Turboant V8 Electric Scooter Offers Up More Range and Power
Above all, the Turboant V8 dual-battery electric scooter comes after a long line of scooters. Its claim to fame falls under the dual-battery scooter configuration which yields up to 50 miles of range. For anyone looking to commute to work or school, that type of range should get your attention and keep it.
With a second battery and larger, more powerful 450W motor, we definitely wanted to see what this latest-generation electric scooter could do.
Ticking Off the Boxes
Rider Capacity
While the previous X7 Pro scooter claimed it supported adults up to 275 pounds, the sturdier V8 does so while more believably maintaining its claimed top speed of 20 miles per hour. I tested both scooters using my 150-pound frame. Where the X7 Pro couldn’t quite get me to speed except with very favorable conditions, the Turboant V8 scooter took me straight to 20 miles per hour and kept me there.
Speed Modes
You get three different modes on the V8 scooter. We did note that the V8 does away with “Beginner” mode in favor of “Eco mode”. If you want to hit that 50-mile range, you’ll need to stay in one of the slower modes to achieve it:
- Eco Mode (6 mph)
- Comfort Mode (9 mph)
- Sports Mode (20 mph)
Eco Mode works really well when learning to ride a scooter for the first time. Maxing out at around 6 mph, you can learn acceleration and braking before getting into those higher speeds. For anyone already used to electric scooters, Sports Mode works best for commuting or any serious pleasure riding. We used this mode for most of our riding and testing.
Design and Portability
The Turboant V8 has two batteries—unique for an electric scooter. One removable battery lives on the steering column and the second exists underneath the deck. You charge that one in place using a port on the left side of the steering column. Keep in mind that heat kills lithium-ion batteries, so try to keep your V8 dual-battery scooter in a location where it doesn’t get exposed to lots of heat—particularly during those summer months.
The second battery makes the V8 considerably more heavy than the Xt Pro—by about 15 pounds. Where you could lift the entire V7 Pro scooter up by the handles, the deck on the V8 drags, so you have to fold and lift it to move it anywhere easily.
Speaking of folding up the Turboant V8 scooter, it has a much more robust mechanism for that. A lever and latch system on the base of the steering column releases the neck for folding. It also locks into both positions—unlike the rather precarious X7 scooter. While heavier, it presents a much more secure package to pick up and place in the SUV or trunk of your vehicle. It’s just a little more cumbersome when taking it short distances—like out of the house into the garage.
Kickstand
The kickstand on the V8 keeps the scooter at the perfect angle. It works as you’d expect, and Turboant placed it intuitively on the left side.
Tubed Tires
The 9.3-inch tubed pneumatic tires are smaller than the 10-inch tires on the X7 series. Turboant added dual spring suspension into the deck, however, to give them a bit of relief. The effect felt very similar to the 10-inch pneumatic wheels on the former model. In either case, tubed tires give you a much better ride than solid rubber tires. You can also experiment with lower PSI levels for a more comfortable ride. This decreases your range but might help if you encounter lots of bumps on the road.
Driving the Turboant V8 Dual-battery Scooter
The first thing to note about the V8 dual-battery electric scooter had to do with its top speed. While the X7 Pro could get me up to 20 mph with a tailwind, the V8 gets you there more quickly and confidently. This likely has to do with that larger 450W brushless motor. It doesn’t seem to care much about whether an adult or child is riding—it just lets you take off.
Like any electric scooter, 20 mph feels rather quick when you travel that quickly just a couple inches from the surface of the road. Quick acceleration and respectable braking make this an electric scooter you could easily use for commuting to and from work via sidewalks or bike paths. Check your local laws for rules on how and where these electric scooters may be driven.
Like the Turboant X7 Pro, you have to get the scooter moving before engaging the throttle. This keeps it from “taking off” on you before you’re ready. We like this feature and it saves wear and tear on the motor as well as energy from unnecessary battery use to start from a dead stop.
Before or after you begin moving, you can switch between the three modes. Do this by double-clicking the power button. In fact, ALL electronic controls on the scooter operate from this single button:
- Long press: Power on/off
- 2-second press: Lights on/off
- Double-click: Switch between Eco (6 mph), Comfort (9 mph), and Sport (20 mph) modes
Braking
The disc brakes can stop you quickly, but the desired rate of braking is slow. This lets the brushless motor also contribute to braking and generate some energy in the process. When you let off the throttle the V8 immediately begins slowing down as the brushless motor does its work to electronically brake the scooter.
