While the Philippines is making good progress towards electrification with more EVs on the road, it’s not all rainbows and butterflies–especially for Gogoro, which has been relatively quiet since Ayala Corp and 91Venrtures announced a partnership back in 2022. Our last story about Gogoro is when they revealed their energy plans in December 2023, where Plan 799 gets you a 300Ah battery that can cover up to 420km. With Gogoro not generating buzz for over a year, is it over for them? Well, according to a report by CleanTechnica, Gogoro will be leaving the Philippines sooner than expected.
In a statement sent by Gogoro’s headquarters to CleanTechnica, they said that they are “currently assessing a shift in our strategy … to build a stronger foundation, putting us in the best position to scale up and serve our customers more effectively when the time is right.”
“We have proactively reached out to all existing customers and stakeholders, offering clear options and next steps. We are committed to addressing all concerns promptly to ensure a smooth process for everyone involved,” Gogoro told CleanTechnica.
As of writing this article, only four of the original 14 battery swapping stations are in operation, though only the Makati station will remain operational by the end of February. Despite its uncertain future, Gogoro released a video last January 22 highlighting Filipino users using their Smartscooters on the streets of Taiwan.
So what went wrong? Based on CleanTechnica‘s research, Gogoro has been facing problems in its Taiwan headquarters since January 2024 that range from a variety of issues like battery performance issues, a fire incident on a GoStation in Kaohsiung City, and a regulatory probe against CEO Horace Luke, who resigned last September 2024.
These issues are pointed to be the cause for 917Ventures to withdraw their investment in Gogoro. according to CleanTechnica’s sources. Another pain point for Gogoro is the price of its scooters, which range from Php 255,000 to Php 285,000. That’s expensive considering those offered by HATASU would cost you around Php 200,000 less.
Aside from that, CleanTechnica’s sources also said that Ayala Corp confirmed significant financial losses with Gogoro, but was absorbed as part of their investment strategy. While its investment in Gogoro is a failure, Ayala Corp’s investment in EVs is a success with BYD and Kia–and it has been deploying more charging stations nationwide.
