New Delhi-headquartered motorcycle & scooter manufacturer Hero MotoCorp has confirmed that it has signed a strategic partnership deal with Taiwan’s electric scooter and battery-swapping technology firm Gogoro Incorporated to accelerate its ongoing shift to electric transportation in India. Under the terms of the partnership deal, Hero MotoCorp and Gogoro will help each other in developing electric vehicles (EVs) in addition to working together to set up a battery swapping network in the fast-growing automobile market of India.

Founded in 2011 by Horace Luke and Matt Taylor, the Gogoro Network is a hyper-efficient battery swapping platform that provides battery swapping and smart mobility services. The India two-wheeler manufacturer has plans to launch electric two-wheelers powered by the Gogoro network.

Hero MotoCorp’s chairman and chief executive, Dr. Pawan Munjal, said the strategic partnership with the Taiwanese company was in line with his company’s ‘Be the Future of Mobility’ vision that the company’s management is trying to bring alive through its ‘Create, Collaborate & Inspire’ mission.

Dr. Munjal added that the collaboration would further enhance the company’s EV portfolio by accelerating the research & development (R&D) work that is already going on at its R&D hubs at the Centre of Innovation & Technology (CIT) in Jaipur as well as at its Tech Centre in Germany.

Speaking on the topic, he further added, “With this new partnership, we commit to introducing a sustainable mobility paradigm, first in India and then in other markets around the world. This partnership will strengthen and expedite the Indian government’s electrification drive and will have a significant impact on India’s energy and mobility future.”

In Taiwan, Gogoro Network has nearly 2,000 battery swapping/charging stations, which handle as many as 265,000 battery swaps per day. As per the company’s claims, it has more than 375,000 customers in Taiwan. The network has been very helpful in boosting the sales of EVs in the country as riders of electric two-wheelers don’t have to always remain anxious about range because they can find a nearby swapping station rapidly through Gogoro’s mobile app.

In addition to serving EV riders with the battery swapping, Gogoro’s swap stations provide opportunity for businesses like coffee shops and convenience stores, which attract large number of customers, proving a boost to local economies.

Hero Motocorp sells millions of petrol-powered two-wheelers in India and abroad, but the company doesn’t offer even a single, fully-dedicated electric vehicle. However, it could change soon as the manufacturer has embarked on the path of electrification.