Electric scooter vendor Gogoro Inc (睿能創意) said it plans to install 100 charging stations at local stores, including coffee shops and bookstores, by the end of this year to help boost sales.
The Taoyuan-based company has sold more than 10,000 scooters in Taiwan since its launch in summer last year.
On Thursday, Gogoro said it picked Taichung to install the company’s first mini battery-charging station.
The company plans to complete installation of 21 charging stations by today at 21 shops in Taichung, including CMYK Gallery, Fukurou Living and Mojo Coffee, it said in a statement.
Taiwan FamilyMart Co’s (全家便利商店) convenience stores and Louisa Coffee chain stores will also join the company’s energy-sharing project, which encourages individuals and businesses to install charging devices, Gogoro said.
Gogoro riders can find recharged batteries at 225 swap stations in Taipei, Keelung, Taoyuan, Hsinchu, Taichung and Changhua.
Meanwhile, the company is also pushing its first overseas expansion plan. The company early this month said it is teaming up with Bosch Co to offer electric scooter sharing services with Coup, as subsidiary of Bosch, in Berlin.
In the initial phase, the service will offer 200 scooters in the Berlin Mitte, Prenzlauer Berg, Friedrichshain and Kreuzberg neighborhoods, Gogoro said.
The service will be available for a flat rate of 3 euros (US$3.40) for 30 minutes, or 20 euros for a day, the company said.
“Launching the Gogoro smart scooter in Berlin as our first expansion market is special because it is a great two-wheel city and is also one of the most sophisticated, progressive and creative cities in the world,” Gogoro co-founder and chief executive officer Horace Luke (陸學森) said in the statement.
“The European market for electric motorcycles and scooters is still in its infancy, yet European consumers are clamoring for more sustainable and innovative two-wheel options like what Gogoro is offering with Coup in Berlin today,” Luke said.
He said the company has been approached by many scooter sharing service providers from around the world over the past year and it found that that Bosch and Coup had the potential to be a market maker for scooter sharing in Europe.
NOT JUSTIFIED: The bank’s governor said there would only be a rate cut if inflation falls below 1.5% and economic conditions deteriorate, which have not been detected The central bank yesterday kept its key interest rates unchanged for a fifth consecutive quarter, aligning with market expectations, while slightly lowering its inflation outlook amid signs of cooling price pressures. The move came after the US Federal Reserve held rates steady overnight, despite pressure from US President Donald Trump to cut borrowing costs. Central bank board members unanimously voted to maintain the discount rate at 2 percent, the secured loan rate at 2.375 percent and the overnight lending rate at 4.25 percent. “We consider the policy decision appropriate, although it suggests tightening leaning after factoring in slackening inflation and stable GDP growth,”
DIVIDED VIEWS: Although the Fed agreed on holding rates steady, some officials see no rate cuts for this year, while 10 policymakers foresee two or more cuts There are a lot of unknowns about the outlook for the economy and interest rates, but US Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell signaled at least one thing seems certain: Higher prices are coming. Fed policymakers voted unanimously to hold interest rates steady at a range of 4.25 percent to 4.50 percent for a fourth straight meeting on Wednesday, as they await clarity on whether tariffs would leave a one-time or more lasting mark on inflation. Powell said it is still unclear how much of the bill would fall on the shoulders of consumers, but he expects to learn more about tariffs
Greek tourism student Katerina quit within a month of starting work at a five-star hotel in Halkidiki, one of the country’s top destinations, because she said conditions were so dire. Beyond the bad pay, the 22-year-old said that her working and living conditions were “miserable and unacceptable.” Millions holiday in Greece every year, but its vital tourism industry is finding it harder and harder to recruit Greeks to look after them. “I was asked to work in any department of the hotel where there was a need, from service to cleaning,” said Katerina, a tourism and marketing student, who would
i Gasoline and diesel prices at fuel stations are this week to rise NT$0.1 per liter, as tensions in the Middle East pushed crude oil prices higher last week, CPC Corp, Taiwan (台灣中油) and Formosa Petrochemical Corp (台塑石化) said yesterday. International crude oil prices last week rose for the third consecutive week due to an escalating conflict between Israel and Iran, as the market is concerned that the situation in the Middle East might affect crude oil supply, CPC and Formosa said in separate statements. Front-month Brent crude oil futures — the international oil benchmark — rose 3.75 percent to settle at US$77.01
RSS