Gogoro delivery day: I got one of the first battery-swapping Gogoro electric scooters outside of Asia
Gogoro’s battery-swapping network is world-renowned for making EV charging obsolete in dozens of models of electric scooters and motorbikes. The system uses smart connected batteries and thousands of swap stations that allow riders to roll up, swap batteries, and ride off — all in less time than a fuel fill-up on an ICE vehicle. And now that I’ve gotten my own Gogoro S2 ABS electric scooter, I’ve finally had the chance to experience the system firsthand.
Gogoro going global
Gogoro has already begun expanding from its home of Taiwan to other Asian two-wheeler hot spots like India, China, and Indonesia. But when it came time for the company’s first westward expansion, they didn’t have to go too far to land in Israel.
And in true sabra style, I made sure to elbow my way to the front of the line to finally get my hands on my own Gogoro scooter.
Both the Gogoro S2 ABS and the Gogoro 2 Plus models are currently being imported to Israel. I chose the Gogoro S2 ABS due to its higher performance and awesome iridescent indigo paint job.
The S2 ABS is priced at 20,000 NIS (US $5,600), compared to the 2 Plus at 17,000 NIS (US $4,790). Both of those prices are higher in Israel due to exorbitant local taxes. For example, an entry-level Tesla Model 3 SR costs $48,000 in the US but closer to $69,000 in Israel. So there’s a decent chance that if Gogoro comes to your country, you’ll pay less than us.
Gogoro S2 ABS delivered
The delivery is more of a pickup, which happens at the local dealership. Despite being technology-packed, the Gogoro S2 ABS scooter is actually quite easy to operate and the overview only takes about five minutes to learn the controls, features like proximity unlocking, etc. In fact, most of the time is spent creating an account with Gogoro in the company’s app, which lets you control the scooter and find battery swap stations.
Due to Gogoro’s unique model of creating both the battery swapping network and electric vehicles that use it, the company had to partner with two different outfits to make it all work in another country. Metro Motor serves as the motorcycle importer/dealer while Paz Group manages the swap stations.
Right now there are around a dozen of Gogoro’s GoStations spread around the Tel Aviv metropolitan area, with most at Paz’s gas stations and a couple at Metro’s dealerships.
You can find the swap stations in the app and use it to navigate to them, though once you visit them for the first time, you just kind of remember where they are.
Gogoro’s battery-swapping procedure
Swapping is amazingly simple. There’s no membership card, no NFC key, no nothing.
I simply roll up to swap station, slide my used batteries in the dock, and the machine spits out two freshly charged batteries. I then pop them back into my Gogoro S2 ABS scooter and ride off. The entire thing takes perhaps 45 seconds, including parking and leaving.
It’s that simple because the batteries are smart enough to know whose scooter they were in, and they communicate all of that info back to Gogoro’s home base. When I pop the batteries into the dock, the GoStation knows they came out of my scooter.
It then decides which batteries to give me based on how I ride. A higher-performance rider will likely get newer, fresher batteries while a granny rider might be given batteries that are a few years old and still work fine, but would drain faster at full power. At least that’s the way the system works in Taiwan. Here the batteries are all about a month old, so we’re all getting the good stuff.
The GoStations are distributed throughout the city so that you’re basically never further than 2-3 miles (3-5 kilometers) from a battery swap station, and usually you’re much closer than that.
I’ve only had the Gogoro S2 ABS for about two weeks, but I’ve put 202 miles (325 km) on it so far, and so I’ve gotten a pretty good feeling of it as far as range goes.
I find that if I’m staying in the city then I can push my range close to 60 miles (96 km). But when I venture out of Tel Aviv or take the urban highways that let me open the scooter up to its top speed of 59 mph (95 km/h), my range is closer to 45 miles (72 km).
Long highway rides with my wife on back sap even more energy.
Neither of us are big people, but I find that fast highway riding with two people can easily cut the range in half compared to slow city riding with a single rider.
A few days ago my wife and I went to a party in Netanya, which is a couple cities north of Tel Aviv. With entirely highway riding and two people on board, I got the worst range so far at around 37 miles or 60 km (based on around 30 miles between swaps with 20% battery remaining). But even in that “worst-case scenario,” I had no problem traveling to multiple cities away from the closest battery swap station. On the way back, we stopped at the first station on our way and instantly had a full charge again.
