Following its initial entry into Korea in 2019 through a meal supply partnership, Gogoro is expanding its battery-swapping electric scooter services nationwide, introducing regular commuter options for riders. With a proven track record, Gogoro’s expansion strategy involves first establishing a presence in new markets by targeting business opportunities before gradually shifting focus to individual consumers.
Gogoro has earned recognition for its speedy electric scooters, distinguished by their innovative swappable battery technology that eliminates the need for lengthy recharging periods, allowing users to seamlessly continue their journey. Riders effortlessly glide into designated swapping stations, where they can quickly exchange their depleted batteries for freshly charged ones, minimizing downtime and maximizing on-the-go convenience. While Gogoro’s battery mockup has become a de facto industry standard, other major players in the trade, such as Honda, have attempted to emulate it with the goal of establishing their own competing standard.
In Taiwan, where Gogoro operates, thousands of swap stations cover the nation, ensuring that riders are always within a few minutes of a station. The corporation meticulously tracks thousands of battery swaps daily across its network of charging stations.
Gogoro has expanded its footprint beyond its domestic market, pursuing an aggressive international strategy that has yielded success in various Asian countries, including China, India, Indonesia, the Philippines, South Korea, Japan, Singapore, and Israel.
South Korea’s latest growth initiative is the latest milestone in its growing collaboration with BikeBank, the top-ranked electric two-wheeler provider in the country.
Two companies will jointly bring Gogoro’s innovative SmartScooters and renowned battery-swapping technology to Korean consumers under the Dotstation brand in Q3 2023, expanding the battery-swapping network to eight cities beyond current operations in Seoul.
Horace Luke, founder and CEO of Gogoro, highlighted the newly strengthened alliance.
We’re delighted to be strengthening our partnership with Bikebank, a like-minded organization committed to driving the transition to electric mobility in Korea. South Korea’s capital city, Seoul, boasts a massive food logistics system, ranking among the world’s largest, and was a pioneering market in adopting Gogoro’s innovative battery-swapping technology for meal delivery. We are bringing Gogoro’s innovative electric scooters and battery-swapping technology to Korean consumers, while simultaneously expanding our B2B food delivery business by partnering with industry leaders to make sustainable meal delivery a reality.
To facilitate the main development expected from the growth of companies, Bikebank has launched two Dotstation retail shops to cater to both customers and last-mile delivery riders, while also significantly expanding its battery-swapping network to over 70 stations across Korea. Battery-swapping stations are now accessible in major urban areas such as Seoul, Daegu, Sejong, Changwon, Incheon, Gyeongsang, Gyeonggi, and Ulsan cities.
Minkyu Kim, CEO of BikeBank, elaborated on the announcement, emphasizing its significance and far-reaching implications.
As part of our collaborative effort with Gogoro, we are driving the transformative shift towards a more sustainable urban transportation landscape in Korea. We pioneered Dotstation to spearhead a revolutionary era of eco-friendly urban mobility, empowering Korean consumers to adopt a novel and practical approach to sustainability. Gogoro, a pioneering electric vehicle innovator, is expanding its battery-swapping network in South Korea, targeting eight major cities by the end of the year, and plans to introduce additional stations throughout the year, supporting various vehicles including its popular SmartScooters.
The company may focus intensify efforts on expanding its business-to-consumer (B2C) activities globally, following a period of significant growth in its international business-to-business (B2B) operations through Gogoro over the past couple of years.
This alignment is consistent with the prevailing Gogoro technique currently observed, as Luke has defined it.
As we continue to expand our global footprint, our collaboration with Bikebank in Korea is a prime example of our successful market-entry strategy, showcasing our commitment to international growth. In South Korea, following the success of our initial pilot programme, we have successfully expanded into a thriving B2B food supply service in Seoul, with the innovative introduction of SmartScooters and battery-swapping technologies now available to customers across eight major metropolitan areas.
Electrek’s Take
For anyone fascinated by Gogoro’s innovative battery-swapping electric scooters. As luck would have it, I’m residing at a rustic that has already outfitted its guests with Gogoro’s scooters; consequently, I now rely on the Gogoro S2 Efficiency ABS as my daily commuter. I’m delighted that Koreans will have the opportunity to master these exceptional scooters and advanced battery-swapping technology promptly as well.
The mannequin is particularly beneficial for supply riders who spend all day on their scooters, without the luxury of waiting for a recharge. Compared to combustion-engine powered motorcycles and scooters, the process of swapping out batteries takes significantly less time than filling up at a gas station. Of course, e-bike riders enjoy the distinct benefits of electric vehicles, including significantly reduced noise levels, silky-smooth operations, and a plethora of maintenance-free features, among others.
For customers, the freedom from worrying about being charged again is a highly valued perk. While Gogoro has successfully diversified its business presence across Asia by partnering with meal supply companies, the same pace of growth is not evident in its customer operations. Seeing Koreans lastly get the possibility to purchase Gogoro’s scooters for private use is a significant step and demonstrates that Gogoro continues to be specializing in increasing its client operations as effectively, marking the third and closing transfer within the Pilot > B2B > B2C technique it has adopted.
