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Gogoro’s colorful new electric scooter is twice as cheap but just as fast as before

Gogoro’s colorful new electric scooter is twice as cheap but just as fast as before

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It’s still only for sale in Taiwan, though

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Photo: Gogoro

Taiwanese company Gogoro is rolling out an all-new electric scooter called the Gogoro 2 Smartscooter. But instead of the futuristic look that turned so many heads when the company came out of stealth at CES 2015, Gogoro is trying to put a modern spin on the classic scooter look with the Gogoro 2.

The company will start selling the new scooter this summer in Taiwan, and it says it will be available “in other markets by the end of 2017.” (Though it wouldn’t say whether that means it will sell the Gogoro 2 in other markets or if that means the scooter will be added to the company’s scooter sharing fleets in Berlin and Paris.) It will cost NT$38,800 ($1,295 USD) and comes in six colors — white, grey, orange, blue, yellow, and red.

Coming to “other markets” later this year

What’s wild about that price tag is that the Gogoro 2 matches its predecessor almost exactly on performance, thanks to a new and more efficient 6.4 kilowatt motor. It can go 0-50 km/hr in 4.3 seconds, has a top speed of 90 km/hr (about 55 miles per hour), and a 110km range (about 68 miles) — all nearly identical to the first Smartscooter’s benchmarks. (Gogoro sells a more performance-minded version of the original called the Gogoro S.)

In addition, the company updated just about everything else on the scooter. It’s launching with a revamped version of the scooter’s mobile app, supports biometric security technology (including TouchID), has a full-color LED panel between the handlebars now, and comes with a brighter LED headlamp. It also has more storage and can accommodate a passenger this time around.

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The new Smartscooter is powered by the same swappable batteries that helped the company stand out in the first place. But while they’re more slick and convenient than plug-in charging, it also might be what’s holding Gogoro back from expanding into other countries (beyond just scooter sharing). Infrastructure is expensive, and requires a lot of cooperation from local governments. Plans to sell the scooters in Amsterdam, for instance, have been on hold since 2016.

But there is some hope — Gogoro says it plans to add 500 more battery stations to the network of 350 that already exists in Taiwan. If it can prove out a way to rapidly build battery infrastructure, maybe Gogoro can become a new source of electric transportation around the world. It’s obviously already figured out the scooter part.