BIZ BUZZ: Unwinding Gogoro … quietly
When Globe Telecom-led 917Ventures opened the first experience center of Taiwanese e-scooter brand Gogoro at Greenbelt Mall in November last year, it was very optimistic on the prospects of the eco-friendly vehicles.
Gogoro Philippines CEO Bernie Llamzon, at the time, told the media they were opening additional 20 to 30 battery stations across Metro Manila to increase the adoption of electric vehicles (EVs). Gogoro had also looked at establishing presence in Bulacan, Laguna, Cavite, Cebu and Davao.
About a year later, all that optimism disappeared into thin air, along with its Greenbelt showroom, which was once a vibrant outlet showcasing different e-scooter models. This space—meant to attract heavy foot traffic—has been padlocked very recently.
This closure confirmed our earlier report that Globe is mulling over the shutdown of Gogoro operations due to dismal sales, as the price tag on these e-scooters is too expensive for the local market.
But this is just the beginning of Gogoro’s seemingly quiet exit from the Philippines. Biz Buzz learned that many of the 14 battery stations it has already established across Metro Manila will be folded up.
It will only keep “a few”—including the one situated at The Globe Tower in Taguig—to serve its existing buyers, some of whom are Globe employees.
To recall, Gogoro Philippines did a trial run of its EVs with Globe employees to test their viability as a mode of transportation.
