The company Gogoro will start shipping preordered Gogoro Smart Scooter in Taipei. The Taiwanese company started to accept orders on June 27 adding up Gogoro Plus, Gogoro's newest series in silver, blue, orange and yellow. The basic model costs $4000 while Gogoro Plus costs $4300.
PC Mag reported that Gogoro Plus will be expected to be seen around Taipei this time as Gogoro will begin shipping the units for pre-orders which started on June 27.
Gogoro is very similar to the typical motorcycle. The electric scooter can reach a speed of about 60 mph and can go up to 37 miles. In 4 seconds, it can hit the road for up to 30 mph. Gogoro can also be tilted left and right at 45-degree angle.
According to Mashable, the basic unit costs around $4,100 while the upcoming Gogoro Plus costs $4,380. It includes an unlimited battery swap subscription for $28 per month.
Fortune 500 stated that the first 400 pre-ordered scooters across Taipei will be shipped this week. The startup company had also located 65 battery stations (GoStations) intended for Gogoro Plus riders in Taipei to swap empty and low charged batteries with brand-new ones. The startup company had partnered with Panasonic to produce the batteries.
The connectivity uses NFC technology. It would only take six seconds to recognize the scooter approaching near. When the user's account is verified, the new battery will be unchained allowing the rider to lift up the scooter seat to switch batteries. The mobile app (iOS and Android compatible) will distinguish which batteries can be swapped so they would know which GoStation to go. Riders can also view their records, perform diagnostics and customize the dashboard colors and sound.
Horace Luke, Gogoro's CEO previously worked at Microsoft and HTC as the chief innovation officer. His co-founder, Matt Taylor, has also worked for both technology companies. The startup was created in 2011 with $150 million contributions from top businessmen in Asia like Sam Yin of Ruentex Group and Cher Wang, HTC's co-founder.
Gogoro will be the first scooter to be synchronized with smart devices. If this test works well, there will be a need for the startup company to extend its distribution to other cities.
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