As massive earthquake rocks Taiwan and shutters trains, battery-swapping e-scooters rush in
The largest earthquake to hit Taiwan this century rattled the entire island overnight, collapsing buildings, damaging roads, and shutting down train and subway services. Gogoro’s electric scooters quickly picked up the slack, providing a key accessible transportation option and offering free rides in the most populated area.
Earthquakes are a regular occurrence in Taiwan but are usually much lower-intensity tremblors. This morning’s 7.4 magnitude quake is the largest to impact the island in 25 years.
The quake struck just off the east coast of Taiwan at 07:58 local time, as rush hour picked up and millions of commuters were traveling to work.
According to the Associated Press, “Traffic along the east coast was at a virtual standstill after the earthquake, with landslides and falling debris hitting tunnels and highways. Train service was suspended across the island of 23 million people, with some tracks twisted by the stress of the quake, as was subway service in Taipei, where sections of a newly constructed elevated line split apart but did not collapse.”
Scooters are the most efficient form of transportation in Taiwan, where they outnumber cars 2:1. They can still maneuver past standstill traffic like the island saw in many cases this morning, as well as navigate narrower passable sections of damaged roads. At a time when train, subway, and bus services are cut off in natural disasters, scooters become a lifeline for those needing access to quick transportation.
Gogoro, the largest electric scooter maker in Taiwan and operator of a massive distributed battery-swapping network, is no stranger to such emergencies. The company’s electric scooter batteries also serve as emergency backups to around 20% of traffic lights in Taipei, keeping them running during massive power outages.
In one such nationwide power outage in 2022, gas stations couldn’t pump fuel yet Gogoro’s GoStations ensured that riders of electric scooters never lost power or the ability to swap in freshly-charged batteries.
Thousands of such battery-swapping stations dot the island, each holding dozens or hundreds of swappable batteries. Riders simply roll up, swap their partially depleted batteries for freshly charged batteries, and roll out in seconds.
The company reported that its GoStation network, which is constantly monitored from a command center that tracks operations as well as weather patterns and massive events, never ceased operations throughout this morning’s quake and its aftermath.
The company also operates a GoShare network of shared electric scooters. It normally requires a membership that allows riders to hop on one of countless green electric scooters. Gogoro announced this morning that it was opening up the network to provide free GoShare rides to residents of Taipei and New Taipei City, the island’s largest metropolitan area. As of the time of publishing, the area has yet to regain metro operations after MRT shuttered train services in the aftermath of the earthquake.
Electrek’s Take
I’m shocked by the devastation seen in Taiwan, which has rattled me even further as I just returned from the island less than three days before the earthquake hit. I’ve already seen pictures of rubble where I had recently been standing. I also had spent days there riding the very electric scooters that are right now providing one of the only forms of transit available to millions of people, so I have a keen sense of just how important they are now for anyone seeking emergency services or needing to find family.
Having seen just how hard Taiwan can be to navigate by car even in the best of times, I can tell you that much if it will be impassible to four-wheeled vehicles right now. Scooters were already the only realistic way to get around dense areas of the island at certain times of the day (see the video below that I shot just days ago above New Taipei City). Now, more than ever, they’ll be the only way to quickly navigate much of Taiwan.
At times when even combustion engine scooters are limited by the availability and access to gasoline, these electric scooters keep moving and maintain access to battery-swapping stations that are abundant as every 200 meters (650 feet) in cities. There are even enough swapping stations to completely circumnavigate 1,000 km (600 mile) around the island.
It’s nice to see electric car companies offer free charging during disasters, but the benefit is largely meaningless. In the space that a GoStation can keep hundreds of scooters running, you could fit two or three Teslas supercharging, for example.
Today’s events were a potent reminder of the potential of widely distributed battery swapping stations like Gogoro’s and the mass adoption of light, efficient electric vehicles that use them – but a reminder that we nonetheless wish we didn’t have to receive.
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Nuclear energy is set for a “renaissance” that will be accelerated by backing from U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration.
That’s according to Yuri Khodjamirian, chief information officer at Tema ETFs, who noted that the Trump administration is “very, very interested in backing this technology.’ However, he also warned investors that developing this energy source is “going to take time.”
New nuclear technology approvals take “10 years to get done,” Khodjamirian said, but added that the nuclear re-emergence will likely be accelerated under the new Trump administration.
Speaking to CNBC’s Silvia Amaro on Tuesday’s “Squawk Box Europe,” Khodjamirian said his investment fund has its eyes on firms with a history of developing nuclear technology, such as U.S.-based BWX Technologies, which builds nuclear reactors for military carriers and submarines.
Khodjamirian said Tema is being “very selective in a new technology called small scale modular reactors.”
Small scale modular reactors (SMRs) are advanced nuclear reactors with the ability to provide around one-third of the generating capacity of traditional nuclear power reactors, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency.
SMRs take up less physical space compared to conventional reactors and produce a large amount of low-carbon electricity.
“There’s a lot of excitement there, and equally, a lot of loss-making companies that have unproven technologies, and we’re going for companies that have projects that are approved,” Khodjamirian said.
The nuclear energy renaissance is partly driven by a wave of people that are “realizing that it’s a stable, clean source of energy,” the chief investment officer said, adding that he believes that “there is a need for extra investment” in nuclear, alongside green energy sources that are variable in their electricity production.
“Renewables are good. They can be put up to speed quickly, but they require battery storage,” he said.
Trump has moved quickly on his energy agenda since his return to the White House. The U.S. Senate on Monday confirmed Chris Wright, a fracking executive and a Trump ally, as energy secretary.
