Tired of worrying about where to charge your electric scooter and how long it will take? One electric scooter brand hopes to change all that with their novel solution: battery-swapping.
Gogoro Philippines, a new electric “smartscooter” service based on battery-swapping just concluded two months of tests with over 60 Globe employees, showing how this could be a sustainable transport alternative. Their tests resulted in 3,316-kg of carbon dioxide saved, 2,603 batteries swaps, and a total distance of 42,399-kilometers ridden.
During an exclusive sneak peek for local media last week at the soon to open Gogoro Experience Center (GEC) at Greenbelt 4, Makati City, we were given a detailed look at the benefits of the battery swapping infrastructure and got to take the smartscooters for a test ride about Ayala Center.
How does the Gogoro battery-swapping ecosystem work?
In a nutshell, you purchase a Gogoro scooter of your choice: Viva, Delight or Supersport. They come in different variants for different needs and tastes. Download the Gogoro app and register the scooter as yours and it creates a unique account that monitors battery usage and some other personal data. You use your scooter until you need a recharge, but instead of recharging at home, you go to a battery station and swap out your smart battery for a fresh, fully-charged one.
Through the app, the smart battery keeps a log of your identity and the battery station will dispense a battery (or two, depending on the scooter type). It’s very secure and will only work on your scooter as the identity and personal data is transferred to the fresh battery. Aside from the cost of the scooter, you are only charged for the amount of “electricity” or power you consume, not per battery swap. So you can change out the battery any time you feel you need a fully-charged, fresh one.
The battery stations at each location will have 30 slots, which ideally contain 28 readily available batteries. There are two vacant receptacles for the batteries returned by users for charging. They will be strategically placed around the metro, and based on compiled user’s data from the app, GogoroPH will determine where it should place more of these battery stations.
Gogoro guarantees that the batteries are safe, IPX7 rated (water resistant under one meter of water for 30 minutes), are fire resistant, made of fire retardant and thermal insulating materials, and can withstand impacts of more than 10 tons. The smartscooters are also customizable with accessories available for purchase from Gogoro.
"The Philippines is uniquely primed to embrace the exponential global electric vehicle growth, bolstered by the government's robust EV plan. At Gogoro, we're looking to redefine how Filipinos move, making cities smarter and cleaner. The results from our pilot program with Globe employees have been overwhelmingly positive, and we're excited to extend this experience to the broader public,” shared Bernie Llamzon, President of Gogoro Philippines.
Jason Gordon, Gogoro VP of Communications, explained the company's worldwide vision. "Urban transportation is going through a fundamental transformation and Gogoro is focused on making cities like Manilla smarter, cleaner, and safer by providing broad access to sustainable transportation. Our ‘Swap & Go’ battery-swapping has been a big hit in Taiwan and has been recognized globally for its innovation, ease of use and accessibility. Since 2015, we've reduced carbon emissions by over 736-million kilograms globally, which is what 73.6-million trees would do in a year. We're excited to introduce these vehicles and battery swapping to the Philippines and enable a new smart and sustainable approach to urban transportation.”
Ming-I Peng, Gogoro Chief Product Officer, detailed the foundational pillars of the Gogoro experience: "Our smart battery system, crafted with precision for energy swapping, has seen an unprecedented 440 million swaps globally. It champions both user safety and unbridled convenience. Furthermore, our GoStation and Smartscooters are crafted with an ethos of speed, safety, intelligence, and personalization. The Philippines’ market is on an upward trend, and we stand ready to elevate the experience."
GogoroPH is a strategic joint venture between Globe’s 917Ventures Inc., Ayala Corporation, and Gogoro. The swappable-battery infrastructure promises to empower Filipino riders with a cost effective transport alternative that is high tech, sustainable and will reduce carbon emissions.