Turboant X7 Pro Electric Scooter Review

What does a review of an electric scooter have to do with a photography site? With the world still in chaos from the Coronavirus pandemic, I figured it would be fun to do something completely different for a change. While I have been posting quite a few “catch-up” reviews recently (and more on the way), some of our readers might want to take a short break along with me from all the camera industry noise. Every once in a while, it is nice to enjoy something different, wouldn’t you agree? Anyway, I recently got ahold of an electric scooter that I have been enjoying tremendously, so I decided to write my impressions of it.

Introduction

Although I have been eyeing an e-scooter for a while, I always wanted to get something that’s easy to use, comfortable to ride, and has a great range. After looking at what’s available, I realized that the options were quite overwhelming – from high-end, waterproof, and expensive electric scooters, all the way to basic single motor budget choices. A few weeks back, Turboant reached out to me, asking if I wanted to check out their new X7 Pro electric scooter. The timing worked out perfectly, as this was something I have been wanting for a while now. Let’s take a closer look at it, and see what it has to offer.

First, we will start off with key specifications.

Turboant X7 Pro Specifications

As you can see, the Turboant X7 Pro is a single motor e-scooter with fairly impressive specs. It has a powerful 350 W motor that can deliver up to 20 mph speeds. The high-capacity Lithium-Ion battery can deliver up to 30 miles of range and charges in about 6 hours. It has strong electronic brakes, and it is made to be used both during the day and at night, thanks to its bright LED headlight and taillight. The IPX4 rating basically means that the scooter is resistant to water splashes from any direction, so you don’t need to worry about water damage in light rain, or when running over a puddle of water.

Packaging and Assembly

The Turboant X7 Pro arrived in a relatively large box. When I opened it, there was another box inside it, so it is protected quite well during shipping. Once I got the second box opened up, the e-scooter was fairly easy to pull out. Aside from the e-scooter itself, the box contained a relatively large charging adapter, a manual and a hex wrench. A valve adapter was supposed to be included, but I did not find one in the box.

Assembling the X7 Pro was super easy. The scooter was in a folded state inside the package, so all I had to do was put it on a flat surface, unfold it, then push the red latch down. The hex wrench is provided in case the lever becomes loose over time.

To fold it back for storage or car transport, you just reverse the process. The handles are easy to attach, as you simply screw them in.

Charging

Unlike other scooters that have battery located inside the deck, the battery on the X7 Pro is located inside the stem on the front, which makes it easy to access the removable battery. What’s nice, is that you can charge the battery directly on the scooter by accessing the charging port on the bottom, or by removing the battery from the stem compartment and charging it separately. Being able to have a removable battery is a great feature, since you can buy a spare battery and charge one, while riding with the other.

The provided battery charger is fairly powerful, but when the battery is fully depleted, expect to wait for up to 6 hours to get it fully charged up. The battery charger light will change from red to green once it is completely charged. I charged mine fully before the first ride, and it only took a few hours, since the battery was already partly charged out of the box.

Build Quality and Handling

When it comes to build quality, the X7 Pro does not disappoint. The whole frame, including the stem and the deck are made out of tough metal. The stem is pretty thick and sturdy. The deck has an anti-skid rubber surface, which is very effective and comfortable for longer rides. There are also parts made out of durable plastic, including the mudguard, taillight, and parts of the kickstand. Speaking of the kickstand, it is very useful when parking the scooter, since you don’t have to worry about leaning it against anything.

Here is a breakdown of all the components that the X7 Pro is made out of:

As you can see, the motor is on the front wheel, while the electronic brake is in the rear wheel.

Unfortunately, all this results in a fairly heavy unit – the X7 Pro weighs a total of 15 kg. That’s a bit more compared to other mid-range single motor e-scooters out there, but considering all the features and the large battery capacity, it is something expected. I find it best to fold the e-scooter when I need to move it comfortably, since carrying it by the handles or the stem isn’t particularly easy.

Ergonomics

The ergonomics of the X7 Pro are excellent. The rubber handles are soft and comfortable to use with or without gloves, and your hands won’t easily slip off of them. The left handle has a single push break, which is quite sensitive – be careful when using it at fast speeds, as it can feel quite abrupt. Slightly below the brake handle, you will find a warning ring bell that can be triggered by pushing the lever. It is not very loud, but certainly audible for close pedestrians.

The right handle is where the main controls are. Similar to its predecessor, the X7 Pro has a red throttle bar with two buttons: a power button and a function button. Pushing the power button for a few seconds turns on the e-scooter as well as the round LCD display in the center, while the function button allows switching between three different speeds. When riding the scooter at night, rapidly press the function button twice to turn the LED headlight on or off.

