Turboant V8 review

The Turboant V8 is the newest top-end scooter from the micromobility producer, boasting top-end specs like a 450W motor and prime speeds of 20mph alongside distinctive options like a dual-battery design that gives a powerful 50-mile vary and slashes charging time in half.

It’s an enormous enchancment over the Turboant X7 Professional with out the related worth hike, which means it’s extra reasonably priced than you would possibly suppose.

Is it sufficient to compete with the likes of the equally priced Xiaomi Mi Professional 2 scooter? You may be shocked.

Design & options

• Clear, industrial design
• Twin-battery design with detachable battery
• Tremendous-fast folding system
• Distinctive show

The Turboant V8 is a mix of type and performance, with an industrial, angular look that flies within the face of the likes of the rounded Reid E4.

That’s to not say it’s not a handsome scooter although, with a clear design largely devoid of brake cables that plague the stems of a lot of the competitors. The place there are seen cables, the brilliant pink colouring makes them pop in opposition to an virtually totally black physique for added fashion.

Lewis Painter / Foundry

The deck is pretty lengthy and extensive, measuring in at 500 x 175mm, and the grippy patterned texture helps you keep on the scooter even in moist circumstances. With official IP54 water resistance, it’s in a position to survive a stint within the rain – although I’d keep away from deep puddles if I have been you.

The Turboant V8 has one of many easiest folding mechanisms round, with a single massive latch on the backside of the stem. When it’s time to fold, merely pull the lever away from the stem and in direction of the deck and your complete entrance stem will fold with it. It actually takes lower than 3 seconds, locking into place on the board able to be carried.

It’s compact sufficient to place into the boot of a automotive when folded, measuring in at 1160 x 505 x 460mm, although at a not-insignificant 21.6kg, it’s not the simplest to hold onto public transport. In case you’re looking out for a light-weight scooter, the Mycle Cruiser Professional is a stable different.

Lewis Painter / Foundry

However why is the V8 so heavy? Certain, it’s pretty cumbersome, nevertheless it’s a lot smaller than the likes of the 28kg Inokim Ox Tremendous.

It’s largely all the way down to the battery – or batteries – housed inside the V8. The Turboant V8 is one in all only a few electrical scooters available on the market in 2022 to boast a twin battery design, with a set battery housed inside the deck and a detachable one within the stem. It’s straightforward to take away too; merely raise the latch on the stem to take away the battery.

There are enormous advantages to the vary and cost time, which I’ll element slightly later, however the knock-on impact is that it’s a lot heavier than many of the competitors.

Lewis Painter / Foundry

The Turboant V8’s show is one other characteristic of be aware, embedded centrally on the handlebars for a clear end. It shows the usual info you’d count on, like pace, battery life and light-weight standing, nevertheless it goes a step additional with rev-counter-like graphics.

As you apply the throttle to hurry up and the brake to decelerate, the stress exerted on every management will likely be displayed in real-time, supplying you with a singular perception into the way you’re controlling the scooter. It’s a pleasant contact that brings it nearer to a automotive dashboard than a scooter and helps separate it from many of the competitors.

Show apart, the 505mm-long handlebars sport agency grips on both finish, together with a single brake management mounted on the left and a throttle on the best. Inside the throttle, you’ll discover a energy button that doubles up as a management to vary driving modes and activate headlights – one other good change in comparison with rivals.

Whereas most characteristic an influence button embedded on or close to the show, the throttle-based button of the V8 means it’s straightforward to regulate gear mid-ride with out eradicating a hand from the handlebar – an enormous plus for rider security.

Lewis Painter / Foundry

The 3W gentle, mounted on the top-most a part of the stem, is greater than brilliant sufficient to light up the bottom instantly in entrance of you in darkish circumstances. That’s flanked by 4 ambient lights positioned across the deck that present further lighting when driving at evening, and a brilliant LED taillight means you’re clearly seen on darkish roads.

The one space the place the Turboant V8 is missing is within the app division; and not using a companion app for iOS and Android, the V8 lacks good options like distant locking, journey overviews and the flexibility to tweak settings on the fly – all options discovered on cheaper scooters just like the Ninebot Kickscooter D38E.

Efficiency

• Speeds of as much as 20mph
• Nice acceleration
• Nonetheless a bumpy trip regardless of rear suspension

On the coronary heart of the Turboant V8, you’ll discover an upgraded 450W motor, 100W greater than the corporate’s personal X7 Professional and competing scooters from Xiaomi – and as you would possibly count on, that interprets to a slightly nippy driving expertise.

In actual fact, with a prime pace of 20mph (32km/h) it’s one of many quickest scooters we’ve seen at Tech Advisor – overwhelmed solely by the 28mph Inokim Ox Tremendous – although with that comes problems about legality within the UK. Electrical bikes are restricted to fifteen.5mph, and it’s probably that it’ll match that if (or hopefully, when) scooters are legalised on UK roads.

It’s additionally value noting that, not like Inokim’s scooter, you may’t add a pace limiter your self.

