[Gettyimages Bank]
Interchangeable battery pack systems for electric bikes, scooters and mopeds are developed across the world to solve urban transport problems and reduce the emission of greenhouse gases. Gogoro, a Taiwanese electric scooter company, operates some 2,080 replaceable battery stations using about 760,000 battery packs. Electric scooter riders can use the interchangeable battery service for a minimum monthly subscription fee of $18.3. About 270,000 battery packs are replaced daily.
More than 30,000 delivery workers using motorbikes roam through the streets of Seoul. South Korea has tried to popularize the interchangeable battery pack system and electric scooters for many years, but they were largely shunned by deliverymen because of their short travel distance of about 60 kilometers (37 miles) per charge while an average delivery worker travels about 120 km a day to cover a daily average of 40 delivery runs.
North Gyeongsang Province has acquired a state fund worth 26.8 billion won ($21.9 million) to set up an electric scooter battery-sharing station control tower in Gyeongju some 270km (167 miles) southeast of Seoul by 2026. Along with the main control system, battery packs will be standardized and charging stations will be tested and demonstrated.
Seoul and other cities test various types of interchangeable battery packs and charging stations. To create a uniform standard for a battery pack-sharing system, the provincial government will form an enlarged alliance including private companies, research institutes, and government organizations. If desired standards are set, the alliance will target the Southeast Asian market.
reporter
Park Sae-jin
swatchsjp@ajunews.com
