Connect with us

Published

on

When it comes to battery-swapping electric scooters, there are several names floating around out there. But only one can boast near total domination of the market: Gogoro.

The company just announced annual 2022 figures that show its batteries powered 90% of the electric scooters sold in its domestic market.

The Taiwanese-based company is quickly expanding to over a half a dozen countries, but Gogoro’s success is built upon its near complete dominance of its local market where it all began.

Gogoro first demonstrated that its electric scooters could be powered by the company’s swappable battery packs when it started rolling out its battery swap GoStations in 2015.

In the beginning it was difficult to convince businesses to let Gogoro install the small battery swap kiosks in their parking lots. But as soon as word spread that the vending machine-sized GoStations brought in riders (and thus customers), the stations started popping up everywhere. Now thousands of GoStations span the country of Taiwan where they perform around 390,000 daily swaps. There are so many stations that riders are rarely more than a kilometer (0.6 miles) from a battery swap station in large cities like Taipei. Gogoro riders have even circled the entire country, making use of battery swap stations along the way (that circumnavigating Taiwan trip is high up on my bucket list!).

Gogoro’s own electric scooters have proven incredibly popular among riders, but that’s only a portion of Gogoro’s operations. The company has opened its battery network, allowing other manufacturers to build electric scooters that are powered by Gogoro’s batteries. That has lead to companies like Yamaha, Hero, Yadea, A-Motor, eMoving and others developing new e-scooter designs that are compatible with Gogoro’s existing battery network.

Globe-trotting battery swapping motorbike leader Gogoro powers 90% of local electric scooters

Gogoro’s electric scooters are still the majority of all Gogoro-powered two-wheelers, but the other companies in the network also make up sizable shares in the market. In fact, five of the top six electric scooters in Taiwan use Gogoro’s batteries.

Together they account for 90% of all electric scooters sold in Taiwan based on the government’s 2022 annual scooter sales report.

The share of electric scooters is also growing in the country as ICE-powered riders shift towards electric alternatives. E-scooters now make up 12% of all scooter sales, a figure that is quickly growing in part due to government incentives. Battery swapping has helped facilitate that massive shift, with swap stations now outnumbering gas stations in Taiwan’s major cities.

As Gogoro CEO and founder Horace Luke explained:

“We are proud of the progress Gogoro and its partners are making to lead Taiwan into a smarter and cleaner future. With five out of the top six electric scooter makers using Gogoro Network battery swapping, Gogoro is powering 90% of all electric scooters in Taiwan and there are now more Gogoro Network battery swapping locations than gas stations across Taiwan’s major cities. Consumers and governments are demanding cleaner and smarter transportation choices for cities like never before and with Gogoro’s technology, partners and experience we are well positioned to meet their needs.”

The figures behind Gogoro’s success are astounding. The Gogoro Network currently supports more than 524,000 riders and boasts more than 1.1 million smart batteries in circulation. Those batteries account for over 370 million swaps to date across the company’s 12,200 battery swapping GoStations at over 2,504 locations. Gogoro calculates that its batteries have been responsible for saving more than 250,000 tons of CO2.

Gogoro isn’t the only company operating battery swap stations in Taiwan. Its competitor KYMCO also boasts a diverse line of IONEX electric scooters that use KYMCO’s battery swapping stations. The company has rapidly expanded the number of swap stations in Taiwan and is catching up to Gogoro’s over 2,500 GoStations. However, it appears KYMCO has yet to make a sizable dent in ridership compared to Gogoro’s 90% market share.

KYMCO hopes to bring its battery swapping electric scooters to Europe, while Gogoro has so far focused on expanding its operations across Asia. Gogoro has announced that its batteries and/or scooters are now operational or will be starting operations in India, Indonesia, Singapore, South Korea, China, The Philippines, and Israel.

gogoro nasdaq

Electrek’s Take

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Gogoro is the de facto battery swapping standard. Other companies like Honda that don’t want to be locked into Gogoro’s standard have set about trying to develop their own competing standards, but they’re not really making any progress. The last I heard, Honda set up four battery swap stations in India. Hey, I guess it’s a start?

I know that competitors would rather control the market, but it would be better for consumers if manufacturers would just standardize. Gogoro’s form factor is convenient, accessible, largely future-proofed (they have solid-state batteries coming in the same battery cases) and they work really well.

I say that as the owner of a Gogoro scooter. I live in Tel Avi and use a Gogoro S2 ABS scooter as my daily driver. I end up swapping batteries around once a week or so and it’s a quick, easy and painless operation that takes around 30 seconds. I never charge. I never worry about range. I just ride. If I get low on battery, I’m basically always less than about 2 km (1.2 miles) from a swap station, and usually I’m much closer than that.

Micah Toll Gogoro electric scooter
Micah Toll on his Gogoro S2 ABS electric scooter

I’m not surprised to see that Gogoro still retains such a large market share in Taiwan even as other electric scooter companies grow their operations. What I’m really excited about though is their international expansion plans.

