Gogoro battery-swapping electric scooters continue international expansion
Gogoro has been on a roll lately, showing off a steady stream of new scooter models and simultaneously expanding its markets into new countries. Now, the battery-swapping electric scooter leader is adding another pin to the map: Nepal.
Gogoro’s e-scooters are most famous for their battery-swapping architecture, with the company’s iconic green and black battery modules serving as the basis for hundreds of thousands of battery swaps each day.
Based in Taiwan, Gogoro has regularly expanded into new countries by partnering with local energy companies. To reach the Nepalese market, Gogoro teamed up with Nebula Energy, a wholly-owned subsidiary of MG Group. As a new energy venture, Nebula is committed to leading the way towards an environmentally sustainable and energy-independent Nepal.
Nebula Energy joined Gogoro at a joint press event in Kathmandu today, where Nepal’s first battery-swapping station is located. Nebula now becomes an authorized and exclusive partner of Gogoro in the country.
“Gogoro is at the forefront of sustainable urban transportation, and together, we plan to contribute to Nepal’s zero-emission targets through this new age of sustainable energy, mobility, and technology,” said Manoj Goyal, chairman of Nebula Energy.
Along with rolling out battery-swapping stations, Gogoro is bringing its new Crossover GX250 electric scooter to the country.
The Gogoro Crossover GX250 electric scooter, launched late last year, has been referred to as the first two-wheeled SUV for its utility design that enables heavier cargo-duty and off-road riding. Both are key features for the Nepal market.
“We are proud to be partnering with an industry leader like Nebula Energy who shares our vision for accelerating the electric transformation of Nepal’s two-wheel transportation industry. Nepal is at the forefront of clean energy generation and utilization and is actively promoting two- and four-wheel EV adoption and our partnership is sure to make a significant impact,” said Horace Luke, founder and CEO of Gogoro. “Together, Gogoro and Nebula Energy share a vision for accelerating the electric transformation of Nepal’s two-wheel transportation industry. Gogoro battery swapping is optimized to provide convenient Swap & Go access to Gogoro Smart Batteries in seconds. Gogoro’s new Gogoro CrossOver GX250 is optimized for riders in Nepal with more seating and storage space and better ground clearance.”
Similarly to many other countries that Gogoro has expanded into over the last few years, the first Gogoro scooters in Nepal will be used in B2B applications. Gogoro’s electric scooters have proven popular with delivery and courier services, whose riders often spend all day riding throughout both urban and rural areas, and thus rely on battery swapping to ‘refuel’ even quicker than a conventional gas station fill-up for combustion engine motorcycles and scooters.
Gogoro’s battery-swapping GoStations will be rolled out every two to three kilometers (one to two miles) in the Kathmandu valley.
However, Nebula plans to begin offering Gogoro’s electric scooters at consumer retail locations by the end of this year.
Electrek’s Take
Every time I hear of another Gogoro expansion, I get even more encouraged about the ability to actually reduce transportation emissions on a global scale. While it’s nice to see electric cars hitting the road in the West, there are hundreds of millions of polluting two and four-stroke scooters and motorcycles in Asia that have a much larger impact on air quality and carbon emissions. Focusing on those vehicles seems like low-hanging fruit, especially considering how much fewer resources are required to produce a scooter than a car.
The Gogoro Crossover GX250 is a particularly interesting model, and I even had the chance to try one around Taiwan last month (more on that coming soon). It’s got the power to climb curvy mountain roads, something I can attest to personally, but is also rugged enough for off-road trails or lashing a family’s week-worth of groceries and goods to the bike. So that model heading to Nepal makes a lot of sense.
I often have people asking me when Gogoro will come to Europe or North America. From everything I can see, Asia still seems to be Gogoro’s priority, though a recent expansion into Latin America is a promising sign. But the Asian markets are simply too ripe for the company to focus elsewhere yet. Two-wheelers dominate so many Asian countries, which is why Gogoro can have a much bigger impact there. I could see the possibility of Gogoro eventually coming to Europe, where scooters and motorcycles are a larger part of the commuter landscape than in North America. But for the US, I don’t think we should hold our breath for a Gogoro entry anytime soon, unfortunately.
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On today’s informative episode of Quick Charge, we’ve got Honda engineers Jason Hwang and Emilio Sanchez to talk us through some of the things that make the GM Ultium-based Honda Prologue EV feel like a real Honda, and why that matters.