You might think that would decrease the overall range, but the two batteries and the regenerative nature of the action negates that entirely. Anticipate your braking as much as possible, and you’ll extend the life of those rear disc brakes.
A bit more about the Turboant V8 dual-battery scooter and regenerative braking…While it no longer coasts as easily, the motor supplies power back to the battery when coasting or slowing down. Should you ever happen to run out of charge, however, don’t expect to use this scooter as a traditional scooter—there’s too much friction. The upside is that the dual 7.5Ah 36V battery system gives this scooter plenty of runtime and range. I can’t imagine you’d ever run out of power unless you plan poorly.
LED Lights
When you activate the disc brakes, the rear red LEDs light up. You turn on the lights by double-clicking the function button on the red accelerator. The front LED shines forward and down, adequately lighting up the road while you drive. It also turns on the two red rear lights at the back of the deck. The lights work well—but not enough to make this a great night-driving vehicle. However, they certainly aid in visibility and we’d recommend turning them on if you approach dawn or dusk during your daily commute.
Cruise Control
Cruise control works identically to other Turboant scooters. Hold your speed steady using the throttle and cruise control engages automatically. Either the throttle or the brake disengages it. Cruise control works in all three speed modes and at any speed. Locking it in the top speed requires a bit of technique as maxing out the throttle won’t allow it to engage. I still found I could lock it in at 20 mph if I backed off slightly and held my speed constant.
LED Display
The LED display again sits at the top of the steering column. It gives you the battery level, speed, and speed mode information as well as whether you have the lights on. The battery levels are given as two concentric parabolic gauges.
Where we liked the visibility of the LCD on the X7 Pro, it’s absolutely unusable during the day on the V8. Any sort of glare renders the screen very difficult to read—particularly with respect to the small speed mode indicator. We could read the speed most of the time—and certainly, you can drive the scooter without having to rely on the display for feedback. Hopefully, Turboant won’t use this particular tech on any other models. It’s not a deal-breaker, but certainly worth nothing.
Turboant V8 Dual-battery Scooter vs X7 Pro
Since the Turboant V8 dual-battery electric scooter seems to improve upon the highly-regarded (and still available) X7 Pro, we thought we’d compare the two products. Overall, the Turboant V8 delivers a faster scooter with a lot more range due to the two batteries. Comparing the two, you’d have to really want the technology and extended range of the V8 to justify the additional cost. For the same price, you could get the X7 Pro with an additional 10Ah battery pack.
| X7 Pro | V8 | |
|---|---|---|
| Max Speed | 20 mph | 20 mph |
| Max range | 30 miles | 50 miles |
| Battery | 36V 10Ah (360Wh) | 2 x 36V 7.5 Ah (540Wh) |
| Removable Battery | Yes | Yes |
| Charge Time | 6 hours | 4 hours (parallel) |
| Motor | 350W | 450W |
| Foldable | Yes | Yes |
| Wheels | 10″ tube | 9.3″ tube |
| Braking | Disc + Manual | Regenerative Disc |
| Max Load | 275 lbs. | 275 lbs. |
| Weather Resistance | IPX4 | IP54 |
| Weight | 33 lbs. | 47.6 lbs. |
| Price | $550 | $800 |
Conclusion
The Turboant V8 battery-powered Scooter presents a pretty big step up in power and range over the X7 Pro or other Turboant products. While costing a bit more—if you want the ranger or no-nonsense power the V8 offers, it presents a great value. Use this as a confident commuter or as a premium toy for the weekends.
Turboant V8 Electric Scooter Specs
- Tires: 9.3-inch tubed pneumatic
- Motor: 450W
- Battery: 2 x 36V 7.5Ah (1 removable, 1 fixed)
- Charge time: 4-hours
- Drive modes: 3
- Speed: 6/9/20 mph
- Braking: Disc plus regenerative
- Range: 50 miles
- Max load: 275 lbs
- 3W LED headlight + LED brake light + 4 ambient LEDs
- Price: $799.98
Get more info here.
