Customers look at HTC smartphones in a mobile phone shop in Taipei
Customers look at HTC smartphones in a mobile phone shop in Taipei in this July 30, 2013 file photo. Taiwanese smartphone vendor HTC Corp said on May 6, 2014 it projects revenue in April-June to almost match that of a year earlier thanks primarily to sales of new flagship One M8 beating those of its predecessor. REUTERS/Pichi Chuang

Greater Taipei in Taiwan has been chosen by Gogoro to be the pilot city for its electric-powered Smartscooter. Gogoro was the brainchild of a group of former HTC employees who made a massive contribution to the success of HTC in the mobile technology industry.

The CEO of Gogoro, Horace Luke, was once the chief innovation officer of HTC, while its current chief technology officer, Matt Taylor, was HTC’s chief technologist. They both left the corporate world in order to start Gogoro to create an electric motorbike, the Smartscooter, aimed for the needs of the rising middle class.

The in-demand Smartscooter was first unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Show which was held in January this year. This special scooter is a slick-looking motor scooter that is completely battery-powered. It has an electric motor that is equivalent to a 125 cc engine, and can reach a speed of 30 miles per hour in 4.2 seconds, with a maximum speed of 60 miles per hour.

Plus, what makes it even more unique is that it can be easily monitored with the use of a smartphone app. It is also an environmental-friendly vehicle, considering that it has 30 sensors, each of which is specially designed to conserve energy.

The Verge has reported that Gogoro is going to open a retail store in Taipei, for the purpose of educating their potential clients about the product and how to use it.

This seems to be a good idea, especially since the Smartscooter cannot just be plugged in. Owners will have to subscribe to a certain plan that allows them to swap batteries from the many kiosks, located around the city.

A Smartscooter owner pulls up next to the battery kiosk, which, in turn, immediately recognizes the vehicle and its associated subscribed account, as detailed by CNET. The contraption that holds the drained battery is then electronically opened and a fresh new 20-pound battery is unlocked. According to Luke, it will only take around six seconds to change batteries.

According to the report, the company also has plans to launch a pilot program that will allow 100 riders to “beta test” the Smartscooter before it is officially launched in the market. This way, Gogoro can fix any problems that could be spotted by the beta testers.

For feedback/questions, please contact reporter at doctormarieathena@yahoo.com.

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