Ayala Corp. and its subsidiaries Globe and 917Ventures are ramping up investments in sustainable transportation through a partnership with Taiwan-based company Gogoro.

Gogoro manufactures Gogoro Smartscooters and builds battery-swapping infrastructure and was founded in 2011.

The companies said they aim to address the common pain points (traffic congestion, expensive gas prices, and pollution) commuters face every day in Metro Manila. Gogoro’s launch is the Globe Group’s debut in the climate tech space.

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“We want to make cities smarter, cleaner, and safer,” said Horace Luke, founder and CEO of Gogor. “The fundamental thing to do for our future innovators is to electrify and digitize cities with sustainable technology.”

Gogoro is the first unicorn in Taiwan to be listed on the US Stock Exchange.

E-scooters charging stations

To be piloted by volunteer Globe employees in May, Gogoro’s e-scooters are expected to be available to the mainstream market by the fourth quarter of this year, according to Vince Yamat, managing director of 917Ventures, Ayala and Globe’s corporate venture builder.

The partners also unveiled the first Gogoro battery-swapping station at The Globe Tower, the start of a network of Gogoro battery-swapping stations planned to be established initially in Metro Manila and eventually across the country.

Unlike other e-scooters (or other e-vehicles, for that matter) that needed to be plugged in and charged for hours, the idea of Gogoro’s battery swapping is to have drivers get their batteries in just six minutes. 

Gogoro offers a range of Smartscooters for the varying needs of customers. Depending on rider behavior, Gogoro Smartscooters have a range from 70 km to 170 km.

In addition to Taiwan and the Philippines, Gogoro is also operating in China, India, Japan, Indonesia, Korea, and Israel.