Gogoro & Hero to establish battery swap network in India
Taiwan’s Gogoro and India’s Hero MotoCorp announced a strategic partnership that aims to found a joint venture for bringing battery swaps to India. Hero also wants to use Gogoro technology for new electric two-wheelers for the Indian market.
While details remain scarce, both Gogoro and Hero MotoCorp consider the new partnership enough to help shift mobility in India and introduce an “industry-leading” battery swap network”. The joint venture has yet to be set up. Once done, Gogoro will bring its battery swapping platform to India and collaborate on electric vehicle development to bring Hero-branded EVs to market.
Gogoro has been in the market for e-mobility since 2011 and established battery swapping for its e-scooters in Taiwan early on. Today, the company claims more than 375,000 riders relying on 2,000 battery swapping stations in the Gogoro Network, which manages 265,000 daily battery swaps with more than 174 million total battery swaps to date.
More so, the ‘Powered by Gogoro Network Program’ gives partners access to Gogoro innovations and intellectual property, including its intelligent drivetrains and controllers, components and smart systems, so they can develop and roll out unique electric vehicles that integrate Gogoro Network battery swapping, according to the company.
In the case of Hero, the partnership goes further, considering the joint venture and probably the sheer size of the Indian market. “With more than 225 million gas-powered two-wheel vehicles in India, the need for smart and sustainable electric transportation and refuelling is vital,” said Horace Luke, founder and CEO of Gogoro. “The Hero-Gogoro partnership addresses these challenges and will leverage Hero’s market strength and Gogoro’s industry-leading innovations,” he added.
Hero MotoCorp is headquartered in New Delhi. The company claims it sold over 100 million motorcycles and scooters in cumulative sales since its inception 20 years ago. The partnership with Gogoro will see Hero enter the light electric vehicle space for the first time, apart from a range-extended motor cycle and other concepts in 2014. This time, we hope for large scale manufacturing.
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