Taiwan Today

Government-recognized electric scooters and subsidies for their purchase will be available in November, according to Woody T. J. Duh, director-general of the Industrial Development Bureau under the Ministry of Economic Affairs. The scooters, recognized by the MOEA, will hit the road in November, provided that Kwang Yang Motor Co., Ltd. and E-ton Power Tech Co. scooters meet the ministry’s requirements, and recharging and maintenance stops are set up, Duh added. Consumers can receive a subsidy of NT$8000 (US$242) to buy a small lightweight electric scooter or NT$11,000 to purchase a large lightweight one. The annual subsidies quota covers 20,000 small-sized scooters and 35,000 large-sized ones. The MOEA goal is to have 160,000 electric scooters on the road in four years. To promote the electric motorbike industry, the MOEA will also give manufacturers subsidies for establishing recharging stations, up to NT$100,000 per station. During the first four years, the MOEA will also give companies rewards according to how many scooters they sell. According to the Ministry of Transportation and Communications, currently there are 12,000 electric scooters in use. Most of them use lead-acid batteries and their heavy weight is not convenient for users. Therefore, the MOEA has decided to promote electric scooters which use lithium batteries. The IDB said that top speed for the small scooters is 30 kilometers per hour, while the bigger scooters can reach 50 kilometers per hour. After recharging, the former can run for 30 kilometers and the latter for 40 kilometers. The estimated price for a small-sized electric scooter is NT$50,000. (WFW-THN)