Ayala Group, Globe and 917Ventures announced the official rollout of the pilot run of the Gogoro electric scooter battery-swapping system on April 24, 2023.
Seventy volunteer riders from Globe will participate in the said pilot run before the Gogoro system becomes commercially available to the public by the fourth quarter of this year.
The event also saw the official ribbon-cutting of the first Gogoro battery-swapping station located beside the lobby entrance of the Globe Tower in Bonifacio Global City in Taguig City.
The volunteer riders will be provided with Gogoro Premium smart scooter units that offer a maximum range of 170 kilometers with two full batteries.
Yes, it has two battery slots under the seat and still has 25 liters of storage space to spare.
The battery packs also include an anti-theft feature. If one is stolen, the owner can send a report to the Gogoro system, which can then deactivate the battery and deny access to Gogoro charging stations.
Max performance, zero-emissions
Each Gogoro Premium unit runs on meaty 100/90 front and 110/70 rear, 12-inch Maxxis tires.
It is powered by an electric motor that churns out 7 kW and a whopping 196 Nm of torque. With two batteries, the Gogoro Premium weighs 122 kg, similar to a conventional 150cc scooter.
Even so, it will reach 50 km/h in 3.7 seconds.
Braking is done by front and rear disc brakes with Synchronous Braking System. Smoothing out the bumps is a telescopic front fork and preload-adjustable, dual rear shock absorbers.
There are also a couple of note-worthy optional features on the Gogoro Premium – the anti-skid system and cruise control. Of course, phone connectivity comes as standard.
Multiple options
Gogoro founder and CEO Horace Luke, who graced the occasion, was tight-lipped when it comes to the pricing of the Gogoro Premium.
But he shared that when their Gogoro becomes commercially available locally, they will be offering multiple options to suit riders of different budget ranges.
I couldn’t help but notice the Gogoro Premium’s resemblance to Ecooter’s E2 electric scooter series, so I thought it best to ask our good friend Lemuel Buenaflor of Ecooter Philippines about it.
He said it is just a coincidence and Ecooter has no business relations with Gogoro at the moment (‘kay, fine…).
Will this revolutionary battery-swapping system finally entice commuter riders to go electric with Gogoro?
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Source: Sana all! 70 Globe employees receive Gogoro smart scooters for pilot run of battery-swapping system