We had a go at Turboant’s X7 electric scooter and it did not disappoint
by Philippe Daix, onThe entry-level electric scooter niche is a cutthroat affair right now. Companies that are more or less known in the scooter industry are battling for a piece of the pie as more and more riders are looking at e-scooters as a solution to avoid clogged city traffic or simply as an alternative to shabby public transportation networks that don’t properly cover their areas.
Enter Turboant and their X7 electric scooter, a contraption that’s looking to dethrone the hugely-popular Xiaomi Mi M365 and steal some of its customers. Turboant was kind enough to send us the X7 for reviewing purposes, so inevitably, we took it for a spin. Our impressions are for you to read in the hands-on review that continues below.
Turboant X7 Electric Scooter - DESIGN
Right off the bat, we must mention just how pretty the X7 is. We liked the nice matte black and red wiring scheme and the overall premium vibe of the scooter. In fact, someone even stopped us asking what brand it was and even took a picture of the scooter. Continuing the high-quality vibe is the digital screen that displays battery- and speed-related info. It’s very similar to the one you find on the Emaxusa electric scooter, but the info it shows is very easy to read and friendly to the eye.
Despite all this, we found the handlebars a bit too mushy to our liking. The feel here is that you’re holding the handlebars on a kids’ bike. What’s more, we found out that the brake lever is positioned a tad too far from the handlebar, so you really have to struggle with just two fingers to apply the brake, which is not the most comforting action when you’re riding close to the scooter’s top speed or in crowded areas, when you really need to stop or decelerate more often than while cruising.
Turboant says the scooter’s frame is made of aluminum alloy but we still found it a bit too heavy to carry around on long distances. Sure, it tips the scales at almost 30 pounds which might not sound like much at first, but the lack of a handlebar of sorts that would allow you to better grab the X7 while folded forces you to get creative when carrying it: we ended up keeping one wheel on the ground as we pulled the e-scooter from the opposite end. While that might work for your middle-size adult male, a teenager or a delicate-framed woman will struggle quite a lot. Subsequently, it’s easy enough to place the scooter in your car’s trunk, for example, but we wouldn’t advise you to try carrying it over a flight of stairs for example.
However, this is where the X7’s main feature comes into play. Its cylinder-shaped battery pack is actually stored inside the handlebar frame and you can remove it by simply pulling on a ribbon. Basically, without the added weight of the battery, it’s a lot easier to transport the e-scooter, but you can also leave it outside or in the garage and simply take the battery inside for charging. You can also buy a second battery pack ($200) and have it nearby if you’re not willing to wait up to six hours for a full charge.
What’s in the box?
Upon delivery, you’ll get a big box that houses the scooter and a smaller box that contains the following:
- 2 handlebars that you’ll have to screw in yourself
- valve adapter, basically a short tube that lets you inflate the tires
- the battery charger and adapter
- an M6 hex key
- warranty card
We did not get a manual, however, but we guess that’s because setting up the e-scooter is pretty straightforward and can be done in no time, since the scooter is already assembled and all you really need to do is attach the handlebars and check the tire pressure and the battery level before you’re good to go. We did experience some delays in the buttons right after setting up the scooter, but we blamed those on the low battery level. The tires were also deflated to some extent, but that’s pretty normal since the box might have sat for a long time in a storage unit and maybe it was also exposed to fluctuating temperatures.
Turboant X7 Electric Scooter - PERFORMANCE
| Motor | hub, electric, mounted in the front wheel |
|---|---|
| Power | 350W |
| Top speed | 20 mph (32 km/h) |
| Max climbing ability | 15 degrees |
| Ride modes | 3 (Slope-climbing, Medium-Gear, High-Speed Gear) |
| Battery pack | Li-ion, removable, mounted in the handlebar frame |
| Voltage/Capacity | 36V/6.4 Ah, 230.4 Wh |
| Charging time | 6 h |
| Max range | 16 mi (roughly 25 km) |
| Tires | tubeless, pneumatic, 8.5 in diameter |
| Brakes | e-throttle, disc, and foot |
| Max load | 275 lb (124 kg) |
| Foldable | Yes |
| Suspension | No |
| Frame | Aluminum alloy |
| Weight | 29.7 lb (13.5 kg) |
| Unfolded size | 41.6 x 16.5 x 45.9 in (1,056 x 420 x 1,166 mm) |
| Folded size | 41.6 x 16.5 x 17.7 in (1,056 x 420 x 450 mm) |
| Ground clearance | 4.7 in (120 mm) |
| IP Rating | IPX4 |
Turboant X7 Electric Scooter - RIDING IMPRESSIONS
Despite the lack of a suspension setup, the X7 soaks up a lot of bumps which makes for a really nice ride.
Helping that are the two air-filled, tubeless tires measuring 8.5 inches in diameter. Their chunky nature replaces the need for a dedicated suspension system, but there’s a drawback in this: in case one of the tires gets punctured, you’re gonna have to change it entirely with a new one. There are three speed settings, which lets us know that Turboant though about every type of rider out there: advanced, intermediate, and rookie.
The slope-climbing gear limits the speed to 7.5 miles per hour, then there’s the Medium-Speed Gear which lets you ride at 17.5 miles per hour, and on top of that sits the High-Speed Gear, which unlocks the e-scooters Vmax of 20 miles per hour. We rode it mostly in High-Speed, but never quite managed to reach the advertised top speed, but rather something in the region of 18-19 miles per hour. Even so, that was decent enough and should let you ride swiftly from point A to point B with plenty of peace of mind. What’s more, due to the high riding position, it’s sometimes difficult to see and react to cracks and bumps in the asphalt, which might be a tad scary for inexperienced riders during their first couple of miles on the Turboant X7. However, the big wheels and the large contact rubber patch give you a good sense of grip and it’s also easy to turn the scooter around without losing that sense of safety.
We didn’t quite like the wobbly feeling of the speed limiter feature at seven miles per hour, as it struggled to keep a constant speed.
The X7 does come with a cruise control feature, too, but we didn’t use it too much as we prefer being in full control of the e-scooter. It could be useful, though, in those scenarios where you find yourself on a long straight with low car and pedestrian traffic. Other than that, there’s a hidden submenu with three settings (P0, P1, and P2). These come in handy if you want to reconfigure the X7, as it follows:
- P0 - lets you change the speed measurement unit between miles per hour and kilometers per hour
- P1 - lets you activate or cancel the cruise control feature
- P2 - lets you modify the speed at which the scooter is activated
Turboant says the X7 can go for as much as 16 miles on a single charge. Of course, that’s measured in ideal conditions, at low speed and on flat ground. We rode the scooter for about three miles in High-Gear and the battery didn’t even flinch.
Turboant X7 Electric Scooter - PRICE
The Turboant X7 electric scooter costs $599, but the Turboant website mentioned a $399 sticker at the time of writing. You can also get one on Amazon; you can check the latest price right here.
Final Thoughts
Obviously, the Turboant X7 works best a last-mile commute-serving scooter. But given its affordable price and neat design, it’s also a great backup solution in case your car breaks down or your area is not that well-served by public transport. What’s more, the clever removable battery works two ways: it lets you quickly replace a depleted battery with a charged one and you’re not force to take the whole scooter inside for charging. Another bonus is the quality build, so all in all, given how much Turboant is asking for the X7, you’re looking at a pretty good bang for your buck.