Ayala-Globe venture eyes e-scooter market outside Metro Manila

MANILA, Philippines  —Gogoro Philippines is looking at bringing its electric scooters outside Metro Manila, banking on the projected demand for a sustainable means of transportation.

Bernie Llamzon, president and CEO of the two-wheel electric vehicle (EV) brand, said in a recent virtual briefing they were planning to establish presence in Baguio, Tuguegarao and Batanes in Luzon; Cebu and Dumaguete in Visayas; and Cagayan de Oro and Siargao in Mindanao.

“We are still very bullish about the potential of our scooters in this market such that we are looking at expanding geographically in different parts of the country,” he said.

According to Statista Market Insights, the e-scooter-sharing market in the Philippines is estimated to clock in at an annual growth rate of 12.08 percent between 2024 and 2028, projecting a market volume of $3.82 million in about five years.

READ: Globe, Taiwan firm in deal to bring e-scooters to PH

The Gogoro ecosystem currently has five battery-swapping stations located in Taguig, Parañaque, Makati and Pasig. It plans to launch 20 to 30 more stations this year.

Gogoro, a joint venture between Ayala Corp. and Globe’s 917Ventures, launched in November last year two monthly energy subscription plans, allowing its users to navigate the roads in a sustainable manner.

Plan 799 provides users 300 ampere hour (Ah) allotment, which allows travel distance of up to 420 kilometers (km). Plan 999, meanwhile, includes 500-Ah package that supports driving of up to 700 km.

READ:  Gogoro Philippines powers up new EV battery-swapping stations

The subscription has no lockup period, allowing riders to change plans any time.

The commercial launch of the e-scooter brand came after Gogoro conducted a pilot-testing, revealing that EVs were a viable option to go around the metro, Llamzon had said. The Gogoro PH official said a rider only sees the need to swap out battery once in seven to 10 days. Investing in EVs is Globe’s foray into climate technology space. This is in line with its commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 75 percent in 2030.

Founded in 2011, Gogoro has over 1.1 million smart batteries in its network of more than 12,000 swapping stations across 2,500 locations in Taiwan. It has cut 680,000 tons of carbon dioxide since it launched.