Originally published on CleanTechnica.
Smart electric scooter company Gogoro has announced two additions to its product lineup: the Gogoro 2 and the Gogoro 2 Plus.
We first covered Gogoro here on CleanTechnica over 2 years ago when it announced that its first scooter would not be able to plug in for a charge (more on that later). More recently, Gogoro was chosen for the COUP eScooter sharing service expansion in Paris after a successful launch of COUP in Berlin last year. The adoptions of hundreds of Gogoro eScooters by COUP speaks to their effectiveness in the scooter sharing platform as well as the ease of use for riders.
The Gogoro 2 and 2 Plus build on the successes of the original, with more underseat storage and more room for a second passenger on the larger saddle. The new versions have upgraded wheel sizes, with a 14″ front wheel and 13″ rear wheel that enable better handling and more stability around town. In addition to these improvements, the 2 new models come with the same features as the original:
→ 6.4 kilowatt G2 motor packs plenty of power for a scooter that allows it to reach a top-speed of 90km/hr
→ Single charge range of 110km | 68 miles.
→ Smart and Sport modes that allow riders to choose their specific performance or range preferences.
→ LED Lighting that casts a wide, bright beam enabling better road visibility and ensures the scooter will be seen by other drivers.
→ The Gogoro App (iOS/Android) gives owners visibility of their scooter while out on the go. It importantly provides visibility of charging stations where batteries can be reserved, ride history, service alerts, etc. While driving, the app doubles as a second dashboard with real-time energy usage monitoring, efficiency analytics, and more.
→ The dashboard is comprised of a full-color LED screen that provides better visibility during the day on the easy-to-read display.
Because the batteries in the scooter are smaller than those in electric vehicles, Gogoro made them removable and modular. The Gogoro 2 and 2 Plus feature two battery packs that can be removed and plugged into Gogoro Go stations. The station automagically recognizes the user based on the batteries and allows 2 fully charged batteries to be checked out. That makes the process of “fueling up” a Gogoro a breeze.
Gogoro made a video of the process that shows a driver pulling up to a Gogoro GoStation, sliding the two onboard batteries into the station, and pulling out two fresh batteries. With scooter batteries being so much smaller than EV batteries, a service like this makes tons of sense. No need to wait for a recharge or even to worry about it. Just pull the two onboard units out and drop two fully charged batteries in. Beautiful.
On top of that, the swappable batteries make the bikes perfect for a scooter-sharing service. Instead of worrying about how much fuel is left in the scooters, the state of charge can be monitored from a central location. In the event that a scooter needs to be charged, a new battery pack can simply be brought to it and swapped out in a matter of seconds. No driving to and from gas stations, no need to let the bike sit for 3 hours to recharge … just pull out the used module and drop in a new one.
The Gogoro 2 and Gogoro 2 Plus come with aggressive new pricing — USD$1,295 in Taiwan, with subsidies. The Gogoro 2 and Gogoro 2 Plus are scheduled to be available in July in Taiwan with pre-orders for other regions able to be placed at www.gogoro.com.
Source: Gogoro
Reprinted with permission.