MANILA, Philippines – Gogoro Philippines, a joint venture between Globe’s 917Ventures Incorporated, Ayala Corporation, and Taiwan-based Gogoro, says that pricing and availability details for its line of battery-swappable electric scooters or e-scooters will be announced on December 1, 2023. 

The partnership between the 3 companies to bring the scooters to the Philippines was first announced in November 2022. The first batch of 100 Smartscooters, 400 smart batteries, and 7 battery-swapping GoStations first arrived in the country in February 2023, while limited pilot-testing for these was announced in April 2023. 

The test results, made public in October 2023, showed “3,316 kgs of carbon dioxide saved, 2,603 batteries swapped, and a total distance of 42,399 kilometers ridden.” 

As Rappler previously reported, the e-scooters have been successful in Taiwan where they are used by nearly 550,000 riders, in a system that allows the quick switching of drained batteries at swapping stations, addressing the problem of slow-charging electric vehicles. 

Along with Gogoro Philippines’ announcement for pricing and availability details, the company has opened to the public an experience center located at 2/F, Greenbelt 4, Ayala Center. The public can book a test ride, and experience a live battery-swapping GoStation at the hub. Test-ride bookings can be done at www.gogoro.com/ph. 

To test ride a Gogoro Delight and SuperSport Smartscooter, a valid motorcycle driver’s license is required. To test ride a Gogoro Viva, a valid government-issued ID is required.

The following models are present at the experience center, along with descriptions provided by Gogoro:

• Gogoro S1 – Inspired by supercars, the iconic Gogoro S1 is based on a chassis crafted from racing-grade aluminum.

• Gogoro SuperSport – The high-performance Gogoro SuperSport is also equipped with Gogoro’s cutting-edge SSMartcore Technology.

• Gogoro Delight – The Gogoro Delight was designed by an all-female team that emphasizes rider comfort and functionality.

• Gogoro Viva – The compact Gogoro Viva is ideal for city travel and requires no license or registration to ride.

More models will also be announced in December. 

“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,” said Bernie Llamzon, president of Gogoro Philippines.

“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,” he said. – Rappler.com

Electric public transport can make cities livable, humane