Gogoro, the current leader in battery-swapping electric scooters, has just announced a massive partnership with the Maharashtra government to spread its battery standard, battery-swapping stations, and electric scooters across the state.
Motorcycles and scooters greatly outnumber cars in India by around 4:1. Thus, it makes sense that any effort at electrifying transportation in the world’s most populated country will obviously need to tackle two-wheelers first.
Maharashtra is the largest state in India and includes Mumbai, the financial capital and most populated city in the country.
The state government and Gogoro have jointly announced at a Maharashtrian state government press conference that they will enter into an “Ultra Mega Project” agreement to manufacture electric vehicles, smart battery packs, and battery swap stations in order to deploy Gogoro’s battery-swapping infrastructure in the state beginning in late 2023.
The Maharashtra government categorizes Ultra Mega Projects as significant strategic investments exceeding US $500 million, which usually result in government incentives to ensure successful project execution. Gogoro’s request for financial incentives was approved and endorsed by the Maharashtra state cabinet, and the two parties expect to complete the agreement soon.
Gogoro’s electric scooters and battery-swapping network are designed to be a simple and easy way to replace the need for riders to recharge their electric scooters.
Instead of seeking out charging infrastructures like a conventional electric motorcycle or e-scooter, riders simply roll up to a Gogoro GoStation and swap a pair of depleted batteries for new ones.
The process takes as little as six seconds, meaning riders can essentially instantly “recharge” and be on their way.
The massive deal announced today would exceed US $1.5 billion in investment from Gogoro and include financial incentives and support from Maharashtra following a previous MOU announcement from Maharashtra.
Honorable Chief Minister Shri. Eknath Shinde explained that the announcement further underscores Maharashtra’s dedication toward electrification.
As the leading State in India for electric vehicles, Maharashtra is demonstrating our strong commitment towards sustainable transportation for all. We are creating a smart battery ecosystem with Gogoro, a leader in sustainable vehicles and electric fuel technologies. As part of the project, Gogoro will establish its India vehicle, smart battery and battery swapping station manufacturing in Maharashtra and deploy their industry leading smart battery infrastructure in the state, generating approximately 10,000 direct and indirect jobs.
The Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Devendra Fadnavis, further expanded on the massive project’s goals:
In line with the vision set by our Hon Prime Minister Shri. Narendra Modi, Maharashtra is fully committed to help build a green and sustainable future for our state. I am delighted to announce that today we approved an ultra mega project with Gogoro, a Nasdaq listed, global two-wheel EV company. Gogoro aims to produce two-wheel EV’s that utilize its open and accessible battery swap technology which is absolutely state of the art. We have provided Gogoro with the necessary financial and other key incentives to usher in a new paradigm shift in the way we will move people across metros and cities. The EV revolution is gripping the world and our state is not far behind in its early adoption. With this project we anticipate creating a fertile ecosystem for local manufacturers who will avail the necessary tech transfer and help create world class products for our citizens.
Gogoro intends to build smart energy infrastructure in Maharashtra that is both open and accessible, establishing battery swapping and smart battery stations as a leading source for mobility and energy storage. The company has already demonstrated the success of its thousands of battery swap stations in its domestic market of Taiwan, where hundreds of thousands of batteries are swapped daily in electric scooters built by Gogoro as well as electric scooters by other manufacturers to fit Gogoro’s batteries.
Gogoro’s battery-swapping network and electric scooters have expanded into several other countries, including Korea, the Philippines, China, Israel, and Singapore.
Both the State of Maharashtra and Gogoro described how the deployment is expected to accelerate job growth throughout the smart energy, electric vehicle, and sustainability value chain.
Gogoro’s CEO and founder, Horace Luke, described how Gogoro’s success in Taiwan led to its most massive overseas expansion yet and how that expansion will directly benefit the statewide economy in Maharashtra.
Building on Gogoro’s successful deployment of an open battery swapping network that supports multiple vehicle makers in Taiwan, we plan to proceed in partnership with the Maharashtra government to bring Gogoro vehicles, smart batteries and swap stations to India starting with the state of Maharashtra. We are focused on creating a domestic supplier ecosystem that allows for domestic growth and foreign market expansion. It is essential that we transform industries and infrastructure to successfully enter a new era of clean, connected mobility. We are excited to be partnering with the Maharashtra government in its vision to transform urban transportation and provide a better path forward for its residents and businesses.
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