The National Development Council (NDC) on Monday approved a seven-year NT$64.3 billion (US$2.1 billion) plan to make all buses and coaches in Taiwan battery electric by 2030, according to the Cabinet-level agency.
The program aims to decarbonize public transport nationwide between 2024 and 2030 as part of government efforts to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, the NDC said.
Under the NT$64.3 billion program proposed by the Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC), public bus and coach operators will receive subsidies of NT$3.34 million for each battery electric vehicle purchase to help them quickly phase out old diesel vehicles, the NDC said.
The subsidy could hit up to NT$3.7 million for each new electric vehicle to encourage public transportation operators to adopt an energy management system, the NDC added.
Once their electric buses and coaches hit the road, operators will receive an additional NT$1.6 million per vehicle for follow-up operations, it said, adding that the draft program will now be presented to the Cabinet for approval
In cooperation with local governments and Taiwan Power Co., electric vehicle charging stations will be adequately planned nationwide, MOTC officials said.
As of February, there were a total of 1,190 registered electric large passenger vehicles across Taiwan -- 1,161 public buses and 29 coaches that run on national freeways.
It is estimated that Taiwan will need to replace 12,170 diesel buses with electric buses between 2024 and 2030.
