Apollo Air 2022 vs Acer ES Series 4 Select - Which "Serious" Commuter Scooter Actually Delivers?

Fast Answer for Busy Riders ⚡ (TL;DR)

The Apollo Air 2022 is the overall winner: it rides more comfortably, feels more refined, and inspires more confidence day after day, even if you pay a hefty premium for the privilege. Its suspension, handling and build make it the nicer place to spend your commute, especially if you regularly do medium distances on mixed city surfaces.

The Acer ES Series 4 Select, on the other hand, makes sense if your budget is tight and you still want something reasonably solid with decent power, indicators and app features - you're basically trading comfort and polish for a much lower price tag. Light riders with shorter, mostly flat commutes will be perfectly fine on the Acer and will like the turn signals and app lock.

If you care more about how your scooter rides than how much it costs, keep reading - the deeper comparison really separates these two on the road, not just on paper.

Electric scooters around this price band all promise the same thing: "serious commuting", fewer rattles than the rentals, and just enough performance to feel like a grown-up vehicle rather than a toy. The Acer ES Series 4 Select and the Apollo Air 2022 both sit in that space, both roll on big air-filled tyres, both have proper braking, both talk to an app, and both claim ranges that sound wonderfully optimistic on a sunny product page.

I've put real kilometres on both - from cracked pavements and tram tracks to wet cobblestones and dreary bike lanes - and they're a good example of the two main commuter philosophies. The Acer plays the "good enough and not too expensive" card, while the Apollo leans hard into refinement and comfort, then sends you the bill.

If you're torn between saving money and saving your spine, this comparison will help you decide which compromise hurts less.

Who Are These For, and Why Compare Them?

Both scooters live squarely in the single-motor, mid-power commuter class: faster and stronger than the cheap rental-style stuff, but nowhere near the territory where you start shopping for motorcycle armour and a second mortgage.

The Acer ES Series 4 Select targets the pragmatic commuter who wants a bit more shove than the basic hire scooters, some suspension, and the reassurance of a big-name electronics brand - but doesn't want to blow four figures on the experience. It's for people who see their scooter as an appliance: charge, ride, forget.

The Apollo Air 2022 aims a notch higher: the "premium commuter" who rides most days, values comfort, and is willing to pay extra for a smoother, more planted feel and better finishing. It's for riders who've already tried something cheaper and decided, "Yes, I do actually care what this feels like at the end of a 10 km commute."

They compete because, for many buyers, it boils down to: do I stretch my budget for the Air, or grab the Acer and keep a few hundred euro in my pocket?

Design & Build Quality

Side by side, you can absolutely see the family resemblance - dark frames, internal cabling, grown-up aesthetics - but there's a difference in how "tight" each scooter feels in the hands.

The Acer looks the part with its matte black frame and tucked-away cables. Nothing screams "cheap rebrand", and it has that slick, tech-brand neatness you'd expect from a laptop manufacturer rediscovering its industrial-design muscles. The stem is reasonably solid, the deck looks clean, and the controls are laid out sensibly. It feels competent, if a little generic. You never forget it's a commuter scooter built to hit a price point.

The Apollo Air 2022 goes further down the premium rabbit hole. The one-piece-style frame, thick stem and clean cockpit feel more "small vehicle" than "gadget". The rubberised deck feels nicer underfoot and stays presentable longer than grip tape. Panel gaps, finishes and the general lack of rattles give the impression that more time was spent in the design studio and on test rigs. Pick each one up and bounce it slightly: the Acer has the occasional buzz and creak you expect in this class, while the Apollo feels more monolithic.

Neither is badly made, but the Air feels like it has another layer of engineering between you and the compromises. Whether that's worth almost doubling the purchase price is the real question.

Ride Comfort & Handling

Comfort is where the gap between these two becomes very obvious once you leave postcard-smooth tarmac.

