Gogoro Inc (睿能創意) yesterday launched two new electric scooters in collaboration with Japanese retailer Muji, extending the two companies’ partnership after introducing their first joint electric scooter three years ago.
Gogoro is also in discussions with Muji to sell the new electric scooters overseas, likely in Southeast Asia, where the Japanese firm has built an extensive footprint.
In Southeast Asia, Gogoro’s vehicles are currently available in India and Indonesia, with the Philippines its next target market by the end of this year.
Photo courtesy of Gogoro Inc
“Building a partnership with Muji helps expand our addressable market,” Gogoro CEO Horace Luke (陸學森) said yesterday, adding that the company is eager to reach out to people who shop at Muji stores.
The previous partnership with Muji helped Gogoro expand its customer base to younger female riders, the company said, hoping the latest collaboration would help it woo people who live a simple and sustainable life with its electric scooters.
Gogoro pioneered the use of recyclable polypropylene plastics for vehicle body panels in 2019 and plans to transition fully to renewable energy at its factories by 2050, the company said.
The new Gogoro VIVA ME and Gogoro VIVA MIX ME electric scooters adopt the classic Muji design elements — a unique rustic color palette and simple color tone philosophy to create a new urban mobility experience that is simple and comfortable yet unique, said designer Naoto Fukasawa, an advisory board member at Muji.
Gogoro plans to launch more models later this year to stimulate sales and regain market share, as a component shortage is no longer an issue for the industry.
In the electric scooter market, the company and its local partners saw their combined market share drop to 68.3 percent in the first half of this year from about 73 percent at the end of last year due to intensified competition from Kwang Yang Motor Co (光陽工業).
Sales of new electric scooters in Taiwan fell 5.2 percent year on year to about 36,000 units in the first half of the year, Gogoro said.
The penetration of electric scooters this year would be similar to last year’s 11 or 12 percent of total scooter sales, it said.
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