Taiwanese firm Gogoro certainly have plenty of experience in the area of two-wheeled electric transport. As we noted here, they are the country's market leader in an area that is big, big business in the Far East - mopeds with swappable batteries.
The Gogoro Network claims more than 524,000 moped riders globally, with more than 1.1 million smart batteries in circulation through its network of more than 12,000 battery swapping “GoStations” spread out over its 2,500 partner locations.
So it's perhaps a surprise that their debut e-bike here in the UK, the Eeyo 1, is a true minimalist lightweight with a claimed 11.8kg weight courtesy in part of a carbon frame (usefully in five frame sizes) without mudguards or rack. As Gogoro say, it's all about speed and making you feel like you are riding a bike, not a bike with an electric motor.
It features an unusual electric assist system, with all the main elements contained in the rear belt-driven, single speed hub - the so-called Smartwheel. Along with a 250W rated motor, there is also a very small capacity 123Wh battery and the system also boasts torque, speed and temperature sensors.
Gogoro clearly aim to compensate for such a small and non-removable battery with light weight and efficiency as the claimed range is 30-40 miles (though Gogoro note that their range test was in warm conditions and with mild gradients).
Perhaps the only incongruously low tech element is the rear V-brake - presumably necessary as disc brakes are not compatible with the rear Smartwheel.
There are no visible controls on the bike itself. Instead it relies on Bluetooth 4.0 connectivity to a smartphone app. This underwent a features upgrade in summer 2021 to now offer synchronisation support for Apple Health and other health trackers.
At £3,999 Gogoro are certainly proponents of the less (bike) is more (money) philosophy. Indeed, it remains an expensive e-bike alongside the two most similar (but bigger-batteried) urban single-speeds we've tried, the Cowboy 4ST (currently £2,710) and the great value Tenways CGO600 (£1,399), though both these are heavier at 18.9kg and 16.11kg respectively.
