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Gogoro scooter and battery swap distribution model get smarter and spread to new cities [CEO Video]

Without even trying out (not available in US yet) a Gogoro scooter I love the idea. It is a 2-wheeled vehicle that runs on two Lithium battery packs which contain the same Panasonic 18650 batteries that line the bottom of the Tesla Model S and X. While a Model S contains about 7,000 of these to hit about 70-90kWh, the Gogoro’s battery packs are only 1.3kWh each (so around 100+batteries/ea) and can be exchanged in a charging bay. The 2.6kWh, according to Gogoro’s specs will take the good looking scooter about 60 miles at 60mph (0-31 in 4.2secs). While solid specs, that’s not at all what makes Gogoro a gamechanger…

The charging bays are placed in strategic areas (as well as at home for home charging) so that it is easy to exchange depleted batteries for charged ones. It is like a better Better Place for scooters.  But Gogoro’s Horace Luke, who comes from HTC along with many of its execs, wants to build out a whole ecosystem that allows his scooter owners to never have to feel range anxiety.

Gogoro went further to this end today announcing the Gogoro open program which will allow people to charge seperate batteries at home as well as owners of venues at strategic locations set up battery swap stations. The stations are like big battery vending machines and run on 110V or 240V outlets.

We had a chance to talk to the CEO at CES 2016:

The biggest question: When does Gogoro come to the US. uke’s answer: “soon”.

LAS VEGAS, USA | JANUARY 5, 2016

Gogoro brings Smartscooter™ EVs to new markets, beyond megacities, with introduction of the Gogoro OPEN Initiative

Gogoro also unveiled the Gogoro® GoCharger™, a battery charger for home and retail locations that together with the Gogoro® OPEN Initiative, enables Gogoro to expand and scale more quickly in different types of cities.

LAS VEGAS ─ January 5, 2016 (Consumer Electronics Show) ─ Gogoro, a technology company transforming how energy is distributed and managed in cities, today announced the introduction of the Gogoro GoCharger™ and Gogoro OPEN Initiative, creating a more scalable and readily available solution for customers outside of Gogoro’s planned megacity rollout.

“Gogoro’s 2015 success has created an outpouring of support and interest from people all over the world. We want as many people as possible to have access to the Smartscooter EV revolution, so we created the Gogoro OPEN Initiative,” said Horace Luke, co-founder and CEO, Gogoro. ”The Gogoro OPEN Initiative gives power to the people, broadens our addressable market and speeds our commercialization beyond our core geographic focus of megacities.”

Gogoro OPEN Initiative

The Gogoro OPEN (Gogoro Owner Proposed Energy Network) Initiative allows consumers and businesses to express their interest in Gogoro and nominate themselves, their businesses and/or local communities to be part of Gogoro expansion markets. Gogoro will use the geographic enrollment data collected via the Gogoro OPEN portal to select new markets and will then deploy to cities with the most interest. Customers in selected Gogoro OPEN cities will be able to purchase the Gogoro Smartscooter™ EV and have access to GoStation® battery swapping stations, as well as public and private GoCharger™ stations.

The Gogoro Open portal can be accessed at www.gogoro.com/OPEN. Gogoro will begin its first Gogoro OPEN city deployments in Europe this summer with plans to launch in the US shortly after.

Gogoro GoCharger™

The new Gogoro GoCharger™ can be used at home or retail locations and can charge a pair of batteries simultaneously. When batteries are placed in the Gogoro GoCharger™ it connects wirelessly and can send charging notifications to the owner. Gogoro also utilizes the connectivity to manage charge levels, charge rates and the overall health of the Gogoro battery. The Gogoro GoCharger™ has two models, a speed charger and an overnight charger. The Gogoro GoCharger™ will be available beginning this summer. For businesses interested in joining the Gogoro OPEN Initiative, a Gogoro GoCharger™ will be installed for no charge as long as it is made available to Gogoro customers.

Gogoro Smartscooter™ EV Gets Smarter

Gogoro also introduced smartphone keyless operation of the Smartscooter™ EV so customers no longer need to use a key fob but can now use their iOS/Android phone or Apple Watch to lock and unlock their Gogoro Smartscooter™ EV and perform other Smartscooter™ EV actions. Smartphone keyless operation is expected to be available as a standard feature on all new Gogoro Smartscooter™ EVs and as a free upgrade for all previously purchased Smartscooter™ EVs.

Consumer Electronics Show 2016

The Gogoro Smartscooter™ EV and GoStation® will be on display at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas on January 5-9, 2016, at select locations, including:

  • Pepcom Digital Experience! (Jan. 5; The Mirage)
  • Panasonic booth, Green Mobility area (Jan. 6-9; LVCC, Central Hall, Booth #9808)

Gogoro Smartscooter™ EV

Gogoro introduced the Gogoro Smartscooter™ EV and the Gogoro Energy Network at the Consumer Electronics Show in early 2015 and launched in Taipei Taiwan in August 2015. The Gogoro Smartscooter™ EV is the world’s first high-performance, smart electric two-wheel vehicle with swappable batteries. The integrated Gogoro Energy Network is an advanced battery-swapping infrastructure for cities.

Key Gogoro Facts

  • More than 4,000 Gogoro Smartscooter™ EVs sold
  • More than 3 million kilometers ridden by customers
  • 125+ GoStation® battery swapping stations deployed
  • More than 2,000 battery swaps per day
  • 135,000 liters of gasoline saved plus 261,000 kilograms less CO2 emitted

About Gogoro

Founded in 2011, Gogoro is enabling the transformation of megacities into smart cities by leveraging the power of connectivity and technology to reinvent how we experience energy in major cities around the world. In January 2015, Gogoro introduced the Gogoro Smartscooter™ EV, the world’s first high-performance, battery swappable, smart electric vehicle together with the Gogoro Energy Network, an advanced battery-swapping infrastructure for cities. Gogoro is working toward a better future by putting power in the hands of everyone – to move us all forward, faster. For more information, go to:www.gogoro.com/press.

 

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Avatar for Seth Weintraub Seth Weintraub

Publisher and Editorial Director of the 9to5/Electrek sites. Tesla Model 3, X and Chevy Bolt owner…5 ebikes and counting