That was a bit of a pioneering excursion, since as you can see by the map below, we poked way the heck out there and far from any local swap stations back in Tel Aviv. But with a promised three dozen or so stations by the end of this year and over a hundred stations in the next two years spread out over a larger geographic area, you can see how charging becomes a thing of the past. Instead of planning how much range you have on a charge, you’ll simply stop by a swap station whenever you start getting low. You know, kind of like the gas station model. Except that instead of needing the entire footprint of a gas station, you only need the space taken up by something the size of a couple refrigerators.
How’s the Gogoro S2 ABS itself?
The Gogoro S2 ABS is an awesome electric scooter for the city. Even putting the convenient battery swapping aside for a moment, just the scooter is already a perfect urban vehicle.
I can go anywhere in the city while slicing through traffic (lane splitting is legal in Israel), meaning I usually get where I’m going in half the time of cars or less. I use a tiny fraction of the energy while doing it. And it’s the most fun way to cruise!
The seat is comfortable for two riders, and the 7.2 kW liquid-cooled motor is plenty peppy to launch me out ahead of all the other cars and motorcycles when the light turns green. The ABS braking offers quick, confident stops, and the regenerative braking means I don’t even have to rely on the disc brakes very much.
The scooter is smart enough to unlock when it senses my phone as I walk up to it. That’s a feature I love, since it’s great to have one less key in my pocket.
Even smaller touches like the extra deep bag hook are a great addition to a city scooter that is likely going to be carrying groceries. I picked my wife up at the mall just last week after she finished “supporting the economy,” and all of her bags fit right in there without feeling like we’d lose anything at 50 mph on the way home.
I’m a big fan of the included storage under the seat. It’s big enough to fit a full face helmet, not just a small half or three-quarter helmet.
It also means you don’t have to add a rear cargo box just to get storage, which can be a great utility option but kind of ruins the lines of the pretty scooter. I may add a storage box at some point, but I’m trying to avoid it. Having all that underseat storage helps me justify leaving the box off while still having plenty of utility storage. I’ve filled that underseat storage area with groceries, shopping, clothing, you name it.
I even leave my armored motorcycle jacket in there when I park somewhere so that I don’t have to carry it with me.
Speaking of which, here’s a quick note on safety: I always support wearing all of the proper safety gear all of the time. That’s the ideal situation. In some of these pictures you’ll see me wearing less than that. When I’m staying in the city and especially in my neighborhood, I sometimes get a little more cavalier (hence the T-shirt and the three-quarter helmet). But when I’m taking faster roads, I usually opt for my full motorcycle gear. That means armored jacket and armored jeans, moto gloves, full-face helmet, etc. We all have to make our own riding decisions, but you should consider what’s at stake, especially when riding at higher speeds on larger roads.
Gogoro has an amazingly wide range of accessories on their Taiwanese site, but we don’t have many accessories available yet in Israel.
I’m excited to add a bunch of new parts to my scooter, including a rear seat rest to make my wife feel more secure, an organizer in the underseat storage, front and rear cameras, perhaps some fancier mirrors and more.
But first I have to figure out how to order that stuff from Gogoro Taiwan.
Are there any downsides?
So far there’s only one downside I can find. The scooter is surprisingly loud.
The noise comes from the chain drive, which is necessary due to the mid-motor design. Unlike my NIU electric moped, which uses a hub motor, the Gogoro uses a central motor with a chain drive to transfer power to the rear wheel.
There’s actually a Gates belt drive version as well, and I wish that we had the quieter belt option here in Israel. But for now, this is what we have. I’ve gotten used to the chain noise, but for such a quiet scooter it is still quite noticeable. You’ll never hear the chain on ICE-powered scooters and motorcycles due to the loud exhaust, but it’s all you hear on electric two-wheelers.
More to come!
This is far from a full review, as I’ve only had the Gogoro S2 ABS for a few weeks.
I’ll be sure to follow up with an in-depth review, including a video review, after I’ve spent some more time on this machine.
Until then, let me know what questions you have in the comments section below. I’ll be sure to address the areas you’re most interested in during my follow-up review.
