Following the recent launch of the latest electric scooter, the Gogoro HIS Smartscooter, deliveries of the best-selling electric scooters are ready to begin. This marks a novel page for Gogoro, the world’s largest battery swap network operator, and makes electric scooters with swappable batteries cheaper than ever.
Gogoro HIS launched in Taiwan last month and quickly racked up over 6,500 fully paid pre-orders in that brief time.
Gogoro already dominates the local market with around 90% share of novel electric scooter registrations in Taiwan. According to Gogoro, HIS sales are showing the highest demand for a Gogoro vehicle since the beginning of the pandemic. The company’s home market, Taiwan, is by far its largest market, although Gogoro scooters and battery swapping stations have now expanded across much of Asia as Gogoro’s footprint expands.
With a starting price that drops to just $760 after government subsidies, HIS is positioned as a novel affordable model that will further open up the local market and attract more price-sensitive combustion engine scooter users.
The scooter is built on the well-known Gogoro battery standard, allowing one or two batteries to power the vehicle in cities and urban areas. Riders buy a scooter but do not own the batteries and instead subscribe to a replacement plan. This helps to further reduce the price of the scooter and ensures that Gogoro can achieve the longest battery life thanks to its wise charging and replacement doctrines. When starting replacement programs in 2015, Gogoro learned that its batteries lasted even longer than originally expected, with a novel estimated lifespan of approximately 12 years.
A novel low-cost battery swap subscription plan was also announced with HIS, offering novel riders a $7/month plan that allows them to travel up to 1,000 km (621 miles) per month when they sign up for a three-year plan.
HIS goal of converting existing combustion engine scooter users to electric scooters seems to be working well.
“HIS has positively impacted a novel market segment for Taiwanese drivers – almost all of our 6,500 pre-order customers are first-time electric vehicle users. They are looking for a shrewd, comfortable and sustainable vehicle and not only benefit from HIS innovation and design, but also have access to Gogoro’s extensive battery replacement network,” said Horace Luke, founder and CEO of Gogoro. “HIS initial sales are exceeding our expectations and are showing the strongest demand we have seen since the beginning of the pandemic. As deliveries begin this week, we expect to realize HIS pre-order revenue this quarter.”
At the same time as Gogoro is expanding its entry-level offering with HIS, Gogoro is also preparing to launch the recently announced premium Gogoro Pulse. This high-performance model, which also uses the same replaceable Gogoro batteries, includes a number of automotive-style features never before seen in the electric scooter market.
The two-pronged approach showcases Gogoro’s ability to innovate at both ends of the market, serving both beginner riders and higher performance enthusiasts.
