Gogoro is one of the global leaders in the rapidly growing electric mobility industry, largely thanks to its intuitive and innovative battery swapping technology. Although the company has been around for several years now, it has seen a huge spike in expansion in recent years. The Taiwanese company has been opening its doors in several countries around Asia, and the most recent of which is the Philippines.
On November 30, 2022, Gogoro announced a strategic partnership with 917Ventures, a subsidiary of Philippine-based telecom provider Globe, and Ayala Corporation, one of the biggest conglomerates in the country. In particular, Gogoro’s technology will be used for the highly popular last-mile delivery service industry, something that keeps the wheels of the Philippine economy turning on a daily basis.
Horace Luke, the founder and CEO of Gogoro shared his excitement about the new partnership in the company’s official press release. “Gogoro is honored to have the support of the Philippine’s Department of Energy (DOE) and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to kick start this new smart mobility movement in Manila that utilizes Gogoro’s intelligent battery swapping, a new generation of EV refueling.”
Luke went on to explain how the tech can grow businesses while at the same time preserve the environment. “Through our collaboration with Globe, 917Ventures and Ayala Corporation, we plan to unlock incredible environmental and sustainability benefits and introduce new smart mobility efficiencies for businesses by improving how they manage their fleets and deliveries.”
The companies will be launching a two-wheel battery swapping pilot in Manila using Gogoro’s industry leading battery swapping and SmartScooters. The SmartScooters are powered by Gogoro’s Swap & Go battery swapping platform that uses distributed battery-swapping stations to enable convenient swapping of used batteries for new ones. This means that swapping out the scooter’s battery takes mere seconds—even quicker than refueling a standard scooter.
Furthermore, the Gogoro SmartScooters will serve as an eco-friendly alternative to fossil fuel-powered scooters and delivery motorbikes currently used by the logistics industry. This is expected to launch in the first quarter of 2023. Sustainability has been a driving factor for many businesses, with companies looking to streamline operations while keeping an eye on the environment.
This is what 917Ventures hopes to achieve with Gogoro, as expressed by Vince Yamat, Managing Director of 917Ventures. “We are committed to helping solve the climate crisis by introducing Gogoro to logistics businesses, helping them in their sustainability efforts. In addition, the Swap & Go technology will enable riders to be fully charged in just seconds and therefore eliminate the need for parking spots. Hopefully, this technology will encourage more Filipinos to switch to EV.”
