Zomato & Kotak Partner with Gogoro to Expand e-scooter Network in India

Gogoro Inc., a Taiwanese company that makes electric two-wheelers, has joined hands with Zomato and Kotak Mahindra. Zomato, a leading online food ordering and delivery platform, and Kotak Mahindra Prime Ltd., a financing solution provider. 

The partnership will help Zomato's delivery partners switch to Gogoro electric scooters for last-mile delivery services, with Kotak offering the financing options. The e-scooters will use Gogoro's network of battery-swapping stations. Gogoro is also the EV company that has partnered with Hero MotoCorp.

The report says that the Taiwanese company wants to have a strong presence in India's EV market, and one of the best ways to do that is through delivery riders. Zomato has about three lakh delivery partners in India and aims to go fully electric by 2023. This goal seemed very hard to reach, but it may be possible with Gogoro's support. Gogoro is famous for making and running large EVs and battery swapping stations.

Gogoro has revolutionized the way electric scooters are used and run in Taiwan. It has the largest market share there and wants to bring some of its success to India. So the first step of partnering with India's biggest two-wheeler brand Hero MotoCorp was a smart move. 

This is a unique partnership and the first of its kind in India. This partnership will allow over 300,000 of Zomato's delivery partners to buy Gogoro's electric scooters for deliveries. The move aligns with Zomato's pledge to the Climate Group's EV100 initiative to switch to 100 percent EV-based deliveries by 2030. 

In addition, Gogoro and Kotak will provide last-mile delivery partners with battery-swapping services and reasonable loan terms as part of the deal. The battery-swapping network also solves problems related to parking and home charging for delivery partners.

"Electric two-wheelers powered by cheap, dependable, and easy battery swapping solutions can improve delivery partner earnings, besides reducing air pollution. That's why we're happy to partner with Gogoro and Kotak on this initiative," said Mohit Sardana, CEO of Food Delivery at Zomato.

Kotak Mahindra says the payment default will be low with delivery partners because of its more "easy loan terms" and a low purchase cost due to the battery-swapping network. The manufacturer can also stop access to battery swapping if the delivery partner fails to pay the loan EMIs on time.

Vyomesh Kapasi, MD & CEO of Kotak Mahindra Prime Limited, said, "We are happy to partner with Gogoro and Zomato to increase the adoption of electric vehicles in the country. This is a great opportunity for Zomato delivery partners. Now, they can get access to Gogoro Smartscooters and utilise the Swap & Go battery swapping network."

Gogoro announced its India entry last year, and the company started operations with a pilot project in collaboration with Zypp Electric. The company recently certified the 2-Series electric scooter in the country under plus models and standard models. 

Gogoro India's website lists two models - Supersport and 2-Series- that will likely come soon. Gogoro will invest in making up a battery-swapping infrastructure in the next few months. For the same purpose, the company has partnered with Belrise Industries to invest $2.5 billion to set up the battery-swapping infrastructure in Maharashtra.

There needs to be clearer information on how many orders Gogoro has received from Zomato. But these orders would have been for a basic electric two-wheeler that would be more focused on being cost-effective. So the expected on-road price will likely be very affordable, and so will the riding range.

Have you heard about the Call of the Blue: Yamaha’s Motorcycle Event in Indore .

Are you searching for a new bike? Explore bikejunction & compare your choice of bike, we will help you out with a bike loan. Select your bike according to category and other specifications on Bike Junction with just one click. Follow our news section or Social Media handles to get the latest news & updates related to the bike industry in India.

Follow us for Latest Bike Industry Updates
Facebook  - https://bit.ly/BikeJunction_offl_fb
Instagram -  https://bit.ly/BikeJunction_ofl_insta
Twitter - https://bit.ly/BikeJunction_ofl_twitter
Youtube    -  https://bit.ly/BikeJunctionYUT