Wright is a known nuclear energy supporter, having previously served on the board of advanced reactor company Oklo, as well as having held the position of chief executive at Liberty Energy. The energy firm has since appointed a new CEO following Wright’s confirmation as U.S. secretary of energy.
Digital borders
Khodjamirian is also closely monitoring artificial intelligence volatility, after the emergence of China’s Open AI model DeepSeek sparked concerns over how much money big tech companies will invest in AI.
European nations have voiced security concerns over DeepSeek.
Italy was the first country to block DeepSeek on data protection concerns. France‘s privacy watchdog has expressed concerns and South Korea’s industry ministry has temporarily restricted employee access to the Chinese startup’s AI model.
Taiwan, meanwhile, banned state departments from using the Beijing-based chatbot, wary of potential security threats from Beijing.
The international pushback shows that “no one really knows exactly how to defend digital borders,” according to Khodjamirian.
Global concern will “limit the growth of this model, because it’s coming out of China, but it’s clearly showing you that the West needs to be aware that there’s a lot of technical development,” he said.
“[But] I do think it redraws some of the lines, and it’ll be interesting to see how the U.S. in particular reacts,” he added.
Environment
Here’s our first look at Volkswagen’s cheapest EV, with prices starting at about $20,000
We are finally getting a look at Volkswagen’s answer to BYD and other low-cost Chinese electric cars. Volkswagen previewed its cheapest EV for the first time on Wednesday. It will kick off a new series of entry-level electric vehicles, with starting prices at €20,000, or just over $20,000.
Volkswagen teases its cheapest EV for the first time
At a meeting at its Wolfsburg plant on Wednesday, Volkswagen gave employees a sneak peek at the new model. The auto giant confirmed it will be a part of a new small electric car lineup.
Volkswagen said the new entry-level EV, with a base price of €20,000 ($20,000), “will be attractive for a wide variety” of buyers.
The first model in the new series will be the production version of the ID.2all, which was unveiled in March 2022. Volkswagen said the first ID.2 models will arrive at dealerships in 2026 with a base price of less than €25,000 ($26,000).
CEO Thomas Shafer said at the meeting, “With the conclusion of negotiations in December, we set the largest future plan in Volkswagen’s history in motion.”
The ID.2 and new entry-level EV (likely the ID.1) will be key to Volkswagen’s plans to catch up with EV leaders like BYD and Tesla.
Based on the MEB Entry Platform, the ID.2 is expected to have a range of up to 279 miles (450 km). Volkswagen also teased an SUV version, which will follow in its upcoming entry-level EV lineup.
Volkswagen will introduce the show car for its new entry-level EV. The company plans to reveal the production model in 2027.
Volkswagen is preparing its Wolfsburg plant for the upcoming entry-level models. Shafer stressed that the plant would “remain the heart of the Volkswagen brand in the electric age.” It will also produce the next-gen electric Golf on Volkswagen’s new SSP platform alongside the new T-Roc EV.
For those in the US, don’t get too excited. The new entry-level EV likely won’t make the trip overseas. Shafer described the model as ” an affordable, high-quality, and profitable electric Volkswagen from Europe for Europe.”
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Mercedes-Benz had a rough EV sales year in 2024 in the US, so it’s hitting the reset button this year. To lure buyers back in, the automaker is already rolling out sweet discounts on its 2025 EVs.
Sales of the EQB (36%), EQE (39%), and EQS (52%) decreased by sizeable margins in 2024, so Mercedes is taking action. Online vehicle research firm CarsDirect reports that Mercedes sent a bulletin to dealerships on February 3 outlining discounts on its 2025 EVs.
Some of the automaker’s largest discounts are on its most expensive EV models, such as the EQS AMG sedan, AMG EQE sedan, and AMG EQE SUV, so if you’re in the market for one of these models, now’s your chance.
The AMG EQS Sedan is available with a discount of $15,000. With the AMG EQS Sedan starting at $148,700, the $15,000 discount amounts to a 10% reduction in the EV’s price tag.
The AMG EQE Sedan is available at a $10,000 discount, and the AMG EQE SUV can be had with an $8,000 discount.
Mercedes is also offering the Maybach EQS 680 SUV – the automaker’s flagship EV – with a discount of $10,500. The Maybach EQS 680 SUV’s MSRP starts at $179,900, so the discount knocks around 6% off the SUV’s price tag. The EQS 580 SUV is also reduced by $10,500, which results in 8% off its price tag.
Mercedes-Benz is also slashing $13,500 off the EQS 450 Sedan and EQS 580 Sedan. The EQS 450 Sedan starts at $108,550 (12% discount), and the EQS 580 Sedan MSRP is $128,500 (11% discount).
CarsDirect says the discounts are offered as the Mercedes Incentive Bonus and are unadvertised dealer cash incentives on select models. These aren’t the only 2025 Mercedes EVs that have discounts, so ask the dealer about other models, but these are the largest discounts CarsDirect found.
Read more: Amazon places its largest-ever order for electric semi trucks
If you live in an area that has frequent natural disaster events, and are interested in making your home more resilient to power outages, consider going solar and adding a battery storage system. To make sure you find a trusted, reliable solar installer near you that offers competitive pricing, check out EnergySage, a free service that makes it easy for you to go solar. They have hundreds of pre-vetted solar installers competing for your business, ensuring you get high quality solutions and save 20-30% compared to going it alone. Plus, it’s free to use and you won’t get sales calls until you select an installer and share your phone number with them.
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