The LCD display is fairly large and bright. It has a digital speed indicator, which is fairly accurate and changes instantly as you gain or reduce speed. To the right of that is the speed level icon. When riding in Beginner Mode (6 mph max), nothing is displayed. The icon lights up when you set its speed to Eco Mode (10 mph max), and when switching to Sports Mode (up to 20 mph), it will switch to red color.

Below that you will find horizontal bars, which indicate battery level. When the battery is fully charged, you will see five bars, and when it is below 25% charge, it will be reduced down to one bar. There are additional icons that display fault and overheating warnings as well.

Ride Comfort

With its large 10″ tubed pneumatic tires, the ride comfort of the X7 Pro is amazing. The manual recommends keeping tire pressure between 31.9 and 34.8 psi. I would recommend double-checking the pressure level before your first ride, and it is something you should certainly check periodically because the range and comfort of the ride will depend on the pressure.

Personally, I like keeping it on the lower end closer to 31 psi for a very comfy ride, so that I don’t feel any bumps. But for longer range, it is best to increase the tire pressure.

Speed and Range Test

I performed several tests with the battery fully charged. While in ideal conditions and relatively flat roads, you should be able to get up to 30 miles of range, my neighborhood is on hills, so my mileage was significantly less, around 10-15 miles. Still, that’s a pretty impressive range! At moderate speeds, I have been able to run the e-scooter continuously for over an hour going up and down the hills.

The battery indicator isn’t very accurate though, as it depends on the load and the incline. When going up on fairly steep hills, it can sometimes drop down from 5 to 3-4 bars, then back to 5 bars when riding downhill or on a flat surface. Similar to other Li-ion batteries, it is a bad idea to let the scooter completely discharge, as it reduces its battery life. So I have been running it until I get to roughly 1 bar. I know I can squeeze more range out of it, but 10-15 miles is plenty – that’s good enough for me to go from my house to a nearby grocery store and back several times.

In terms of speed, the Sports mode is supposed to deliver up to 20 mph on a flat surface. I have seen it go as fast as 18 mph on a relatively flat road, but when coming down hills, it can certainly accelerate beyond that. I have not tried to push the scooter to its limits, because it can get dangerous.

Riding the X7 Pro

Riding the Turboant X7 Pro is pretty easy and straightforward – push off the ground to give it a little start, then push the red throttle down to engage the motor. As you ride, you can change the speed and turn the LED headlight on and off without having to slow down. If you continuously hold the throttle, you will hear it beep, which indicates speed lock / cruise control. From there, you can let go off the throttle and the unit will continue at the same speed. If you push the throttle down again or apply the brakes, it will turn off cruise control.

Braking with the X7 Pro is a breeze, but you have to watch out how much pressure you apply. If you are riding very fast in sports mode, you do not want to squeeze the brake handle too much unless you are in a potential accident situation, since the triple braking mechanism will engage very quickly and cause you to stop abruptly. This is a feature, not a bug, as Turboant points out on its website – safety first.

Stability and Taking Pictures While Riding

The stability of the X7 Pro is quite good, but it certainly takes time to get used to. I would strongly suggest against trying to ride it with a single hand – it is best to hold the e-scooter with both hands tightly. And forget about trying to take pictures while riding – you certainly do not want to crash on this thing while taking a picture, especially when riding at high speeds. In fact, Turboant recommends wearing a helmet and other protective gear and always be attentive when riding the scooter, as crashing with it might turn pretty ugly both for you and the scooter. Although the battery is behind the front stem, you still do not want to crash and damage it, as it could explode.

If you are planning to take pictures while riding the scooter, just stop somewhere safe, take pictures, and continue your ride. Here is my son, exploring the neighborhood on the X7 Pro with the Fuji X-H1 and XF 35mm f/1.4 R:

Summary

As you can see from this review, my family and I have been enjoying the Turboant X7 Pro quite a bit. It is a fun scooter to take for a ride, and it is a good way to get out of the house during the lockdown. Unfortunately, with all the wildfires in the Westcoast and in Colorado, the air quality hasn’t been great this summer, but I still have been trying to get out as much as possible. Sitting at home in front of the computer can get depressing, so I have been doing my best to enjoy the outdoors as much as I possibly can.

Where to Buy

You can purchase the X7 Pro through Turboant’s website directly. Turboant is currently running a launch promotion that gives a large $200 discount if you buy it in the next 14 days, so if you would like to take advantage of this offer, don’t wait until the offer expires.

I hope you enjoyed this review. I will be posting many more Fuji lens reviews in the next few weeks, including all GFX medium format lenses. After that, I will be off to take some pictures with the Nikon Z5 and two new zoom lenses (unfortunately, I couldn’t get the new Z 70-200mm f/2.8 S on time), as well as the Canon EOS R6 and a bunch of RF mount lenses. Reviews will follow after I get back from my trip, so stay tuned!

Do you own an electronic scooter? Please share your experience in the comments section below.