Lewis Painter / Foundry

Nonetheless, should you’re not primarily based within the UK otherwise you plan on driving the scooter on non-public land, it’s a implausible expertise.

The 450W motor will get to work shortly, with nice acceleration and quicker prime speeds than many of the competitors that lets you get from A to B extremely shortly. It’ll even take you up hilly 15-degree inclines, although at a barely slower pace than normal.

As with most scooters, there are three driving modes to select from – Eco, Consolation and Sport.

Eco mode is probably the most battery-efficient solution to get round, nevertheless it comes on the expense of acceleration and prime pace, restricted to only 6mph. The Consolation mode takes issues as much as 9mph, whereas the Sport mode throws every part into excessive gear with the highest 20mph pace and fast acceleration – although at a price to total vary, as you would possibly count on.

Options like computerized cruise management make longer journeys extra snug, negating the necessity to continuously maintain the throttle, and the mixture of air-filled 9.3in tyres and a rear suspension system ought to negate bumps and cracks within the street – in concept, anyway.

In follow, the Turboant V8 continues to be slightly bumpy when driving on something however a wonderfully tarmacked floor – probably all the way down to the dearth of matching suspension within the entrance wheel, which the stem connects to. It takes the sting off in comparison with scooters with no suspension in any respect, nevertheless it’s not fairly as clean because it might be.

Lewis Painter / Foundry

The excellent news is that, even at such excessive speeds, the twin braking system (a mix of a disc brake and an digital brake) brings the scooter to a cease in a short time.

The highly effective motor additionally permits the scooter to accommodate for heftier riders, with a most weight restrict of 125kg.

Battery life

• As much as 50 miles per cost
• Can cost built-in and detachable batteries concurrently
• Speedy 4-hour cost time

As talked about earlier, the Turboant V8 is one in all only a few scooters to sport a twin battery design, with not one however two 36V 7.5Ah batteries discovered inside the scooter’s stem and deck.

The mixed 15Ah (720Wh) capability of the V8 means it could supply as much as 50 miles (80km) of vary from a single cost – virtually double the vary of equally priced scooters just like the Xiaomi Mi Scooter Professional 2.

Lewis Painter / Foundry

See also  Panasonic LZ2000 (2022) review

In fact, it goes with out saying that the true vary will likely be affected by elements like rider weight, pace and acceleration, street inclines and even the climate, nevertheless it definitely alleviates battery nervousness as you discover.

Whereas the battery inside the deck can’t be eliminated, the one within the stem can, and meaning you may cost each batteries concurrently, going from flat to full in simply 4 hours – an enormous distinction from the standard 7-9 hours from long-range scooters.

The scooter comes with two an identical chargers within the field, and a dock for the detachable battery to take a seat in whereas charging. You do, after all, have the choice of charging each batteries inside the scooter itself, nevertheless it’ll basically double the cost time.

Lewis Painter / Foundry

Worth

With premium options like a 450W motor and 50-mile vary, it shouldn’t come as a shock that the Turboant V8 isn’t an entry-level scooter – although it’s priced far more affordably than you would possibly count on.

The Turboant V8 is obtainable for $649/£540, bringing it in step with the likes of Xiaomi’s Mi Scooter 2 Professional whereas besting it in most areas. It’s solely out there instantly from Turboant and comes with a 12-month guarantee – although you’ll should ship it again to Turboant your self to make a declare.

To see the way it compares to the competitors, check out our choose of one of the best electrical scooters.  

Lewis Painter / Foundry

Verdict

The Turboant V8 is a powerful scooter that’s supreme for getting round cities. The 450W motor is extra highly effective than the competitors, offering prime speeds of 20mph and fast acceleration that make getting from A to B fast and easy, although it’s nonetheless comparatively bumpy regardless of a rear suspension system.

The true standout characteristic of the V8, nonetheless, is its dual-battery design. It sports activities two 36V 7.5Ah batteries – one built-in, one detachable – that mix to offer as much as 50 miles of vary per cost, assuaging battery nervousness on longer rides. You may even cost them in tandem due to a second battery dock, bringing cost time down to only 4 hours.

Throw in good little extras like brake and throttle gauges on the show, a multi-function button constructed into the throttle and one of many best folding programs we’ve seen and also you’ve received a succesful scooter at a slightly reasonably priced worth.  

Specs

• Unfolded: 1160 x 505 x 1155mm
• Folded: 1160 x 505 x 460mm
• Weight: 21.6kg
• Most load: 125kg
• Aluminium alloy body
• 9.3in pneumatic tyres with inner-tubes
• IP54 water resistance
• 3W LED headlight
• Pink LED tail gentle + 4 ambient lights
• Entrance-hub 450W motor
• Three driving modes (Eco, Consolation & Sport)
• 15-degree incline help
• Twin brakes – disc brake and digital brake
• 2x 36V 7.5Ah batteries (mixed 15Ah) – one detachable
• 50-mile vary
• Simultaneous battery charging
• 4-hour cost time