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According to a joint announcement, Castrol, a global leader in lubricants and part of the oil giant BP, today announced an investment of up to US$50 million in Gogoro, a global technology leader in battery-swapping ecosystems.

The first tranche of the investment will see Castrol invest US$25 million to receive 5.72% of Gogoro’s outstanding ordinary shares, followed by an anticipated second US$25 million investment in the form of a convertible note.

The move marks Castrol’s first step to unlock new diversification opportunities beyond its core lubricants and fluids business under its new ‘Onward, Upward, Forward’ strategy.

Many people know Gogoro from the brand’s high-tech electric scooters, but Gogoro is perhaps better described as an energy company. In addition to its often lauded electric scooters, Gogoro’s main product is its battery swapping standard, which includes nearly two million electric vehicle batteries produced and hundreds of millions of battery swaps to date.

Gogoro has also targeted its own global expansion at countries with high rates of scooter and motorcycle ownership, often in areas where two-wheeled vehicles outnumber cars.

“Two-wheelers are a critical part of our global product portfolio and as our customers transition to electric two-wheelers the Castrol brand has an important role to play in the eco-system,” said Michelle Jou, CEO Castrol. “Gogoro is a global leader in two-wheeler battery swapping and our investment in Gogoro is a strategic step towards diversifying our portfolio, remaining relevant in our customers’ lives, embracing new opportunities to future-proof our iconic 125-year-old brand and to create additional value for our shareholders.”

It’s no secret that Big Oil is investing heavily in electric vehicles, or more accurately, in the infrastructure that supports them. The writing has clearly been on the wall for years, and these global oil companies have the cash to throw around to ensure they stay heavily invested in the energy economy, regardless of the type of energy.

This is just the latest example, seeing BP’s subsidiary Castrol making a major play for a share of electric scooter battery swapping giant Gogoro. While battery swapping has had a hit-or-miss history among electric cars, much more prevalent electric scooters and motorcycles have shown worldwide success with battery swapping. Taiwan’s Gogoro is seen as the industry leader by far, touting hundreds of millions of battery swaps under its belt so far.

“Gogoro’s proven battery swapping platform and smart electric two-wheeler vehicles have demonstrated how cities can be transformed when given access to smart, sustainable and convenient portable power. This investment by Castrol is a testament to this success and enables us to expand even faster,” said Horace Luke, Founder and CEO of Gogoro.

I had the chance to use several Gogoro GoStations to swap batteries in my electric scooters in Taipei

I recently visited Taiwan, where I had the opportunity to test several Gogoro electric scooters and make ample use of the distributed battery-swapping stations during several days of riding around the island.

While touring the company’s scooter and battery factories, Horace Luke shared with me how critical the company’s production methods are to maintaining quality at scale. The robotically operated battery factory precisely produces Gogoro’s batteries without any human hands involved, rapidly churning out batteries to power not only its own scooters but also those built by nearly a dozen other companies creating vehicles to fit Gogoro’s battery standard.

Now, with a major investment from Castrol and several other significant recent partnerships, Gogoro looks set to supercharge the company’s impressive growth and international expansion.

Electrek’s Take

It’s pretty obvious that oil money is headed deeply toward electrification. While there’s a lot to unpack about where that money comes from, the fact that it is now going towards systems that can rapidly shift industries away from polluting forms of transportation is a major win for society (and for all of our lungs).

I think this also speaks to part of Gogoro’s game plan, especially with the several recent global expansions and partnerships. The company’s business model is based on scale, and it needs to invest and expand into large two-wheeler markets to make its battery-swapping as successful as it has been in major markets like Taiwan. This kind of funding can get it there more quickly, and it also shows that Big Oil sees the potential in two-wheeler battery swapping.

I also just received a company-wide email that Horace sent to all employees, which revealed more insight into the Gogoro CEO’s mindset as well as the scope of the partnership. “This announcement is the first step in a partnership between our companies that will modernize energy for two and three wheel mobility in the future. This investment and partnership from a global industry leader like bp Castrol is a clear recognition of our technology and business innovation and how Gogoro’s vision is shaping the future of mobility,” Horace wrote. “Gogoro battery swapping and vehicle innovation have the digitization and usability to play an important role in bp and bp Castrol’s transition from being a leading oil company to being a leading integrated energy company.”

I believe that’s exactly right, and this could be a great win-win for both companies, with the rest of us benefitting from a cleaner world to live in. And since Horace described this as just a “first step,” I’m eager to see what could be coming next.