The Acer's ride is... fine. The front fork suspension and large tubeless tyres definitely take the edge off city abuse. On moderate bumps, expansion joints and rougher bike paths, it keeps things civilised. But hit a series of sharp imperfections - think broken paving stones or those hateful brick patches leading to zebra crossings - and the fork starts to feel out of its depth. You feel more of the impact through your hands and knees, and after a longer ride you know you've done some work.

The Apollo Air 2022 feels noticeably more composed. Its front suspension setup, paired with the same big air tyres, smooths out the chatter to the point where you can actually forget about the surface for stretches at a time. On my usual "test of cruelty" - a few kilometres of patched asphalt, tram tracks and the odd pothole that really should have its own postcode - the Air glides where the Acer starts to fidget. The wider handlebars help a lot here: they calm down steering inputs, so you're not constantly correcting every little bump.

In tight manoeuvres, like weaving around parked cars or cutting through pedestrian zones at walking pace, both are predictable, but the Apollo's wider bar and more planted front end give a little more confidence. The Acer steers a tad quicker and can feel lightly twitchy at higher speeds on bumpy ground if you're not relaxed on the bars.

For short inner-city hops, the Acer's comfort is acceptable. For regular medium-distance rides, the Apollo simply leaves you less tired and less irritated by municipal road maintenance standards.

Performance

Neither scooter is a rocket ship, and that's probably a good thing for the kind of riders they're aimed at. The question is more: which one feels less out of breath when the road tilts up or traffic gets fast?

The Acer's rear motor is a pleasant surprise if you're used to the underpowered rental fare. Off the line, it has enough punch to get you clear of the junction without feeling like you're pushing a supermarket trolley. In its most eager mode, it accelerates briskly to a pace that keeps you flowing with city cyclists and slower scooter riders. On hills, though, reality catches up. Moderate inclines are handled decently, but longer or steeper climbs sap speed, especially for heavier riders. You'll get up there, but you won't be bragging about it.

The Apollo Air 2022's stronger motor sits a tier above in real-world oomph. Throttle roll-on is smooth, but there's a firmer shove once it digs in. Pulling away from lights, you feel more authority - you're not merely keeping up with bikes, you're often leaving them behind without trying. On moderate hills, the Air holds its speed much better. You still won't mistake it for a dual-motor beast, but you spend less time watching your speed drift down and more time just riding.

Top-speed feel on both is in that "fast enough for a bike lane, no faster please" bracket. The Acer tapers off at a respectable commuter pace; the Apollo just nudges past that, giving you a bit more headroom when the bike lane empties or the wind picks up. Crucially, the Air feels more stable at that speed thanks to its chassis and bar width. On the Acer, at full tilt over imperfect ground, you're more conscious of balancing the scooter rather than just enjoying the cruise.

Braking-wise, the Acer's front disc plus rear electronic brake setup has good bite and, once you get used to it, respectable control. Hard stops are drama-free as long as the road is dry and you weight the rear a little. The Apollo's front drum plus strong regenerative system feels more progressive and less maintenance-hungry. You can do most of your slowing down with the regen alone in daily use, saving the mechanical brake for emergencies. From the saddle, the Apollo gives you a more refined, predictable deceleration profile; the Acer feels slightly more "mechanical" and abrupt at times, though still safe.

Battery & Range

On paper, both promise very similar maximum ranges. Out in the real world, the picture is more nuanced - as usual.

The Acer's battery is sized sensibly for its motor and weight. On a typical mixed commute - some full-speed sections, plenty of stops, a few hills - expect something in the low-to-mid double digits of kilometres before the battery gauge starts getting nervy. Ride gently in a lower power mode on mostly flat ground and you can stretch that into more impressive figures, but not the marketing fantasy. Push it in Sport mode everywhere and you'll be looking for a socket noticeably sooner.