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Bojangles, the North Carolina-based chain known for its fried chicken and biscuits, is joining the growing list of fast food chains installing EV chargers in their parking lots.
The restaurant chain is working with Smart Big Box, Alyath EV, and Energy and Environmental Design Services to install turnkey EV charging stations at a “wide range” of its 800 restaurants, which are concentrated heavily in the southeast US. The rollout starts in late 2025, with most chargers expected to be available by sometime in 2026.
Each Bojangles location getting EV chargers will offer at least four ports. The stations will vary between Level 2 and DC fast chargers.
Bojangles CIO Richard Del Valle said, “Working with Alyath and Smart Big Box allows us to introduce a new convenience that aligns with evolving customer needs.”
It’s a smart move. The charging stations will let people plug in and power up, and they’re more likely to dine at Bojangles while they’re doing so. Plus, Bojangles will get a reputation for having charging stations, so EV drivers will be more inclined to head toward the restaurants as a reliable power source.
Cristiane Rosul, CEO of Alyath, said the partnership “not only benefits EV drivers but also positions Bojangles as a leader in the future of quick-service dining.”
Smart Big Box has contracted with Energy and Environmental Design Services as the exclusive installer and maintenance partner for all EV chargers.
Read more: Waffle House is getting DC fast chargers – and it’s a genius move
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Toyota’s electric SUV is now its cheapest vehicle to lease. After slashing lease prices again, the Toyota bZ4X is listed for lease at just $199 per month in some states. That’s even cheaper than a Corolla right now, even though it’s nearly double the price.
Toyota bZ4X is now cheaper to lease than a Corolla
The 2025 Toyota bZ4X already starts at $6,000 cheaper than the previous model year, but with a new promotion this month, it’s even more affordable.
Toyota is at it again, having cut lease prices once more this month following the Fourth of July holiday. The 2025 Toyota bZ4X XLE is now listed at just $199 per month for 36 months. With $3,999 due at signing, you’ll end up paying an effective cost of $310 per month.
The offer is $42 less than before the new promo, or about a 12% price cut. It’s hard enough to find any lease nowadays around $300, but for an electric SUV, it’s a pretty good deal.
According to online auto research firm CarsDirect, it’s even cheaper to lease a bZ4X now in some states than a Toyota Corolla. The 2025 Corolla LE Sedan is available for $229 for 36 months. With $2,999 due at signing, the effective monthly rate is $312, or $2 more than the bZ4X.
Although $2 might not seem like much in the grand scheme of things, it’s pretty significant, given that the bZ4X is $16,000 more expensive.
The 2025 Toyota bZ4X XLE has an MSRP of $38,465, compared to the Corolla LE Sedan, which starts at $22,325. That’s a $16,140 cost difference alone.
Toyota’s electric SUV is slightly longer than a RAV4 at 184.6″ in length, but it has a longer wheelbase, which opens up more interior space.
Toyota is also throwing in a free year of unlimited charging (at EV-go-operated public charging stations) for those who buy or lease a new 2025 bZ4X. You can also add a ChargePoint home charger to the cost.
Although the bZ4X is available for just $199 per month, the 2025 Hyundai IONIQ 5 is listed at $179 nationwide this month. With more range, style, and an NACS port for charging at Tesla Superchargers, the 2025 IONIQ 5 offer is hard to pass up right now.
| 2025 Toyota bZ4X trim | Starting Price (excluding $1,395 DPH fee) |
Price reduction (vs 2024MY) |
Range (mi) |
| XLE FWD | $37,070 | -$6,000 | 252 |
| XLE AWD | $39,150 | -$6,000 | 228 |
| Limited FWD | $41,800 | -$5,380 | 236 |
| Limited AWD | $43,880 | -$5,380 | 222 |
| Nightshade | $40,420 | N/A | 222 |
Like many carmakers, Toyota is currently offering significant incentives on electric vehicles, with the federal tax credit set to expire at the end of September. Accordingly, Toyota’s promotion ends on September 30. Although the bZ4X doesn’t qualify for the credit through purchase, Toyota is passing it on through leasing.
In some areas, like LA, Toyota is currently offering $12,000 off bZ4X leases. With the loss of the tax credit, the savings would drop to just $4,500, which would add over $100 a month to the lease price.
