Battery swapping electric scooter company Gogoro adds another country to its list
Gogoro, the battery swapping giant known for its iconic green and black batteries, has just announced that it is expanding to yet another country. The Philippines will be the next destination on Gogoro’s growing world map of battery-swapping destinations.
The company spent years developing and refining its battery swapping technology, now used by both Gogoro’s vehicles and electric scooters made by around a dozen other manufacturers.
In Gogoro’s domestic market of Taiwan, thousands of battery swap stations hold around one million batteries that have been used in over 350 million battery swaps.
That massive amount of real world validation at home has helped Gogoro spread its battery swapping systems internationally. The company’s modus operandi has been to seek strategic partnerships with local heavy-hitters that can benefit from Gogoro’s battery swapping standard and its wide array of sleek electric scooters.
This time Gogoro is teaming up with Globe’s 917Ventures and Ayala Corporation. The companies are combining forces to focus on introducing an eco-friendly alternative to traditional fossil fuel-powered vehicles for the last mile delivery industry in the Philippines.
As Gogoro’s founder and CEO Horace Luke described:
“Gogoro is honored to have the support of the Philippine’s Department of Energy (DOE) and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to kick start this new smart mobility movement in Manila that utilizes Gogoro’s intelligent battery swapping, a new generation of EV refueling. Through our collaboration with Globe, 917Ventures and Ayala Corporation, we plan to unlock incredible environmental and sustainability benefits and introduce new smart mobility efficiencies for businesses by improving how they manage their fleets and deliveries.”
Horace explained in a call with Electrek that the Philippines is unique from other markets that Gogoro has entered recently, such as the large two-wheeler markets of Indonesia and India. Compared to Indonesia’s two-wheeler market share of over 40%, the Philippines is closer to around 7%.
But the Philippines suffers from crippling transportation issues that often result in multi-hour commutes across several forms of public transportation. Distributing sustainable, efficient and effective personal transportation on battery swapping electric scooters could be a major key in solving the country’s transportation hardships.
That’s part of the longer term goal, and Horace is visibly excited about the ways that Gogoro and its partners can expand access to electric scooters in the country. But the company is starting with a more centralized focus on last mile delivery vehicles in Manila as a way to feel out the market.
“These types of B2B riders end up doing 5-6x the number of miles in a day compared to private consumers,” explained Horace. “That’s what we need to quickly calibrate this new market.”
The Manila pilot will start in Q1 2023, where delivery riders will use Gogoro’s Smartscooters as well as the company’s GoStations for battery swapping.
A pair of batteries is usually enough for around 80-120 km (50-75 miles) of range, depending on riding conditions. When those batteries begin to run low, riders simply roll up to a GoStation and swap in freshly charged batteries in a matter of seconds. The depleted batteries are recharged in the GoStation and then are ready for another scooter.
It’s a system that offers a number of advantages for Manila’s delivery riders, such as reducing the need for parking spots during long charging periods, as Managing Director of 917Ventures Vince Yamat explained:
“We are committed to helping solve the climate crisis by introducing Gogoro to logistics businesses, helping them in their sustainability efforts. In addition, the Swap & Go technology will enable riders to be fully charged in just seconds and therefore eliminate the need for parking spots. Hopefully, this technology will encourage more Filipinos to switch to EV.”
The success of Gogoro’s Smartscooters and battery swapping network has led to quick electrification in Taiwan, especially in key areas of commercial deliveries.
As explained by Director of the Department of Energy’s Energy Utilization Management Bureau in the Philippines, Patrick Aquino, that’s a success that the Philippines hopes to reproduce:
“More than 25% of Taiwan’s quick commerce deliveries and almost all of their electric deliveries are powered by Gogoro’s battery-swapping technology, and we see this solution being most beneficial to a densely populated region like Metro Manila, which is also the hub of business districts. The success of this pilot will pave the way for a new sustainable business model in other cities in the country as well. Philippines can learn from Taiwan’s experience.”
That’s a sentiment shared by Taiwan’s Vice Minister of the Ministry of Economic Affairs Chuan-Neng Lin:
“Gogoro’s leadership in battery swapping, vehicle design, and innovation has transformed two-wheel mobility in Taiwan and fostered a new smart mobility industry of eco-friendly businesses and end-users. We look forward to businesses and riders in the Philippines experiencing the benefits of Gogoro’s smart mobility like we have in Taiwan. Together, with Gogoro, we can all reach our net-zero carbon emissions goals.”
Gogoro’s success in Taiwan is already being reproduced in other countries as the company continues its global expansion.
Pilots in India, Indonesia, China, Singapore, Israel and other countries are currently underway, providing unique testing opportunities around the world. Gogoro even held the honor of being named the official vehicle of the G20 Summit earlier this month, where the company’s scooters were used to shuttle VIPs around Bali.
As a Tel Aviv resident, I’ve been able to personally experience Gogoro’s battery swapping network in Israel. I’ve had a Gogoro S2 ABS Performance electric scooter for the last couple months and have already made several battery swaps while my wife and I use it as our daily driver around the city.
Completely removing the need to charge means that we don’t worry about range or finding a place with a plug to park for several hours.
And the fact that the scooter looks so neat hasn’t hurt either!
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Massachusetts is launching a first-of-its-kind statewide vehicle-to-everything (V2X) pilot program. This two-year initiative, backed by the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC), aims to deploy 100 bidirectional chargers to homes, school buses, municipal, and commercial fleet participants across the state.
