On 22 June we discussed the rapidly changing situation with EVs in Taiwan. Here is some later news. Taiwan Automotive International Forum and Exhibition 2010 in Detroit in June 2010 brought together 28 automakers and suppliers from Taiwan, with 49 innovative products and 59 Taiwan-developed technologies on display. They included Luxgen intelligent electric vehicles that we covered in our last article on Taiwan, electric scooters by CMC Motor and Kwang Yang Motor, and STOBA battery technology developed by Taiwan's Industrial Technology Research Institute, as well as motors and power electronics modules by Teco, Chroma and Fukuta.
Government financial incentives to encourage internal combustion engines two wheelers to be replaced by electric versions failed five years ago because the electric versions were unreliable. They used lead acid batteries. Another attempt is now being made. Makers of two wheel scooters have a modest export market of course but some are now turning to other EVs to ensure success. 70% of the world's mobility scooters for the disabled - three and four wheel sit-on vehicles - are made in Taiwan, sometimes with links to China, by about 30 companies.
Kwang Yang Motor Company
For example, Kwang Yang Motor Company Ltd. (Kymco) with about $4 billion in sales - over 6 million vehicles yearly - is one of the world's leading manufacturers of powered two-wheel vehicles (PTWs) and other motorized vehicles. The company produces a range of scooters, mobility scooters, all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) and, especially since the 2000s, both light and heavy motorcycles. Kymco markets its vehicles worldwide under the Kymco brand, and also produces PTWs and ATVs as an original equipment manufacturer for third-party brands. The leading manufacturer of PTWs in Taiwan, where nearly one out of every two people own a two wheel on road scooter, Kymco has successfully expanded its exports to some 75 countries worldwide. In support of its international operations, the company has developed a network of manufacturing facilities in Taiwan and in mainland China.
The company also operates production joint ventures in mainland China, Vietnam, the Philippines, and Indonesia. Kymco was founded in the 1960s as a producer of components for Honda Motors of Japan, before developing its own fully independent operations in the 1990s. Honda remains a significant shareholder in the privately held company. One of the production plants in Taiwan is specifically for the development and production of the group's pure electric mobility scooters and internal combustion All Terrain Vehicle ATV segments.
Kymco two wheel and mobility pure electric scooters<
Source Kymco
Pihsiang Machinery Mfg. Co., with about $70 million sales, is the world's third-largest manufacturer of electric mobility scooters. IDTechEx reports that the global market for electric mobility vehicles for the disabled grew 100 in 2010 and will grow 8% in 2011 - see "Electric Vehicles 2010-2020". Pihsiang has added a Greenrunner pure electric car. The car's battery, electromechanical system and chassis structure are by Pihsiang but the exterior was designed in cooperation with the French auto manufacturer Microcar. Pihsiang will make e-bikes and it has already created a subsidiary making lithium iron phosphate solid state batteries.
They will be used for its mobility vehicles for the disabled, bikes and scooters, though most will remain lead acid for some time due to cost. According to Pihsiang, Microcar of France has already put in orders for 2m cells - meaning perhaps a few thousand battery packs. Whether such cars can sell well when the huge numbers of similar cars made in China do not remains to be seen. Charging infrastructure needs to be installed and the price needs to come down.
>Pihsiang pure electric car
Source Pihsiang
For more attend Future of Electric Vehicles which uniquely covers the whole electric vehicle market - land, sea, air whether hybrid or pure EV - with emphasis on future breakthroughs.
Also read Electric Vehicles in East Asia 2011-2021.
