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The idea of swapping power in little boxes is not new to the Japanese.

It is the stuff that makes their anime robot Kuromukuro alive, how spirits are trapped and harnessed, and how food is delivered to the table.

Americans are familiar with the bento box — that Japanese lacquered lunchbox — filled with rice, veggies, protein, and usually a miso soup. What many don’t know is that there is a vertical version of the bento box, and once upon a time in Tokyo, salarymen have these empty bento boxes picked up by a delivery man on a bike and are swapped with ones overflowing with hot, freshly prepared food.

Thus, at the Gogoro booth at the Japan Mobility Show (JMS), flocks of curious onlookers find the long batteries with pullout handles strangely familiar.

“It is very familiar, the look of the battery, and is like my metal lunchbox at school,” Akihiro N. said while examining the banks of charging batteries at the Gogoro booth found in Section E-78, Hall E7206 at Tokyo Big Sight.

“It is a very simple technology, just like taking out and replacing batteries from my remote control car,” Jing G. expressed, making reference to his Tamiya racing toys which use swappable battery technology on a far smaller scale.

A Electric Motorcycle SUV & Project X

And the cool folks in Gogoro, whose lives revolve around eco-friendly mobility, continue to cause a buzz at the JMS. Apart from the battery-swapping tech, they introduced their wicked CrossOver and Viva Mix ME (a.k.a. Muji) smart scooters. There is also on display just beside the booth, the Project X Concept.

Project X is the love child of the MIH and Gogoro, and is a three-seater concept car that uses Gogoro battery-swapping technology. The concept is full of firsts in the mobility landscape. As younger generations prioritize vehicle access over ownership, Project X not only infuses urban life with freedom and innovation, but also offers new opportunities for mobility service providers to elevate user experiences.

The MIH Consortium is led by the tech wizards at Hon Hai Technology Group (Foxconn), and is all about transforming city transport. And guess what? They’ve got Gogoro onboard, and that means they’ve got access to Gogoro’s nifty battery-swapping tech, which makes charging EVs super-efficient and eco-friendly. Gogoro’s presence at the show is a big high-five to their commitment to shaping the future of sustainable urban mobility.

An actual working prototype of the Project X Concept is found just behind the Gogoro display at the MIH Consortium booth.

Gogoro Accolades

Gogoro has received some impressive awards for its efforts in transforming urban energy. The company was named “Global Company of the Year 2023 in Battery Swapping for Two-Wheeled Electric Vehicles” by Frost & Sullivan, and also made it to the “15 Climate Technology Companies to Watch” list for 2023 by MIT Technology Review. It’s clear Gogoro is making a real impact in sustainable transportation.

As our cities deal with the challenges of more people and environmental concerns, Gogoro is leading the charge toward a smarter and greener future. They’re mixing top-notch vehicle design, advanced battery tech, cloud-based services, and AI to change how cities move. They’re all about sustainable growth and are breaking the mold to set new standards for urban mobility.

In the Philippines, Gogoro has partnered with tech-venture company Ayala, through Globe Telecom, Inc. (Globe). Gogoro’s battery-swapping ecosystem is now in the Philippines, being tested by Globe employees on a limited scale prototyping what is going to be expected of the scooter and battery-swapping tech in the country. The two companies are also working together to develop and deploy electric vehicles (EVs) and charging infrastructure in the country.

If you’re in Tokyo from October 25th to November 5th, make sure to swing by Tokyo Big Sight and check out the MIH Consortium booth. You can see Gogoro‘s game-changing solutions in action.

Written with reports from Deriq Bernard E. Tribdino