Electric scooter vendor and producer Gogoro Inc (睿能創意) said it is planning to open rental shops on Siaoliouciou Island (小琉球) by the middle of next month.
Although Gogoro’s news release on Tuesday said that its expansion plans were limited to Taichung, some Internet users on Thursday last week said they had spotted a shipment of Gogoro scooters on a boat heading to Siaoliouciou Island.
In response to media queries, Gogoro confirmed that it is to open stores on Siaoliouciou.
The company said it has concluded that substantial opportunities for electric scooters exist on Siaoliouciou and that it believes its “high-performance and aesthetically pleasing” vehicles would be successful there, citing the local authority’s interest in reducing carbon emissions and noise pollution on the island.
As a result, 100 license-built Gogoro scooters were sent to Siaoliouciou to explore the market, with shops on the island scheduled to open ahead of those in Taichung, it said.
To address an issue of accidents involving scooter-riding tourists on the island, Gogoro scooters to be used on Siaoliouciou were license-built by a contractor, with their maximum speed reduced to less than 60kph, which Gogoro said would improve safety and handling on the island’s hilly roads.
Affiliated rental partners are obliged to rent only to people who have a valid driver’s license for 125cc scooters, it said, adding that it would provide warranties for scooter batteries and establish a 24-hour recharging station on the island.
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