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Gogoro's electric scooters just got a major price cut and a new, cheaper model

Gogoro's electric scooters just got a major price cut and a new, cheaper model

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Taiwanese firm Gogoro makes some of the most futuristic electric scooters we've ever seen, but they're certainly not cheap. So, in a bid to attract new customers in Taiwan (where the company is running its pilot program), Gogoro has cut the cost of its current models and introduced a new, cheaper ride named the Gogoro Lite. Customers can now buy the standard scooter at NT$98,000 (around $2,984), while the high-end Gogoro Plus will start at NT$108,000 ($3,288) and the new Gogoro Lite will be available from NT$88,000 ($2,679). Government subsidies can knock as much as NT$26,000 off these price-tags (that's $791), but unlike the original launch pricing, this doesn't include two years of battery swapping from the terminals that power Gogoro's scooters.

Nevertheless, these are some serious cuts, and coming just three months after the scooters went on sale, they suggest Gogoro isn't selling as many units as it would like. At this point in the company's history, it's not too surprising. The scooters are certainly futuristic, with Bluetooth keys, programmable headlights, and user-swappable batteries, but they're more expensive than their gas counterparts. Gogoro argues that once government subsidies and fuel prices are factored in, owners save money over a two-year period, but these savings obviously aren't immediate enough for everyone. According to a report from Focus Taiwan, the company has sold 1,000 scooters to date and is planning to expand to other countries at a "moderate pace."

Updated October 1st, 02:08PM ET: Added information on non-subsidized prices, removed reference to inaccurate local price of gas scooters.

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