Jason and Emilio talk about some of the choices they made to make the Honda Prologue and Acura ZDX feel different from its GM-branded cousins, and explain why this was much more than a case of badge-engineering. Give it a listen, then let us know what you think of the Prologue and ZDX in the comments.
Today’s episode is sponsored by BLUETTI, a leading provider of portable power stations, solar generators, and energy storage systems. For a limited time, save up to 52% during BLUETTI’s exclusive Black Friday sale, now through November 28, and be sure to use promo code BLUETTI5OFF for 5% off all power stations site wide. Learn more by clicking here.
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Read more: All my favorite EVs, racecars, and robots from Electrify Expo Austin.
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The first EV charging hub funded by the Charging and Fueling Infrastructure (CFI) Program in the Eastern US is now online in Deerfield, Massachusetts.
The town installed the region’s first DC fast chargers (four ports), along with four Level 2 chargers, at 59 North Main Street in South Deerfield.
These new charging stations, funded with $2.46 million from the CFI program, are conveniently located near Interstate 91 in Franklin County, the most rural county in Massachusetts, which serves drivers from Connecticut up to the Canadian border.
The hub also features local and regional bus stops and designated bike lanes with secure onsite bike racks. The chargers are meant to cater to everyone: from local residents and visitors to municipal EVs and commercial vehicles that service the region’s businesses, like those in food and beverage manufacturing.
Gabe Klein, executive director of the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation, sees this as a model for future projects:
Multi-modal charging hubs in communities are key to giving more people the choice to ride and drive electric. The Town of Deerfield is showing leadership in building out convenient charging infrastructure that brings new transportation choices to rural and disadvantaged communities while supporting local commerce.
In recent years, Deerfield has experienced increased climate change-driven flooding from nearby rivers, including the Deerfield River, the Connecticut River, and the Bloody Brook. The project incorporates environmental engineering designed to mitigate and adapt to the effects of flooding and climate, including the installation of permeable asphalt and rain gardens, planting of native trees, grasses, and shrubs, and the creation of new greenspace in the center of Deerfield.
The Biden-Harris administration’s CFI Grant Program is expanding EV infrastructure nationwide. It offers grants for projects that complement and expand upon the initiatives of the NEVI program in urban, rural, and disadvantaged and low-income communities. So far, the CFI Grant Program has allocated over $1 billion to nearly 100 projects across the US, encouraging private investments and expanding the EV charging network to make EV ownership more practical and convenient.
Read more: The US reaches milestone of 200,000+ public EV charging ports
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Kia’s upcoming EV4 electric sedan was just spotted testing in the US for the first time. The low-cost EV is expected to make its big debut by the end of the year. Here’s a look at the new model.
The EV4 will round out Kia’s new “EVs for all” master plan launched last year. Kia showcased three new models, the EV3, EV4, and EV5, during its first annual EV Day in October 2023.
During the event, Kia outlined its new global strategy to “lead and accelerate the EV revolution” with a wide range of models priced from $30,000 to $80,000.
Kia plans to rapidly expand its lineup with a series of smaller, lower-priced models. It launched the EV9, its first three-row electric SUV, which is already proving to be a hot seller in the US. Starting at under $55,000, the EV9 is still a great deal compared to others in its class, but Kia plans to go even lower.
The EV3 and EV4 are expected to be among the most affordable electric vehicles when they arrive in the US.
Kia’s new EV4 is now testing in the US
Ahead of its official debut, Kia’s new EV4 sedan was recently caught driving on US streets for the first time.
The latest image from KindelAuto doesn’t reveal much more than what’s been shown in the past, but the fact that it’s now testing in the US is significant.
Kia’s EV3 is already on sale in Korea, starting at around $30,000 (42.08 million won). Earlier this week, the company said its new compact SUV is now available across Europe, starting at around $38,000 (36,000 euros) with a “segment-leading range” of up to 375 miles (WLTP).
Next up will be the EV4. Kia is expected to officially reveal the new EV by the end of the year, with deliveries starting in 2025. It could be as soon as next week at the 2024 LA Auto Show.
The interior will feature Kia’s advanced new ccNC infotainment system with dual 12.3″ navigation and driver display screens. An otherwise minalimalistic design is expected inside.
Kia’s EV4 will also be available in a hatchback variant. Although the hatch is likely aimed at European buyers, it was also recently spotted testing in the US for the first time.
We will learn official prices closer to launch, but the EV4 is expected to start at around $35,000 to $40,000.
Kia is teasing five new vehicles for the US, at least one being a new EV, that will debut at the LA Auto Show next week. Will it be the EV3? EV4?
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