Cities with over 10 million residents increased in number from 10 to 28 in the last 24 from 1990 to 2014, per data from the United Nations. The number of "mega cities" is estimated to reach 41 by 2030.
Could e-scooters be the answer to traffic congestion and air pollution?
"This is the beginning of something huge," said Horace Luke, co-founder and CEO of Gogoro, according to Smithsonian Magazine.
The startup Gogoro is set to produce a new electric Smartscooter that will run on two lithium-ion battery packs. Luke envisions ATM-sized stations to swap batteries, allowing drivers to trade a depleted battery with a charged one in less time than it would take to gas up a regular automobile.
"There's a big societal trend that [Gogoro] is tapping into: the desire by a younger generation to have an alternative to a car and a whole new way to transport yourself around the city that's convenient, cost effective and clean," Sam Jaffe, principal research analyst at Navigant Market Intelligence, told Smithsonian Magazine. "The concept of a high-end, premium electric scooter is an important part of the strategy. It's a lot easier to splurge on a scooter than a car."
E-scooter and electric motorcycle sales aren't expected to increase very quickly, according to Smithsonian Magazine. E-Scooter sales are expected to raise globally from 4.1 million in 2014 to 4.6 million in 2023 and e-motorcycles could crawl from 1.2 million to 1.4 million, due to the same issues that keep electric car sales from taking off.
Price will most likely be the determining factor on the success or failure of Gogoro's Smartscooter. Luke hopes to sell the scooters at a price comparable to their gasoline-powered cousins, but the price range has not officially been released. Luke believes that e-scooter aficionados will be willing to order online, just as Tesla drivers have done.
"We started everything from scratch," Luke said. "We want to make something fashionable. Consumers will respond to that."
"The potential market for electric scooters is global," said Sam Jaffe, principal research analyst at Navigant Market Intelligence. "It's a whole new way of transporting yourself around the city that's very convenient, cost effective and clean. There's not much else that offers all of the above."
