Gogoro to Set Foot in the Indian Electric 2-Wheeler Market

This year, the biggest manufacturer of electric scooters in Taiwan aims to enter the Indian market. Tier 1 supplier Metalman Auto will contract to manufacture a variety of e-scooters at its Waluj plant.

Gogoro, the biggest producer of electric two-wheelers in Taiwan and a leader in battery switching, has advanced its efforts to enter the Indian market.

In order to manufacture a variety of electric scooters in India, the battery swapping specialist has partnered with Tier 1 automotive component producer Metalman Auto. Beginning in June 2023, Metalman Auto will start producing a variety of two-wheelers for Gogoro at its plant in Waluj, Aurangabad, Maharashtra. Production is scheduled to begin in mid-2023.

The swappable battery specialist intends to provide a variety of electric two-wheelers, with the majority leaning toward high-speed scooters to take advantage of FAME 2 incentives, according to many in the know. Around the middle of 2023, the e-scooters are expected to go on sale.

With the potential to sell to other nations, the company is now working on three projects with the codenames PUZ, CU, and UX for the Indian market. The Gogoro Viva scooter for the personal buyer market is one of the choices.

The strategy also includes a solution for the gig economy, which is why Gogoro and Zypp Electric signed a cooperation in November 2022 to support each other’s sustainable mobility requirements in the National Capital Region (NCR). Various volume scenarios, ranging from 50,000 to 100,000 units annually, are being worked on by the company. Within the next few years, exports are probably going to make up between 10 and 20% of total production.
Horace Luke, co-founder and CEO of Gogoro, visited New Delhi a few weeks ago to launch the business’ prototype battery-swapping infrastructure. Gogoro is extending its presence in numerous nations and favors partnering with regional manufacturers.

Gogoro, which already has a partnership with Foxconn and Hero MotoCorp for the development and sale of swappable battery solutions, is open to additional collaborations going forward to hasten the transition to electrification, according to its founder and CEO Luke Horace, who made the announcement in Delhi in November. Hero MotoCorp is India’s largest two-wheeler manufacturer. In addition, Gogoro has partnerships with ten different automakers worldwide, including Yamaha and Suzuki Taiwan.

Metalman Auto has effectively positioned itself as a one-stop shop for all fabrication needs. While maintaining a global level of capabilities, they are currently providing services to a number of automotive OEMs and the white goods market.

Commenting on the e-two-wheelers Gogoro plans for India, Luke had told Autocar Professional earlier: “Somebody wants to look cool or somebody wants a utilitarian bike? We have different strokes for different folks. The guy who wants a big one, fast one, tiny one, or disposable one, but the batteries are disposable. We have all in our kitty, we will explore all.”

In an email response, Gogoro's official spokesperson said, “As a matter of corporate practice, we don’t comment on rumours or speculation. We are excited about our entry into the Indian market and our partnerships with Hero and with Zypp Electric for our upcoming B2B pilot in Delhi.”

The relationship between Gogoro and Zypp was considered a first step for Gogoro towards a greater objective of expanding its portfolio and setting up local battery or car manufacturing facilities that might also serve as the foundation for exports. In addition, fleets for last-mile deliveries will be able to electrify thanks to Zypp and Gogoro Network Battery Swapping.

"The Indian market is ready for electric vehicles", Luke had previously told the media that his company would look into fast assisting in making the nation’s densely crowded cities green. “We see our platform as an enabler and want to scale up our engagement with other vehicle manufacturers as well,” he added.