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Zoox signs on as the official robotaxi partner of Resorts World Las Vegas

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Zoox signs on as the official robotaxi partner of Resorts World Las Vegas

Zoox has announced a partnership with Resorts World Las Vegas, the first official agreement between a robotaxi provider and a Vegas resort property.

Zoox remains one of the more exciting autonomous rideshare developers we follow on Electrek. It may not be the largest or most expanded robotaxi company, but Zoox has something operating on roads that none of its competitors have been able to do—a purpose-built vehicle.

Earlier this month, Zoox announced an expansion of its testing fleet (not the purpose-built robotaxis) into its seventh US city, Atlanta. The expansion now includes Austin, Seattle, Miami, Los Angeles, and the San Francisco Bay Area.

In the summer of 2023, Zoox expanded its robotaxi operations to Las Vegas, beginning on a one-mile loop at speeds up to 35 mph. By March 2024, Zoox has expanded its robotaxi geofence to five miles from Zoox’s headquarters to the south end of the strip, with multiple routes available in between, at speeds up to 45 mph.

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Zoox also bolstered its robotaxi perception system for inclement weather and adjustments between day and night on the road. This expanded operational hours, including nighttime and continued service under light rain and damp road conditions. 

At that time, Zoox said it was closer than ever to commercial operations and paid customer rides. It’s still not there yet in Las Vegas, but Zoox has announced an interesting new partnership, which should help get more passengers on the strip into its robotaxis while gathering additional feedback

robotaxi las vegas

Select riders can hail a free Zoox robotaxi in Las Vegas

Resorts World Las Vegas announced Zoox as its first-ever official robotaxi partner. This partnership entails a dedicated and branded pickup and drop-off location for autonomous ride-hailing service at the resort and an “experiential activation” within the resort.

After becoming the first company to operate a purpose-built robotaxi on public roads in Las Vegas, Zoox is now the first of such rideshare providers to sign an official partnership with a Vegas resort. Zoox hopes its unique four passenger robotaxi with no steering wheel or pedals will add to the overall experience of Resorts World guests wanting to explore other parts of the strip. Per Zoox’s chief product officer Michael White:

Zoox and Resorts World share a joint focus on creating superior customer experiences. When visitors ride with Zoox, they’ll find the service offers an extension of the signature hospitality they’ve come to expect from Resorts World’s collection of premium brands, including Hilton, Conrad, and Crockfords. This partnership will allow us to enhance the overall guest journey, adding to their Las Vegas experience with personalized mobility.

To that note, Resorts World Las Vegas president and CFO Carlos Castro shared a similar sentiment about Zoox’s technology and how it can add to the world of premium hospitality, much of which Vegas has become renowned for:

At Resorts World, we seek partners that align with our vision of what the future of guest experiences can be. This collaboration with Zoox reflects our commitment to integrating technology solutions that elevate our service offerings and enhance how guests experience our property. By welcoming Zoox robotaxis into our transportation ecosystem, we’re creating new possibilities for our guests, while reinforcing Las Vegas’s position as a global innovation hub.

There is a catch.

Since Zoox has not yet been commercially launched for paid public rides in Las Vegas, interested riders must sign up for the company’s Explorer program. This program invites select riders to experience the Zoox robotaxi for free and provide feedback.

The company plans to open its robotaxi service to the general public in Las Vegas later this year.

I’m going to try to get on the Zoox Explorer list and test one of these rides out in Las Vegas… you know… for research purposes.

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Texas just shot its wind + solar boom in the foot on purpose [Update]

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Texas just shot its wind + solar boom in the foot on purpose [Update]

Texas is No. 2 in the US for wind and solar capacity, but the Texas Senate passed a bill that aims to kneecap clean energy with an industry-killing review process. Here’s what happened in the House.

May 28, 2025: The Senate passed SB 819, which would have created prohibitive new restrictions on wind and solar energy development that didn’t apply to any other form of energy. But it failed to meet deadlines that would have allowed it to progress in the House, so it’s now dead in the water. (Good riddance.)

SB 388 and SB 715, also anti-renewable, also died in the House of Representatives for the same reason. SB 388 would have required 50% of new energy generation to be “dispatchable,” but the bill unfairly excluded battery storage as a form of dispatchable energy. SB 715 wanted to require existing renewable energy installations to install backup energy.

Adrian Shelley, Texas director of Public Citizen, said, “The failure of these three bills is a victory for ratepayers. It is also a tacit recognition by a legislature that is too friendly to fossil fuels that renewable energy sources are an indispensable part of powering the state.”

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April 15, 2025: The Texas Senate today passed SB 819, which creates new restrictions on the development of wind and solar energy under the guise of “protecting” wildlife. The restrictions don’t apply to any other forms of energy.

