REVIEW — I’ll admit I’ve been avoiding the electric scooter craze, but this year my son went off to college and it seems like everyone on his campus is zipping around on them. I knew it was only a matter of time before he wanted one, and now that he’s decided to move off campus, (and parking permits at almost $1000), I relented. We decided on the TurboAnt M10 Pro electric commuting scooter because it folds up, which means he can leave it at the back of a classroom or throw it in the back of his car if he goes somewhere and wants something to cruise around on.
What is it?
The TurboAnt M10 Pro is a folding electric scooter with a range of 30 miles.
What’s included?
- TurboAnt electric scooter for adults
- Parts to put it together
- The instruction manual
- The charger
- A valve adapter
Tech specs
Motor: 350 W front hub
Braking system: Electronic brake & disc brake
Battery: Lithium ion, 6 hour charge time from empty.
Capacity: 10.4 Ah (374 Wh)
Design and features
The TurboAnt M10 Pro electric scooter is an improved version of the TurboAnt M10 that Dave Moore reviewed back in 2022. Basically, it’s faster (top speed is 20mph), has a much longer range (30 miles), and charges faster, although it has a bigger battery, so it takes longer than Dave’s scooter.
It folds like the original, and it features disc and electronic brakes. It’s a powerful ride, and although I didn’t have a steep hill to test it on, it says it can handle a 15% grade.
It has two “speeds,” Level 1 and 2. Level 1 is where I think I would always keep this scooter (and I hope my son does too) because it tops out at about 12mph and that’s about as fast as I think anyone should really go. At that speed, I feel like if something should happen and I had to jump off, I probably wouldn’t require medical attention. At 20mph (the top speed at level 2) I might require a plastic surgeon.
This scooter comes pretty tricked out with a bell, an LED headlight, and a taillight, and it even has a charging port for your phone. One really cool thing that this scooter does that I was surprised by is that it has a “cruise control” function. If you keep the throttle at the same speed for six seconds, you no longer have to hold the throttle down and it will maintain that speed. It’s a really nice feature that I would miss if I didn’t have it.
Assembly, Installation, Setup
The TurboAnt M10 Pro arrived in a big box and I set aside an afternoon to dig into the assembly. I guess I was used to reviewing electric bikes and those can be time consuming.
The TurboAnt took about 15 minutes to put together. I just clicked some wires together, screwed the handlebar onto the stem and put the folding mechanism together with some screws. The last step was to install the rear fender.
Believe me when I tell you that I’m not the quickest or the best at assembling things, but I found the directions very easy to understand. Then I just plugged the M10 Pro in to charge. One note about the assembly: this comes with a valve adapter so you can inflate the tires if you need to, but it’s not listed in the packing list, so you might think you forgot to install a part or something. It’s a nice accessory to have.
Performance
Now I know that in the city of Los Angeles the law says that these things shouldn’t go on sidewalks, but in the name of safety I decided to bend that rule a bit as I took off to meet a friend for lunch. The particular shopping center we were meeting in has brutal parking, so the scooter was the perfect vehicle for the occasion.
I was able to lock it up using the Foldylock by Seatylock that I reviewed earlier this year. It wasn’t the perfect lock for a scooter but I made it work and it was still there after lunch, so I guess that worked OK.
The ride to lunch was so much fun. The TurboAnt M10 Pro zipped down the street and through alleys with ease. I kept it on the first speed and I used the cruise control as I avoided the streets as much as possible (I’m paranoid that someone will be distracted and pick me off).
I don’t know how much you know about Los Angeles sidewalks and alleys, but they are not very friendly to any kind of vehicle. Sidewalks are frequently lifted and cracked from tree roots and alleys are riddled with potholes and rough asphalt. While the TurboAnt M10 Pro is super fun to ride and zippy, it has no suspension whatsoever. I rattled so much through one alley I thought I’d lose a filling. It didn’t ever feel unsafe, though, and it was great over wide cracks that I thought could pose a problem. The 8.5 inch pneumatic tires rolled right over the roughest things I could throw at it, but this scooter is no off-roader. It’s a commuter scooter made for smooth pavement. That can be hard to come by in Los Angeles, but it will be fine where my son will ride this in Arizona.
The features I would most like to see on any scooter would be a way to disable it when I’m not using it and a built-in lock of some sort. A spot to install an Airtag securely would also be welcome. I am worried about theft, and I’m sure I’m not alone. I wound up buying a special scooter lock that looks like handcuffs and attaches to the front of the scooter with Velcro.
One thing that kind of puzzled me when I put the TurboAnt M10 Pro together was a warning to not let the battery get wet and if it does, then don’t use it. The battery is under the deck of the scooter. It seems likely that you could run this thing through a puddle and the battery could get some water sprayed on it. Will it happen in Arizona to my son? I don’t know. They are pretty careful with their water in Tempe, but that seems like that warning is destined to be ignored.
When I took a look at Dave’s review I figured out what the “hook” on the handlebars is for. Apparently this is for clipping the scooter in the folding position. Dave wasn’t impressed by the functionality when he reviewed the earlier TurboAnt M10, but I thought it was pretty good! I was able to lift the scooter up when it was folded and hooked together. I do wish there was more about this functionality in the literature. I was pretty puzzled by the hook and the bump on the back fender that it hooks into until I saw Dave’s article.
What I like about the TurboAnt M10 Pro scooter
- Cruise control is surprisingly handy.
- Great range and performance.
- Super easy to put together.
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It was hard to get a shot of the LED screen for some reason, but it shows battery level, headlight indicator, how much battery is left and your speed.
What needs to be improved?
- Minor improvements to the literature to include info about the folding hook and valve adaptor.
- More anti-theft features.
Final thoughts
The TurboAnt M10 Pro scooter has made me a convert! I loved scooting around town and the cruise control just made it that much more convenient and fun to ride.
Price: $399.98 on sale right now and a $10 off coupon with code NEW10
Where to buy: TurboAnt
Source: The sample of this product was provided for free by TurboAnt. TurboAnt did not have a final say on the review and did not preview the review before it was published.
