single motor
Max incline	26.8%	26.8%
Battery & range
Claimed range	25 mi	37 mi✓
Est. real-world range	14–18 mi	20–26 mi✓
Battery	480 Wh	648 Wh✓
Charge time	5 h✓	8 h
Build
Weight	43 lb✓	60 lb
Max load	220 lb	265 lb✓
Suspension	none	dual
Brakes	Rear Drum + Power RBS™ (regenerative braking)	Front Drum + Power RBS™ (regenerative braking)
Water resistance	IP66	IP66
Tyres	9.5" tubeless	10" tubeless
Features
Score (within category)	47/100	62/100✓
Price	$649✓	$849

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.

What the makers don't publish

Apollo does not publish peak power for the Apollo Dash — 1 of the 15 specifications we track. Apollo does not publish nominal power for the Apollo Explore 2.0 — 1 of the 15 specifications we track. We show a dash for each of those rather than estimate, and a missing figure is never counted against a scooter in our scoring — the component is dropped and the remaining weights renormalise. Because both sheets have holes, several rows of the table above cannot be compared at all, so treat this as a comparison of what is published rather than a complete picture. If one of the unpublished figures is the one your decision turns on, ask the seller in writing before you buy: a maker that measures a specification usually states it, and silence is a reasonable prompt to look harder.

Motor & speed

The Apollo Explore 2.0 is the faster of the pair, 25 mph against 21 mph — a 4 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. The Apollo Explore 2.0 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. 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 Dash holds 480 Wh and the Explore 2.0 648 Wh. The Apollo Explore 2.0's 35% 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 Dash's 25-mile figure realistically works out to about 14–18 miles once you account for a normal rider at real speeds; the Explore 2.0's 37 lands at roughly 20–26. 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 Dash is back to full in about 5 hours against 8, 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: 43 lb against 60 lb, a 17 lb difference. If you carry the scooter up stairs or onto a train, the lighter Apollo Dash 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. Only the Apollo Explore 2.0 has suspension at both ends, the single upgrade that most changes how a scooter feels on cracked city pavement; the other leans on its tyres to take the edge off, which works but not as well. Each publishes a water-resistance rating (IP66 and IP66); the higher of the two shrugs off heavier rain, though neither should be ridden through standing water or pressure-washed.

Price, score & value

The Apollo Dash is the cheaper of the two, $649 against $849 — a $200 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 Explore 2.0 scores higher (62/100 to 47/100). 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 $200 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.

charge time

Charge time matters most if you top up between a morning and an evening commute rather than overnight.

claimed range

Every claimed range figure is measured at a light rider weight, a low constant speed and on flat ground, which is why we show a computed real-world band beside it.

weight

Weight decides the moments off the scooter: carrying it up a flight of stairs, lifting it onto transit, loading it into a car boot.

suspension

Suspension at both ends changes how a scooter handles broken pavement more than any other single component; a single unit covers one end only, and none leaves the tyres to do the work.

battery capacity

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

Max incline (both 26.8%)identical on both

A climbing grade is quoted under test conditions and a heavier rider reaches the limit sooner than the figure suggests; an identical claim means neither is specified to climb better.

Water resistance (both IP66)identical on both

An IP rating describes water resistance, not immersion: it covers rain and splashes, never standing water or a pressure washer. A shared rating means neither is the safer choice in the wet.

Tyre type (both tubeless)identical on both

Pneumatic and tubeless tyres absorb road imperfections that solid tyres pass into the deck; solid tyres trade that comfort for never puncturing. A shared construction means the same trade on both.

Drive (both Single 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

Step up to the Apollo Explore 2.0 if your trips are longer and range decides it (37 mi vs 25 mi claimed — a decisive 32% edge) — that is what the $200 buys. Save the $200 and take the Apollo Dash if you top up between commutes rather than overnight (5 h vs 8 h), and that matters more to you than the rows that change. The step changes 6 specifications and leaves 5 identical — voltage (both 48 V), max incline (both 26.8%), water resistance (both IP66) carry over unchanged, so the money is buying claimed range rather than a different scooter.

Bottom line: the $200 step from the Apollo Dash to the Apollo Explore 2.0 buys claimed range, suspension, battery capacity, and costs you charge time and weight. It changes nothing about voltage (both 48 V), max incline (both 26.8%), water resistance (both IP66), tyre type (both tubeless). Every figure here is the manufacturer's published claim or a value we compute from it.

Frequently asked questions