The Apollo Air 2022 carries a bigger energy pack, and you feel that in usable range. With similar riding patterns and a rider of average weight, it comfortably outlasts the Acer by a decent margin. It's the difference between thinking "I probably should charge tonight" and "I'll do another day before plugging in." You still won't match the bold factory claim unless you ride like a saint at sub-max speeds, but in my experience, the Air lets you be more relaxed about detours and headwinds.

Charging is another area where both are more "normal" than exciting. The Acer tops up fully in roughly a working day's office stint or an overnight charge - perfectly adequate. The Apollo, with its larger pack, takes longer on the standard charger, so this is more of a strict overnight affair unless you're fine with partial charges.

Range anxiety-wise, the Acer is fine for predictable there-and-back urban commutes if you treat the throttle with a bit of respect. The Apollo gives you more buffer to misbehave and still make it home without nursing the last electrons.

Portability & Practicality

On the scales, both scooters live in that slightly awkward "portable, but only just" category. You can carry them, but you won't be auditioning for CrossFit sponsorships with them either.

The Acer sits a bit closer to the "chunky" end of commuter weight. Carrying it up a couple of flights of stairs is doable, but not something you'll look forward to every day. The folding mechanism is straightforward, and once folded the scooter forms a fairly compact, if not especially light, package. The stem hooks onto the rear fender, so at least it's easy to grab and go.

The Apollo Air 2022 is lighter, but not by the kind of margin that suddenly makes it a joy to lug. It's more manageable for short carries - up a half-flight to the office, into a boot - but still not something you'd want to drag around a shopping centre for an hour. Its folding latch is secure but slightly more fiddly and low-mounted, which gets old if you're folding and unfolding multiple times a day. To make matters more interesting, the handlebars don't fold in, so the folded package is wider than the Acer's and can be more annoying in narrow hallways and on crowded trains.

In everyday use, both live happily under a desk or in a hallway corner. The Acer feels slightly better as a "fold it, stow it and forget about it" tool, thanks to the more classic folding geometry. The Apollo feels more like a scooter you park and lock outside or wheel into a garage, then fold only when you really need to.

Safety

Both scooters tick the main safety boxes, but they prioritise different details.

The Acer scores immediate points with its full lighting set including turn signals. Being able to signal without taking your hand off the bar is a genuine upgrade in city traffic, especially around impatient car drivers. The front light is bright enough for urban speeds, and the brake light is clear. Combined with the larger tyres and front suspension, it feels reasonably secure over patchy surfaces, and the hybrid braking system gives confident stopping if you ride with a bit of mechanical sympathy.

The Apollo Air 2022 trades indicators for a more honed overall chassis feel and braking package. Its front drum plus rear regen braking is extremely predictable, even in the wet, and needs less fiddling over time. The headlight is positioned high and makes you visible, though I wouldn't rely on it alone for dark, unlit paths - clip-on auxiliary lighting is a sensible addition. Where the Apollo really earns its safety stripes is stability: wide bar, dialled-in suspension, and consistent grip from those pneumatic tyres. In emergency swerves or sudden braking on rough ground, it simply feels more composed.

If your commute involves heavy traffic and lots of turns in front of cars, the Acer's indicators are a strong pragmatic plus. If your routes are faster, rougher or often wet, the Apollo's calmer chassis and braking feel like the safer long-term bet.

Community Feedback

Price & Value

This is where things get slightly uncomfortable for the Apollo and oddly flattering for the Acer.

The Acer ES Series 4 Select sits in a crowded mid-budget space and, judged purely by features, punches slightly above its price. You get decent power, real suspension, big tyres, turn signals, an app and a well-known brand behind it. It's not a screaming bargain, but it's sensibly priced. You're clearly paying for a commuter tool, not for bells, whistles and bragging rights.

The Apollo Air 2022 lives in a very different part of your bank statement. You pay roughly double what Acer is asking, and on a raw spec sheet it can look like poor value - there are plenty of anonymous scooters offering bigger batteries and motors for similar money. But those rivals rarely match the Air's polish, ride comfort and support. The question is whether that extra smoothness and refinement is worth the steep premium to you personally.

