Electric scooter maker Gogoro Inc (睿能創意) yesterday said that it has partnered with TIC Corp to distribute its electric scooters in South Korea targeting corporate clients, such as logistics and delivery service providers.
TIC would operate Gogoro’s battery swap system in South Korea, where Gogoro has helped install six battery stations in Seoul in a trial run, Gogoro said in a statement.
In South Korea, TIC would also help distribute the Gogoro 2 Utility, the same commercial two-wheeler adopted by Deutsche Post DHL Group and Chunghwa Post Co (中華郵政) last year, Gogoro said.
The deal allows Gogoro to enter the business-to-business market in South Korea by exporting its energy swap system along with its electric scooters.
It is different from the company’s previous overseas strategy of collaborating with local partners to offer electric scooter sharing services in big cities, including Milan, Rome, Madrid, Berlin and recently in Okinawa.
There are more than 4,000 Gogoro scooters running in those places, the company said.
In Taiwan, motorcycle maker Aeon Motor Co (宏佳騰) tomorrow is to roll out its first electric scooter, AI-1 Sport, which would be equipped with a swappable battery supplied by Gogoro.
Riders would be able to pick up fully charged batteries at battery stations built by Gogoro, the company said.
In June, Yamaha Motor Taiwan Co (台灣山葉) launched its first electric scooter, EC-05, which was also made by Gogoro and powered by the swappable batteries.
Unlike Gogoro’s swappable battery system, rival Kwang Yang Motor Co (光陽工業) has said that its battery charging solution is more suitable and affordable for riders.
Gogoro sold 72,066 electric scooters last year, more than doubling from the 34,434 vehicles it sold in 2017, according to the latest government statistics.
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