Texas uses an extraordinary amount of power, and renewables play a big part in supplying that power. The Texas Tribune reported in March that “ERCOT [the Texas grid] predicts that Texas’ energy demand will nearly double by 2030, with power supply projected to fall short of peak demand in a worst-case scenario beginning in summer 2026.” That’s because of extreme weather, population growth, and crypto-mining facilities.

As of February, Texas increased its energy supply by 35% over the last four years, and 92% of that supply came from solar, wind, and battery storage.

Solar is the largest source of energy generating capacity that has been added to the Texas grid. That’s because it’s cost-effective and it can be deployed quickly. So if new solar projects are kneecapped, power demand will outstrip supply in the Lone Star State.

Daniel Giese, Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA)’s Texas director of state affairs, stated after the Senate’s vote, “With energy demand rising fast, Texas needs every megawatt it can generate to keep the lights on and our economy strong. We cannot afford to turn away from the pro-energy and pro-business policies that made the Lone Star State the energy capital, but that’s exactly what SB 819 does. We urge the Texas House to reject this bill.”

Less clean energy would also jack up electricity bills for Texans, and rural areas would lose billions in landowner revenue and tax payments. Every time a wind farm or solar farm is installed on rural land, it brings a lot of money to the community that surrounds it. A January report estimated that existing and planned solar, wind, and battery storage projects will contribute $20 billion in local tax revenue and $29.5 billion in landowner payments.

What’s especially baffling about this bill is that it flies in the face of a core Texas value – keeping the government out of private property decisions – yet it does precisely the opposite.

Environment Texas executive director Luke Metzger issued the following response: ‘By making it much more difficult to build wind and solar energy in Texas, this bill threatens to increase pollution, increase blackouts and increase our electric bills.​

“Under the guise of helping land and wildlife, SB 819 would create a discriminatory and capricious permitting standard that could grind renewable energy development to a halt.

“We urge the House of Representatives to reject this bill and instead support policies that promote a cleaner, more sustainable energy future for all Texans.”

It will come as no surprise to regular readers that I find this bill ludicrously masochistic. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below, and please keep it civil.

Read more: A vast 600 MW Texas solar farm just hit a major milestone [update]


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Your personalized solar quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisers to help you every step of the way. Get started here. –trusted affiliate link*

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Chevy’s EVs are now even more affordable with new deals

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Chevy's EVs are now even more affordable with new deals

Chevy is making it more affordable to drive off in one of its new EVs. With new incentives, you can now snag a 2025 Chevy Silverado EV for much less than a Tesla Cybertruck. The Equinox and Blazer EVs are also on sale this month.

Chevy EVs are getting more affordable

With the electric Silverado, Equinox, and Blazer rolling out, Chevy is now the fastest-growing EV brand in the US.

In the first quarter, GM sold 10,329 Chevy Equinox, 6,187 Blazer, and 2,383 Silverado EVs in the US. Arguably, the biggest reason behind the brand’s success is affordability.

Starting at just $34,995, GM calls the 2025 Chevy Equinox EV “America’s most affordable 315+ range EV. The base LT FWD model has an EPA-estimated range of 319 miles, more than enough for your typical daily commute.

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Chevy launched new deals ahead of Memorial Day, making its EVs even more affordable. After cutting interest rates to 0% APR, Chevy’s electric pickup is significantly cheaper to finance than the Tesla Cybertruck.

The 2025 Chevy Silverado EV is now listed at 0% APR for 60 months, plus you can still take advantage of the potential $7,500 federal EV tax credit.

Chevy-EVs-more-affordable
Chevy Silverado EV LT (Source: Chevrolet)

According to CarsDirect, the rate cut on a 5-year loan could translate to almost $5,300 in savings. The Cybertruck has a 5-year interest rate of 5.49%.

Chevy is offering 0% APR on all electric vehicles, including the 2025 Equinox and Blazer EVs. Both are also eligible for the $7,500 EV tax credit.

Chevy-EVs-more-affordable
2025 Chevy Equinox EV LT (Source: GM)

The 2025 Equinox EV FWD LT remains one of the best deals right now, with monthly leases starting at just $289. The 2LT model may be an even better deal at just $299 per month.

Chevy is offering leases as low as $399 per month on the 2024 Blazer EV and $849 per month for the 2024 Silverado EV Crew 4WD RST.

Thinking about trying out Chevy’s new EV lineup for yourself? We’ll help you get started. Check out our links below to find Silverado, Equinox, and Blazer EVs at a dealer near you.

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