If you ride every day and treat your scooter as a car replacement, the Apollo's nicer ride and sturdier feel can easily justify the investment over a couple of years. If you're an occasional rider or you're stretching your budget just to get into e-scooters, the Acer feels like a more financially sensible compromise.

Service & Parts Availability

Acer's advantage is obvious: it's a huge electronics brand with an established European presence. That doesn't automatically guarantee flawless after-sales service for scooters, but it does mean distribution networks, documentation and warranty processes that aren't invented on the fly. Basic consumables like tyres and brake parts are standard enough that most shops can deal with them, and having a "real" brand on the invoice tends to make warranty conversations calmer.

Apollo is smaller but very scooter-focused, with a reputation for rider-centric support and a reasonably strong parts pipeline via its partners and distributors. The Air 2022 isn't built from exotic unicorn components; most wear items are available, and the active community helps with guidance and fixes. In Europe, access is more variable by country, but still better than many no-name imports.

In blunt terms: neither is a nightmare to maintain, but the Acer benefits from general brand infrastructure, while Apollo benefits from being a specialist that actually cares about scooters rather than laptops.

Pros & Cons Summary

Parameters Comparison

Final Verdict - Which Should You Choose?

If we strip away the marketing and look at how these scooters actually feel to live with, the Apollo Air 2022 comes out as the more accomplished machine. It rides better, copes with bad infrastructure more gracefully, and feels like it will keep doing so without slowly shaking itself apart. If your commute is long enough that comfort genuinely matters, and you can stomach the asking price, the Air is the one you'll be happier to ride every day.

The Acer ES Series 4 Select is more of a head-over-heart proposition. It does most things reasonably well, costs far less, and throws in niceties like turn signals and a solid app. You are very aware you didn't buy the "nice one", but you also didn't empty your savings account. For shorter, mostly urban commutes on half-decent surfaces, it's a rational, if slightly uninspiring, workhorse.

In simple terms: choose the Apollo if your scooter is a serious daily vehicle and you value how it rides as much as what it costs. Choose the Acer if you just need a competent, affordable way to stop waiting for the bus - and you're willing to accept a bit more harshness and a bit less polish along the way.

Numbers Freaks Corner

These metrics give you a cold, emotionless look at efficiency and "bang for buck". Price per Wh and price per km/h tell you how much you pay for energy capacity and speed. Weight-based metrics show how much mass you haul per unit of performance or range. Wh per km captures how efficiently each scooter turns battery juice into distance. Power-to-speed and weight-to-power give a feel for how strongly a scooter is powered relative to its top speed and heft. Charging speed simply indicates how quickly each scooter refills its battery from empty.

Author's Category Battle

Overall Winner Declaration

In the Numbers Freaks Corner, the ACER ES Series 4 Select scores 5 points against the APOLLO Air 2022's 5. In the Author's Category Battle, the ACER ES Series 4 Select gets 16 ✅ versus 26 ✅ for APOLLO Air 2022 (with a few ties sprinkled in).

Totals: ACER ES Series 4 Select scores 21, APOLLO Air 2022 scores 31.

Based on the scoring, the APOLLO Air 2022 is our overall winner. Between these two, the Apollo Air 2022 is the scooter I actually look forward to riding: it feels more sorted, more grown-up, and simply kinder to your body when the road turns ugly. The Acer ES Series 4 Select plays the sensible card and does a decent job of it, but it never quite manages to feel special - it's transport, not a little daily indulgence. If you want your commute to feel less like a chore and more like a quiet, smooth glide through the city, the Apollo is the one that will keep you smiling longer. If your wallet has stronger opinions than your spine, the Acer will get you there with fewer complaints than most at its price.

That's our verdict when we try to stay objective – but hey, riding is mostly about emotions anyway, so pick the one that will make you look forward to your commute every single day.