The Taiwanese battery-swapping platform for electric scooters, mopeds, and motorcycles Gogoro which is also a partner of Hero MotoCorp recently unfolded its plans for its India launch. The electric scooter manufacturer behind Hero MotoCorp’s Vida EV scooter’s battery-swapping technology made an announcement that it will be hosting a press conference scheduled for November 3 in which it will be sharing its plans for the future in India.
As of yet, there is no information from any source which can reveal what the company is planning to announce on November 3. Although speculations are that it could be something related to its knowledge of battery-swapping technology. The company could be eyeing to enter India because of the huge surge in the demand for electric vehicles in the country.
Gogoro could also be outlining their plans to build a network of battery-swapping stations in India to support the current generation of swappable-battery scooters, primarily the Hero Vida V1, and encouraging other manufacturers to explore and use this cutting-edge technological feature. Other speculations believe that the Taiwanese automaker could be launching an electric scooter for the general public and in addition to that, it could also offer its products for business-to-business services like deliveries and others.
According to sources, for its direct customer retail, it could be bringing its S1 model as the first product in the Indian subcontinent. Built on an aluminum monocoque chassis connected to an aluminum single-arm telescopic fork with adjustable damping and an aluminum-linked mono-shock at the rear, the Gogoro S1 is one of the company’s highly popular models and is currently offered in Taiwan and other foreign markets.
The Gogoro S1 in the international market is currently powered by a liquid-cooled permanent magnet motor that generates 7.2kW and 27Nm peak power statistics. It also offers a range of 150km on a single full charge with its 18kg removable battery pack. Although this figure is only achievable if the cruising speed is around 30km. It is believed that if Gogoro wants to make a lasting impression on the Indian EV audience then it will have to keep the same range but with a minimum cruising speed of 50kmph.
The Gogoro S1 also boasts some pretty decent features which include a 24.5-liter under-seat storage, smartphone-linked instrument cluster, adjustable regenerative braking, keyless operation, and Smart, Normal, Super boost, and Low energy riding modes.
Currently, Gogoro dominates Taiwan’s two-wheeler EV market, holding an astounding 92 percent of the market and having more than five lakh customers on a monthly basis. Gogoro and Hero MotoCorp previously collaborated in April 2021, but their union is separate from Gogoro’s solo aspirations for India. As of now, the partnership with Hero MotoCorp covers two objectives. The first is the battery swapping technology and the other includes the development of a few more products. It is also believed that Gogoro could develop a standardized battery-swapping mechanism that would work with both Hero Vida’s products and its own line of e-scooters in the future.