Gogoro signs deal with Foxconn to expand EV bike swap tech

Battery swap technology for electric bikes and scooters has taken another giant leap with the signing of a deal between Taiwanese scooter maker Gogoro and Apple iPhone manufacturer Foxconn.

The two companies signed a memorandum of understanding “to form a strategic technology and manufacturing partnership” for Gogoro’s two-wheeled EVs.

The deal is expected to see Gogoro expand its proven battery swap tech beyond its homeland of Taiwan with the view to seriously scaling up the business.

READ MORE: Battery swap tech being developed by Yamaha, Honda, KTM and Piaggio

“This partnership brings together Gogoro’s global leadership in urban battery swapping and smart vehicle technologies with Foxconn’s extensive global manufacturing capabilities to enable mass distribution of Gogoro’s smart battery swapping ecosystem and vehicles,” said Young Liu, chairman of Foxconn.

Two big bike riding nations – India and China – are reportedly on the hitlist for Gogoro and Foxconn.

Already Gogoro says it has 2100 battery swap stations in Taiwan and 400,000 riders using them with 270,000 battery swaps on average each day.

The appeal of the tech is obvious: no having to plug in or waiting for batteries to charge, simply roll up and swap a flat battery for a charged one.

It’s very different to what’s happening in the world of four-wheeled EVs. Battery swap for electric cars is limited, with Chinese brand Nio the main brand pushing down that path. Australian company Janus Electric is also working on battery swap tech for trucks.

But the smaller battery capacities for bikes makes swapping batteries more achievable because they can easily be done by hand, rather than requiring bulky and expensive swap stations to robotically perform the swap.

Some of the world’s biggest bike brands – including Yamaha, Honda, KTM and Piaggio – are currently working on a battery swap standard for electric bikes. The handheld batteries look similar in size to those used by Gogoro.

But the Gogoro-Foxconn deal goes beyond manufacturing, with the two also set to collaborate on engineering and the development of smart batteries.

“As the Gogoro ecosystem continues establishing itself as the industry leader in battery swapping and urban refueling, our ability to rapidly scale our manufacturing to meet global demands is vital,” said Horace Luke, Gogoro founder and CEO.

“Together, our companies will be on the forefront of rolling out smart mobility solutions in cities around the world.”