Looking to take advantage of the savings while they are still here? You can use our link to find deals on the 2025 Toyota bZ4X in your area today.
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Transport Canada has finished its investigation into Tesla’s questionable filing of $43 million worth of EV incentives in a single day, finding that the claims did indeed represent cars sold before the deadline to file for incentives – still raising questions about disorganization within Tesla.
To recap, Canada suddenly sunsetted its electric vehicle incentives back in January, as the program ran out of money. It caught a lot of EV dealers by surprise, and there was a sudden rush to sell cars and to file for incentives, given that the end of the program was announced with just three days notice.
One of these dealerships that showed a rush was a single Tesla dealership in Quebec, which recorded 4,000 rebate requests in a single weekend, an impossible number at the relatively small location. Other Tesla locations also filed for suspiciously high numbers of incentive claims on the same weekend.
This raised alarm bells, and other Canadian auto dealers pointed it out to Transport Canada, with Huw WIlliams, head of the Canadian Auto Dealers Association (CADA) claiming that Tesla “gamed the system” to hog an illegitimate number of incentive claims out of the limited money left. The total amount was $43 million, which was more than half of the amount left in the Canadian government’s coffers.
Even accounting for Tesla delivery pushes, and for increased sales as the credit rapidly sunset, these numbers did not seem possible.
This – perhaps combined with Tesla’s unpopular position in Canada at the time given CEO Elon Musk’s participation in a US government which was attacking Canada’s sovereignty at the time – led to Transport Canada announcing an investigation into Tesla’s incentive claims (Canadian Transport Minister Chrystia Freeland even said at the time that future Canadian ZEV incentives should exclude Tesla until the US’ “illegitimate and illegal” tariffs were lifted).
Tesla responded to the investigation in a typically standoffish manner, claiming in a letter that it was “shocked” to hear about the investigation, threatening legal action if payments weren’t resumed, and blaming Transport Canada for causing Tesla’s negative public perception and exposing Tesla’s Canadian employees to harassment (the letter did not, however, mention anything about CEO Musk’s government activities, or his recent actions attempting to spread white supremacy around the globe, and how those are much more responsible for negative public perception of the company).
Well now, the result of that investigation is back, and Freeland said on Friday that Tesla’s claims “were determined to legitimately represent cars sold before January 12.”
Transport Canada also pledged to CADA that all cars delivered before January 12 will have their incentive claims fulfilled, regardless of the program’s budget. CADA estimates it’s owed around $11 million in past-due claims, and Williams still wonders how Tesla knew to file those claims so suddenly.
Electrek’s Take
Questions still remain about this incentive. As pointed out by the Canadian Press, it’s still not clear whether Tesla’s incentive claims were for cars sold on that weekend, or for cars sold prior to that weekend and delivered all in a lump.
Given the physical limitations of the locations involved, it’s likely the latter. Which raises a different kind of alarm bell: that of disorganization within Tesla, as I pointed out as my main concern over this situation in a previous article.
I just don’t see how Tesla Canada can justify leaving tens of millions of dollars on the table for potentially several months, when all it took was the filing of some pieces of paper for them to get it. That’s capital that Tesla could have used to do business, and letting it sit in someone else’s bank account doesn’t benefit Tesla at all.
Now, disorganization is nothing new for Tesla, but businesses usually don’t like leaving money laying around for no reason. And Tesla, with its focus on quarterly results and end-of-quarter pushes, surely would have enjoyed having that extra cash in December, the end of a fiscal quarter/year, rather than the beginning of January when they filed for these incentives.
So regardless of the now proven legitimacy of these claims, this aspect should be cause for some amount of concern. It’s a reflection of a longtime problem in Tesla, where things tend to fall through the cracks until there’s some sort of emergency, and then it’s all-hands-on-deck from whoever happens to be closest to the problem at the time. But this has been an issue within Tesla for so long that it’s hard to see it being fixed at this point – and certainly not under its longtime CEO who seems far more interested in using Tesla to bail out his private companies or turning Twitter into “MechaHitler” than on making actual good decisions for Tesla.
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Your personalized solar quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisors to help you every step of the way. Get started here.
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