Hero MotoCorp and Gogoro partnership will bring the Taiwanese brand’s battery swapping platform to India; to collaborate on EV development to bring Hero-branded electric two-wheelers
Hero MotoCorp and Gogoro have today announced a strategic relationship to fast pace the transition towards electric mobility in the country. This is one of the significant moves from the largest two-wheeler manufacturer in India as it brings together Gogoro, a global leader in urban battery-swapping and smart mobility innovation.
Under their new partnership, a battery swapping joint venture will be established to bring Gogoro’s battery swapping platform to local scenes. More interestingly, it will collaborate on electric vehicle development to bring Hero-branded electric two-wheelers, powered by Gogoro Network, into the domestic market.
The mutually beneficial relationship will take advantage of Hero’s market strength and Gogoro’s expertise to provide smart vehicles and recharging with Gogoro Network battery swapping in India. Gogoro was founded in 2011 and is an innovation leader in vehicle design and electric propulsion, smart battery design, battery swapping, and advanced cloud services utilising AI technology to manage battery availability and safety.
Horace Luke, founder and CEO, Gogoro Inc spoke of the Hero-Gogoro relationship: “We are at a critical stage in the transformation of urban mobility and the evolution of smart cities. With more than 225 million gas-powered two-wheeled vehicles in India, the need for smart and sustainable electric transportation and refueling is vital,”
The Gogoro Network is a battery swapping platform and it manages 2,65,000 daily battery swaps with more than 174 million total battery swaps to date. With more than 3,75,000 riders and 2,000 battery swapping stations, the open platform delivers a fresh alternative to legacy fuel. It was recognised by Frost & Sullivan with the 2020 Company of the Year Award for the Global Swappable Battery Electric Scooter Market.
The Powered by Gogoro Network Program gives Gogoro’s partner, Hero MotoCorp in this case, access to Gogoro innovations and intellectual property including drivetrains and controllers, components and smart systems. Thus, it can develop and roll out unique EVs integrated with Gogoro Network battery swapping.
Speaking on the new alliance, Dr. Pawan Munjal, Chairman and CEO, Hero MotoCorp said: “This partnership will further enhance the work and partnerships that we already have in our EV portfolio. This will further extend the work which we are doing at our R & D hubs at the Centre of Innovation and Technology (CIT) in Jaipur & our Tech Centre in Germany.”