People always ask me when I think Gogoro will come to Europe or the Americas. It doesn’t seem to be in Gogoro’s short term plans, but I could be wrong. As it stands, it looks like they want to dominate Asia first due to the massive size of the market there and the opportunity that such a vast amount of riders offers to make an even larger impact on the two-wheeled landscape and on the environment. But with European and American riders obviously begging for Gogoro to continue rolling westward, it can only be a matter of time.

FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.

Continue Reading

Environment

Delhi-ghtful! India mulls 2035 ICE ban, blocks fuel sales to older vehicles

Published

on

By

Delhi-ghtful! India mulls 2035 ICE ban, blocks fuel sales to older vehicles

In a bold bid to combat the crippling air pollution crisis in its capital, Delhi, Indian lawmakers have begun high-level discussions about a plan to phase out gas and diesel combustion vehicles by 2035 – a move that could cause a seismic shift in the global EV space and provide a cleaner, greener future for India’s capital.

Long considered one of the world’s most polluted capital cities, Indian capital Delhi is taking drastic steps to cut back pollution with a gas and diesel engine ban coming soon – but they want results faster than that. As such, Delhi is starting with a city-wide ban on refueling vehicles more than 15 years old, and it went into effect earlier this week. (!)

“We are installing gadgets at petrol pumps which will identify vehicles older than 15 years, and no fuel will be provided to them,” said Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa … but they’re not stopping there. “Additionally, we will intensify scrutiny of heavy vehicles entering Delhi to ensure they meet prescribed environmental standards before being allowed entry.”

Making it prohibitively difficult for Dehli’s residents to own and operate older, presumably more polluting vehicles is one way to reduce harmful emissions and air pollution, but Sirsa’s team isn’t just targeting newer vehicles. They’re also planning to deploy more than 900 electric transit buses, part of a larger plan to replace 5,000 of the city’s 7,500 total bus with lower- or zero-emission options this year alone.

Advertisement – scroll for more content

The Economic Times is reporting that discussions are underway to pass laws requiring that all future bus purchases will be required to be electric or “clean fuel” (read: CNG or hydrogen) by the end of this year, with a gas/diesel ban on “three-wheelers and light goods vehicles,” (commercial tuk-tuks and delivery mopeds) potentially coming 2026 to 2027 and a similar ban privately owned and operated cars and bikes coming “between 2030 and 2035.”

Electrek’s Take

2025 Xpeng G6 all-electric SUV with 5C ultra-fast charging “AI batteries” launched in China
Xpeng EV with Turing AI and Bulletproof battery; via XPeng.

After a Chinese government study linked air pollution caused by automotive exhausts and coal-fired power plants to more than 1.1 million deaths per year in 2013, the nation’s government took serious action, shuttering older coal plants and imposing strict emissions standards. The country also incentivized EV adoption through license-plate lotteries favoring electric cars and a nationwide EV mandate set to kick in by 2030.

The results were astounding, and the technological innovations that have come from an entire nation of talented engineers all “pulling in the same direction” have put the West to shame, with Western auto executives repeatedly sounding the alarm and lobbying for tariffs and other protectionist policies on both sides of the Atlantic.

To see India make move towards a gas and diesel ban like this, and on such an aggressive timeline, can only mean that they’ve been paying attention … and America is about to fall even further behind.

SOURCE: India Times; featured image by Sumita Roy Dutta.

FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.

Continue Reading

Environment

Parker launches Mobile Electrification Technology Center training program

Published

on

By

Parker launches Mobile Electrification Technology Center training program

Last week, Parker Hannifin launched what they’re calling the industry’s first certified Mobile Electrification Technology Center to train mobile equipment technicians make the transition from conventional diesel engines to modern electric motors.

The electrification of mobile equipment is opening new doors for construction and engineering companies working in indoor, environmentally sensitive, or noise-regulated urban environments – but it also poses a new set of challenges that, while they mirror some of the challenges internal combustion faced a century ago, aren’t yet fully solved. These go beyond just getting energy to the equipment assets’ batteries, and include the integration of hydraulic implements, electronic controls, and the myriad of upfit accessories that have been developed over the last five decades to operate on 12V power.

At the same time, manufacturers and dealers have to ensure the safety of their technicians, which includes providing comprehensive training on the intricacies of high-voltage electric vehicle repair and maintenance – and that’s where Parker’s new mobile equipment training program comes in, helping to accelerate the shift to EVs.

“We are excited to partner with these outstanding distributors at a higher level. Their commitment to designing innovative mobile electrification systems aligns perfectly with our vision to empower machine manufacturers in reducing their environmental footprint while enhancing operational efficiency,” explains Mark Schoessler, VP of sales for Parker’s Motion Systems Group. “Their expertise in designing mobile electrification systems and their capability to deliver integrated solutions will help to maximize the impact of Parker’s expanding METC network.”

Advertisement – scroll for more content

The manufacturing equipment experts at Nott Company were among the first to go through the Parker Hannifin training program, certifying their technicians on Parker’s electric motors, drives, coolers, controllers and control systems.

