New Gogoro Smartscooter Leverages Smartphones for Biometric Security

Gogoro has unveiled a lightweight electric scooter that was built to provide a more sustainable alternative to 50-100cc gas scooters in urban environments. Unlike previous Gogoro scooters, the new VIVA Smartscooter has a single battery, but can still run for up to 85km per battery swap and is ideal for short trips in the city.

“VIVA was created to empower commuters to make cleaner sustainable energy choices,” said Gogoro Founder and CEO Horace Luke. “We are always looking to enable broader access to sustainable urban transportation and this smaller lightweight category was a natural segment to introduce a Gogoro Smartscooter.”

In addition to its electric powertrain, the VIVA offers biometric security thanks to the scooter’s NFC capabilities, allowing the owner to leverage the face and fingerprint authentication features on their smartphone when unlocking and starting the vehicle. The Smartscooter weighs 80kg and comes with 21L of storage, with a body that is built with recycled plastics.

The VIVA is expected to launch in Taiwan in October, before making its way to other parts of the world in 2020. It will be sold directly to consumers at a retail price of $1800.

Those who don’t want to own their own scooter can still ride one through the GoShare ride share app that Gogoro launched over the summer. Car manufacturers like Hyundai, meanwhile, have also been working towards biometric lock and ignition features.