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E-scooter vendor eyes zero tariffs key to enlarging market, local manufacturing

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ABS-CBN News

MANILA - The Ayala subsidiary that is bringing Taiwan’s Gogoro electric scooters and its battery-swapping system to the Philippines said the Executive Order removing tariffs for electric vehicle imports needs to be amended to include two-wheelers. Bernard Llamzon, CEO of Gogoro Philippines, said doing this will greatly help increase the adoption of e-scooters in the country, which can eventually lead to the local manufacturing or assembly of these kinds of vehicles.“That would also allow us competitive pricing for our smart scooters [and] faster adoption in the Philippines for electric 2-wheeled vehicles,” Llamzon said in an interview with ANC. Unlike other electric vehicles, Gogoro scooters use a battery-swapping technology that allows users to quickly swap drained batteries for freshly-charged ones at designated swapping stations.The Department of Energy and the Electric Vehicle Association of the Philippines have also been pushing for the inclusion of two and three-wheeled electric vehicles in the EO on import tariff suspension.Gogoro said it is looking to start commercial operations in Metro Manila in the fourth quarter of the year.The company said it has already set up two battery-swapping stations in Metro Manila, with four more being built. <ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/business/08/25/23/ayala-globe-unit-gogoro-to-form-joint-venture-for-battery-swapping-e-scooters">Ayala, Globe unit, Gogoro to form joint venture for battery-swapping e-scooters</a></li>	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/business/08/16/23/include-e-bikes-e-trikes-in-e-vehicle-incentives-doe">Include e-bikes, e-trikes in e-vehicle incentives: DOE</a></li></ul>

Gogoro scooters use a battery-swapping technology that allows users to quickly swap drained batteries for freshly-charged ones at designated swapping stations.