Gogoro Expands Smartscooters and Battery Swapping in Korea with Bikebank Partnership

In a significant move towards sustainable urban transportation, Gogoro, a global technology leader in battery swapping ecosystems, has announced an expansion of its partnership with Bikebank in Korea.

The collaboration aims to introduce Gogoro Smartscooters and battery swapping services, under the Dotstation brand, to Korean consumers in the third quarter of 2023. This expansion will bring the convenience of battery swapping to seven additional cities beyond Seoul.

Gogoro Smartscooters and battery swapping have been successfully operating in Seoul for food deliveries since 2019. The positive response from the market, combined with the shared vision of both companies, has prompted the decision to extend the services across Korea.

This strategic partnership aims to revolutionize urban mobility, providing Korean consumers with a practical and sustainable mode of transportation.

Minkyu Kim, CEO of Bikebank, expressed enthusiasm about the partnership, stating, “Together with Gogoro, we are accelerating the transformation of urban mobility in Korea. We created Dotstation to lead us forward into a new era of sustainable urban transportation that provides a path for Korean consumers to embrace sustainability in a new and practical way. Dotstation is expanding Gogoro battery swapping services to eight Korean cities, and we anticipate launching more battery swapping locations this year.”

Horace Luke, founder and CEO of Gogoro, emphasized the significance of the collaboration with Bikebank, saying, “It is great to be growing our partnership with Bikebank, a company that shares similar values and is committed to accelerating the shift to electric transportation in Korea. Seoul has one of the largest food delivery ecosystems in the world and was one of the first markets to embrace Gogoro battery swapping for food deliveries. Together, we are introducing Gogoro Smartscooters and battery swapping to Korean consumers while we continue to grow our B2B food delivery business where we work with market leaders to enable sustainable food delivery.”

To support this expansion, Bikebank has already opened two Dotstation retail stores catering to consumers and last-mile delivery riders. Additionally, the battery swapping network has been extended to over 70 battery swapping stations across Korea, including cities such as Daegu, Sejong, Changwon, Incheon, Gyeongsan, Gyeonggi, and Ulsan.

Bikebank, which has rapidly gained market share since its establishment in 2019, aims to address the environmental concerns associated with the two-wheeled vehicle delivery market.

By collaborating with Gogoro, through their subsidiary Dotstation, they intend to accelerate the transition from internal combustion engine motorcycles to electric two-wheel vehicles in Korea.

photos: Gogoro