Globe Telecom’s 917Ventures and Ayala Corp. are bringing Gogoro of Taiwan’s two-wheel electric vehicle and battery-swapping technology to the Philippines.
To be piloted in Metro Manila in the first quarter of 2023, Gogoro’s Smartscooters will serve as an eco-friendly alternative to fossil fuel-powered vehicles currently used by the logistics and last-mile delivery industry.
Gogoro® Smartscooters® are powered by Gogoro’s® battery swapping platform through conveniently located swap stations, where users can quickly swap depleted batteries for fully-charged ones in seconds.
The partnership seeks to reduce the use of fossil fuel by the country’s logistics industry which releases more emissions per vehicle per day than consumer riding, said Vince Yamat, 917Ventures Managing Director.
“We are committed to help address the climate crisis by introducing Gogoro to logistics businesses, helping them in their sustainability efforts," he said.
"In addition, because of the Swap & Go technology that enables riders to be fully charged in just seconds, we hope Gogoro will also help address hesitations surrounding charging electric vehicles and even finding parking slots. Hopefully, this technology will encourage more Filipinos to switch to EV,” Yamat explained.
“Ayala supports the Department of Energy’s thrust to transition towards cleaner technologies," remarked Jaime Alfonso Zobel de Ayala, Ayala Corp.’s Head of Business Development and Innovation.
"We are excited to contribute to a high-quality consortium focused on enhancing mobility through sustainable solutions, which aligns with our broader decarbonization and digital transformation ambitions,” said Zobel de Ayala.
Taiwan has an incredibly high scooter density compared to the rest of the world, and it’s very encouraging to see its positive response to the Gogoro Network.
“More than 25 percent of their quick commerce deliveries and almost all of their electric deliveries are powered by battery-swapping technology, and we see this solution will be most beneficial to a densely populated region like Metro Manila, which is also the hub of business districts," said Patrick Aquino, Director of the Department of Energy’s Energy Utilization Management Bureau.
In Taiwan, Gogoro currently has over 11,000 battery swapping stations at more than 2,260 locations.
With over one million batteries in circulation, the number of GoStations has already surpassed the number of gas stations in Taiwan’s major cities, making Gogoro battery swapping the de facto standard for electric two-wheel refueling in Taiwan.
The Gogoro Network has more than 520,000 riders that perform 370,000 battery swaps per day.