“We are proud to be recognized for our unwavering dedication to advancing mobile electrification technologies and delivering cutting-edge solutions,” says Nott CEO, Markus Rauchhaus. “This milestone would not have been possible without our incredible partners, customers and the team at Nott Company.”

In addition to Nott, two other North American distributors (Depatie Fluid Power in Portage, Michigan, and Hydradyne in Fort Worth, Texas) have completed the Parker certification.

Electrek’s Take

electric bobcat track loader
T7X all-electric track loader at CES 2022; via Doosan Bobcat.

With the rise of electric equipment assets like Bobcat’s T7X compact track loader and E10e electric excavator that eliminate traditional hydraulics and rely on high-voltage battery systems, specialized electrical systems training is becoming increasingly important. Seasoned, steady hands with decades of diesel and hydraulic systems experience are obsolete, and they’ll need to learn new skills to stay relevant.

Certification programs like Parker’s are working to bridge that skills gap, equipping technicians with the skills to maximize performance while mitigating risks associated with high-voltage systems. Here’s hoping more of these start popping up sooner than later.

SOURCE | IMAGES: Parker Hannifin.

FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.

Continue Reading

Environment

ReVolt extended range electric semi trucks score their first customer

Published

on

By

ReVolt extended range electric semi trucks score their first customer

Based on a Peterbilt 579 commercial semi truck, the ReVolt EREV hybrid electric semi truck promises 40% better fuel economy and more than twice the torque of a conventional, diesel-powered semi. The concept has promise – and now, it has customers.

Austin, Texas-based ReVolt Motors scored its first win with specialist carrier Page Trucking, who’s rolling the dice on five of the Peterbilt 579-based hybrid big rigs — with another order for 15 more of the modified Petes waiting in the wings if the initial five work out.

The deal will see ReVolt’s “dual-power system” put to the test in real-world conditions, pairing its e-axles’ battery-electric torque with up to 1,200 miles of diesel-extended range.

ReVolt Motors team

ReVolt Motors team; via ReVolt.

The ReVolt team starts off with a Peterbilt, then removes the transmission and drive axle, replacing them with a large genhead and batteries. As the big Pete’s diesel engine runs (that’s right, kids – the engine stays in place), it creates electrical energy that’s stored in the trucks’ batteries. Those electrons then flow to the truck’s 670 hp e-axles, putting down a massive, 3500 lb-ft of Earth-moving torque to the ground at 0 rpm.

Advertisement – scroll for more content

The result is an electrically-driven semi truck that works like a big BMW i3 or other EREV, and packs enough battery capacity to operate as a ZEV (sorry, ZET) in ports and urban clean zones. And, more importantly, allows over-the-road drivers to hotel for up to 34 hours without idling the engine or requiring a grid connection.

That ability to “hotel” in the cab is incredibly important, especially as the national shortage of semi truck parking continues to worsen and the number of goods shipped across America’s roads continues to increase.

And, because the ReVolt trucks can hotel without the noise and emissions of diesel or the loss of range of pure electric, they can immediately “plug in” to existing long-haul routes without the need to wait for a commercial truck charging infrastructure to materialize.

“Drivers should not have to choose between losing their longtime routes because of changing regulatory environments or losing the truck in which they have already made significant investments,” explains Gus Gardner, ReVolt founder and CEO. “American truckers want their trucks to reflect their identity, and our retrofit technology allows them to continue driving the trucks they love while still making a living.”

If all of that sounds familiar, it’s probably because you’ve heard of Hyliion.

Hyliion electric semi truck

Hyliion Hypertruck ERX; via Hyliion.

Before it changed its focus to develop Carnot-cycle generators and gensets, Austin-based Hyliion built a number of EREV Peterbilts using the then-new 15L Cummins diesel as a generator and employing the same sort of battery and e-axle-arrangement as ReVolt.

In addition to being located in the same town and employing the same idea in the same Peterbilt 579 tractor, ReVolt even employs some of the same key players as Hyliion: both the company’s CTO, Chandra Patil, and its Director of Engineering, Blake Witchie, previously worked at Hyliion’s truck works.

Still, Hyliion made their choice when they shut down their truck business. ReVolt seems to have picked up the ball – and their first customer is eager to run with it.

“Our industry is undergoing a major transition, and fleet owners need practical solutions that make financial sense while reducing our environmental impact,” said Dan Titus, CEO of Page Trucking. “ReVolt’s hybrid drivetrain lowers our fuel costs, providing our drivers with a powerful and efficient truck, all without the need for expensive charging infrastructure or worrying about state compliance mandates. The reduced emissions also enable our customers to reduce their Scope 2 emissions.”

Page Trucking has a fleet of approximately 500 trucks in service, serving the agriculture, hazardous materials, and bulk commodities industries throughout Texas. And, if ReVolt’s EREV semis live up to their promise, expect them to operate a lot more than 20 of ’em.

SOURCES | IMAGES: ReVolt; via Power Progress, TTNews.

FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.

Continue Reading

Trending