These bidirectional chargers will enable EVs to serve as mobile energy storage units, collectively providing an estimated 1.5 MW of new storage capacity. That means EVs won’t just be getting power – they’ll be giving it back to the grid, helping to balance demand and support renewable energy use. The program is also focused on ensuring that low-income and disadvantaged communities have access to this cutting-edge tech.
The Massachusetts pilot is one of the largest state-led V2X initiatives in the US and is designed to tackle key challenges in deploying bidirectional charging technology. By strategically placing these chargers in a variety of settings, the program aims to identify and resolve barriers to wider adoption of V2X technology.
Massachusetts EV owners and fleet operators enrolled in the program will get bidirectional chargers capable of both vehicle-to-grid (V2G) and backup power operations at no cost. Here’s what they stand to gain:
- No-cost charging infrastructure: Bidirectional charging stations and installation are fully covered for participants.
- Grid resilience: With an estimated 1.5 MW of new flexible and distributed storage assets, the program strengthens Massachusetts’ energy infrastructure.
- Clean energy integration: V2G technology allows EVs to charge when renewable energy is available and discharge stored energy when it’s not, supporting the state’s clean energy goals.
- Backup power: EV batteries can be used as backup power sources during outages.
- Revenue opportunities: Some participants can earn money by sending stored energy back to the grid.
Clean energy solutions firm Resource Innovations and vehicle-grid integration tech company The Mobility House are leading the program’s implementation. “With the charging infrastructure provided through this program, we’re eliminating financial barriers and enabling school districts, homeowners, and fleets to access reliable backup power,” said Kelly Helfrich of Resource Innovations. “We aim to create a scalable blueprint for V2X programs nationwide.”
“Bidirectional charging benefits vehicle owners by providing backup power and revenue opportunities while strengthening the grid for the entire community,” added Russell Vare of The Mobility House North America.
The program is open for enrollment now through June 2025. For more details, visit the MassCEC V2X Program webpage. A list of eligible bidirectional vehicles can be found on that page.
Read more: Cambridge’s new solar VPPA is the largest ever by any US city
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Compton, California, has unveiled 25 new electric school buses – the school district’s first – and 25 Tellus 180 kW DC fast chargers.
Compton Unified School District (CUSD) in southern Los Angeles County is putting 17 Thomas Built Type A and eight Thomas Built Type C electric school buses on the road this spring. In addition to working with Thomas Built, CUSD also collaborated with electrification-as-a-service provider Highland Electric Fleet, utility Southern California Edison, and school transportation provider Durham School Services.
Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Clean School Bus Program awarded funds for the vehicles in the program’s first round. EPA also awarded CUSD funds for the third round of the program and anticipates introducing an additional 25 EV school buses in the future.
“I can’t stress enough how vital grants like these are and the need for continued support from our partners in government at the state and federal level to fund additional grants for school districts and their transportation partners that are ready to deliver and operate zero-emission buses,” said Tim Wertner, CEO of Durham School Services.
CUSD, which serves Compton and parts of the cities of Carson and Los Angeles, currently serves more than 17,000 students at 36 sites. The district has a high school graduation rate of 93% and an 88% college acceptance rate. One in 11 children in Los Angeles County have asthma, which makes the need for emissions-free school transportation that much more pressing.
Read more: Thomas Built Buses debuts its next-gen electric school bus
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After cutting lease prices by $200 this month, the Rivian R1S is now surprisingly affordable. It may even be a better deal than the new Tesla Model Y.
Rivian cuts R1S lease prices by $200 per month
Rivian’s R1S is one of the hottest electric SUVs on the market. If you haven’t checked it out yet, you’re missing out.
With some of the best deals to date, now may be the time. Rivian lowered R1S lease prices earlier this month to just $599 for 36 months, with $8,493 due at signing (30,000 miles). The offer is for the new 2025 R1S Adventure Dual Standard, which starts at $75,900.
Before the price cut, the R1S was listed at $799 per month, with $8,694 due at signing. The electric SUV now has the same lease price as the R1T, despite costing $6,000 more.
The 2025 R1T Dual Motor starts at $69,900, essentially making it a free $6,000 upgrade. At that price, you may even want to consider it over the new Tesla Model Y.
Tesla’s new Model Y Launch Series arrived with lease prices of $699 for 36 months. With $4,393 due at signing, the effective rate is $821 per month, or just $13 less than the R1S at $834. However, the 2025 R1S costs nearly $15,000 more, with the Model Y Launch Series price at $59,990.
Rivian is also offering an “All-Electric Upgrade Offer” of up to $6,000 for those looking to trade-in their gas-powered car, but base models are not included.
| Starting Price | Range (EPA-est.) |
|
| 2025 Rivian R1S Dual Standard | $75,900 | 270 miles |
| 2026 Tesla Model Y Launch Series | $59,990 | 327 miles |
To take advantage of the Rivian R1S lease deal, you must order it before March 15 and take delivery on or before March 31, 2025.
The 2025 Rivian R1S Dual Standard Motor has an EPA-estimated range of up to 270 miles. Tesla’s new Model Y Launch Series gets up to 327 miles.
Which electric SUV would you choose? Rivian’s R1S or the new Tesla Model Y? If you’re ready to check them out for yourself, you can use our links below to find deals on the Rivian R1S and Tesla Model Y in your area.
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