The Apollo Phantom V4 vs V3: Speed Test Shootout

Apollo Phantom V4 vs V3: Is the latest version of this scooter the best yet?

See the results of our speed, range, acceleration, and hill climb shoot-out.

Apollo Phantom V4 – $2,399 / $2,099

The original Apollo Phantom broke the rigid mold of electric scooter designs available at the time and introduced the first center-mounted display on the first fully-integrated performance scooter.

Now in its fourth iteration, the Phantom beats out its previous versions in almost every metric. We’ve been eager to compare the Apollo Phantom V4 to its predecessor, the already excellent Phantom V3. You can see the results of our ultimate shootout below.

Our speed, acceleration, range, and hill climb tests showed that this is without a doubt the best generation yet of the dual-motor sports scooter that changed everyone’s expectations for performance electric scooters when it came out in 2021.

We performance-tested the Apollo Phantom V4 versus the V3, head-to-head, and also tested the Phantom V4 with two different-sized riders to see the difference 70 pounds in rider weight makes when it comes to acceleration, top speed, etc.

Who Is This Scooter For?

The Apollo Phantom V4 is for riders who want a solid, fast dual-motor sports scooter with lots of range. You can find more raw power per dollar in other scooters, but the Phantom is so stable that it’s easy to use its power safely.

The Phantom V4 gives you the ability to get into crazy fast, full-on car speeds in the city, and lets you get more aggressive with both the throttle and the brakes than most other scooters in its price range.

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Apollo Phantom V4 Specs

Our Full Video Review

Apollo Phantom V4 vs V3: Performance

Top Speed

The Apollo Phantom V4’s more efficient motors give it a higher top speed than its predecessor. Ramier and I speed-tested both the Phantom V4 and the Phantom V3 to get an idea of how these scooters performed with two different-sized riders.

I’m 165 pounds and hit 40 mph on the V4 and 38 mph on the Phantom V3, while Ramier, at 235 pounds, hit a top speed of 38.5 and 36.5, respectively. That’s a pretty significant increase in max speed between the two versions of this scooter.

Acceleration

When we look at acceleration times from 0-10, 0-20, and 0-30 for both of these electric scooters, the numbers stay fairly consistent between them, although the V4 does shave 0.2 seconds from the V3’s 0-30 time.

That 7.1 seconds now ties the Phantom with the Kaabo Wolf Warrior X Pro and Minimotors Dualtron Eagle Pro for quickness.

When we compare the Apollo Phantom V4’s acceleration times between two riders of different weight, however, we see significant differences in speed. It takes the Phantom V4 over two seconds longer to reach 30 mph with a 235-lb rider than with a 165-lb rider.

Hill Climb

In our hill climb test, the Phantom V4 outperformed its predecessor, climbing our 10% grade, 200-ft hill in 0.4 fewer seconds with a 165-lb rider.

“The spec says it can climb a 25% grade hill, so I found one and put it to the test.“

Range

This is definitely the biggest difference we saw between the Phantom V4 and V3 editions. On the range course, I rode the V4 33.6 miles in Ludo mode with acceleration turned all the way up, while the V3 only 28.4 miles with the same settings.

Here’s how I account for the difference: these new motors are more efficient and better at cooling down, and the V3 had an internally mounted controller vs the externally-mounted controller on the V4. Controllers tend to run more efficiently when they’re cooler as well.

Braking

The brakes are unchanged on the Apollo Phantom V4 edition, so it’s little wonder that we got the same braking distance of 9.5 ft from 15 mph, which is outstanding for this class of scooters.

The Phantom uses cable-operated disc brakes with large, 160mm diameter rotors, but most of the time, you’ll find yourself using the regenerative braking because it feels so good.

Ride Quality

The Phantom V4 uses a new steering head, which helps stabilize the ride, although I never felt like this scooter needed a steering damper. It’s a very well-balanced ride, and you can ride it hard without ever feeling like you’re on the edge of death (not a feeling I particularly enjoy on an electric scooter).

I’d love to see tubeless tires on the Phantom at this price. In 2024, it’s a perfectly reasonable expectation to have. But the split rims do make it easier than ever to change a tube should you get a flat.

Apollo Phantom V4 vs V3: Design, Build & Reliability

Some other Apollo scooters – like the Apollo Pro and City Pro – rate more highly on our Reliability Index, a number that averages 11 factors such as warranty length, tire type, UL certification, and battery manufacturer. Those scooters score a 9.4 and 9.2, respectively, which is outstanding.

The Apollo Phantom V4 scores an 8.2 for reliability on our scale, which is very good. Unfortunately, we couldn’t rate it higher because of the lack of tubeless tires.

Apollo Phantom V4: Is It a Worthy Update of the V3? Our Verdict

We think this comparison pretty much speaks for itself: in terms of top speed, acceleration, hill climb, ride quality, and – especially – range, the Apollo Phantom V4 is a complete update and upgrade over the previous version.

It’s definitely worth upgrading from the V3 to the V4 or buying a new V4 over a used V3, and right now you can get the Phantom at the best price we’ve ever seen.

Use our coupon code RIDERGUIDE for max savings