Gogoro Smartscooters and Battery-Swapping Pilot announced in PH, available by Q4 2023

Gogoro Inc., Ayala Corporation 14, and Globe Group’s 917Ventures created history on Monday when they introduced Gogoro Smartscooters® and battery-swapping in the Philippines. The businesses are ushering in a new age in environmentally friendly transportation by offering clients electric two-wheelers that are intelligent, practical, and reachable.

Coming in Q4 of 2023, the three firms made the news at a ceremony held at the Globe headquarters in Bonifacio Global City, where they also announced the commercial public release of Gogoro Smartscooters® and battery-swapping stations in Metro Manila.

“We in the Globe Group are very proud to bring Gogoro Smartscooters® and battery-swapping to the Philippines, a transport ecosystem that marries mobility innovation and sustainability. This year, Filipinos will have access to these electric two wheelers and Gogoro’s convenient and cost-efficient battery-swapping technology, another first in the Philippines,” said Ernest Cu, Globe Group President and CEO, at the launch.

With the launch of Gogoro, the Globe Group makes its entry into the field of climate technology while continuing to provide solutions that deal with the daily problems of Filipinos. In keeping with the partners’ common commitment to sustainability and the Philippine government’s objective for sustainable development, Gogoro seeks to ease commuter concerns about high gas prices while aiding in the reduction of carbon emissions.

Additionally, it heralds Gogoro’s arrival into the Philippine market. This brand has revolutionized two-wheel mobility in Taiwan and nurtured a new smart mobility sector with a network of eco-friendly companies and end customers. Gogoro also has operations in China, India, Japan, Korea, Indonesia, Taiwan, and the Philippines in addition to these two countries.

Gogoro has installed more than one million smart batteries at 12,000 battery-swapping stations in Taiwan and has 540,000 users. Gogoro users have made more than 450 million swaps in total, or 400,000 a day, and since the service’s launch, Gogoro has prevented the emission of more than 627,000 tons of CO2.

“Our partnership with the Globe Group and Ayala Corporation in the Philippines is a major milestone in our mission to transform urban transportation and provide an accessible path for riders to adopt sustainable urban mobility and play a key role in battling climate change and making the world better for all. We look forward to working together to deliver a sustainable transport system that will improve air quality, reduce carbon emissions, and provide a superior riding experience for consumers in the Philippines,” Horace Luke, Founder and CEO of Gogoro said.

The first Gogoro battery-swapping station was unveiled by the partners at The Globe Tower at the ceremony. This marked the beginning of a network of Gogoro battery-swapping stations that were intended to be established initially in Metro Manila and eventually throughout the country.

Additionally, 70 employees at Globe will be the first to test out the Gogoro Smartscooters® and battery-swapping as part of the Gogoro pilot program, which was also revealed. When the e-bikes are made accessible to the general public later this year, they will test the system for two months beginning in May and share thoughts on their experience.

“The Gogoro ecosystem is very convenient as its swap-and-go technology allows riders to swap out depleted batteries for charged ones in just seconds and go on their way. With the current traffic situation in the metro, these Smartscooters® will serve as an eco-friendly alternative to ease congestion while at the same time reducing carbon emissions,” said Globe Capital Venture Holdings Inc. Director Bernie Llamzon.

Meanwhile, Vince Yamat, managing director of 917Ventures, commended the government for supporting the switch to electric vehicles and stressed the need of enabling legislation for the development of electric vehicles in the nation.

“The shift to EVs, particularly deploying Gogoro’s battery-swapping system, will go a long way with sustained government support that will allow private sector initiatives to prosper. Sustainable transportation projects are, after all, aligned with the government’s long-term agenda to promote environment-friendly transport options and foster digitalization as mobility needs of Filipino individuals and businesses rise,” Yamat stated.

To learn more, check out Globe’s website.