Taiwan’s Gogoro highlights importance of cities in fight against climate change

台灣 Gogoro 強調城市在應對氣候變化方面的重要性

Gogoro says replacing gas-powered two-wheelers with EVs can cut CO2 emissions by 88%

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Cities are responsible for 70% of greenhouse gas emissions, and as more people move into metropolitan areas, sustainable technologies are needed to mitigate climate change, Gogoro said on Monday (April 10).

Around 4.4 billion people, or 56% of the world's population, live in cities. The U.N. expects that by 2050, almost 7 in 10 people will live in metropolitan areas, according to Gogoro. Meanwhile, by 2030, the world is expected to have 43 megacities, defined as cities with more than 10 million people.

This urbanization will create problems related to pollution, heating, traffic congestion, energy supply, and infrastructure, per Gogoro. The company cited a Lancet Planetary Health Journal study that said around 86% of city dwellers are exposed to unhealthy air.

In 2019, poor air quality affected around 2.5 billion people and led to 1.8 million excess deaths, the study said. The Taiwanese electric scooter maker noted its technologies can help build cleaner cities by mitigating pollution.

Traditional internal combustion engines (ICEs) emit four main pollutants: particulate matter (PM), nitric oxide and nitrogen dioxide (NOx), nonmethane hydrocarbons (NMHC), and carbon monoxide (CO). However, electric vehicles (EVs) release significantly fewer air pollutants.

Gogoro cited data from Taiwan’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) showing EV riders release 84.4% less particulate matter, 83.3% less NOx, 99.99% less NMHC, and 95.4% less CO than traditional ICEs.

Using public data from Taiwan’s EPA, Gogoro calculated that since 2015, the company has saved 287 million liters of gasoline and avoided 603 million kilograms of carbon dioxide emissions. While emissions can vary, replacing two-wheel gas-powered vehicles with electric ones can cut CO2 emissions by about 88%, Gogoro said.