Climate change and environmental protection have become issues of great concern to governments around the world. In line with this trend, most New Southbound Policy partners, including ASEAN nations and India, are working hard to promote the electric vehicle (EV) industry, establishing supply chains and building public infrastructure for the EV sector.
With a land area of 4.46 million square kilometers and a population of more than 650 million people, the 10 ASEAN member nations form the third-largest market in the world.
In 2019, before the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, ASEAN nations produced 4.2 million vehicles and 3.6 million motorcycles, making them the world’s most promising vehicle markets.
India is a world leader in in terms of the introduction of EVs and their legislation. Under the Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Hybrid and Electric Vehicles in India scheme, 30 percent of newly licensed motor vehicles and 60 percent of public transportation vehicles must be electric by 2030.
India’s cities have nearly 1.7 million buses, while 3 million are needed to meet demand. Moreover, about 100,000 buses need to be replaced every year. As 60 percent of India’s buses must be fully electric within eight years, there is clearly a huge demand for electric buses.
Taiwan’s Digital New Southbound Policy is precisely about realizing a “package technology export” business model, based on the nation’s industrial strengths in EV development. Exporting completed buses or assembling them after export might not be the best way for Taiwan to enter the New Southbound market, especially as exporters would end up having a price war with China.
Taiwan should instead combine its experience and resources in the semiconductor and information and communication technology (ICT) industries to develop battery thermal management algorithms, data analytics and failure modes for the operational data of key components in electric buses. It should focus research and development on key subsystems that are critical to electric buses and play to the strengths of Taiwanese engineers.
Meanwhile, Taiwan should make use of the supply chain management experience of its semiconductor and ICT industries, engaging the local and foreign suppliers with the highest quality-to-price ratios to begin to compete in the international electric bus market.
Taiwan’s promotion of electric buses shows that — through the professional division of labor and original equipment manufacturing — such experience applies to its expansion into the New Southbound market. To facilitate a soft landing, Taiwanese businesses should cooperate with vehicle manufacturing facilities in New Southbound countries to gain a cost advantage and facilitate passing local certifications.
Taiwanese companies should handle foreign clients’ smart in-vehicle systems, including big data management, integrated design of vehicle assembly, electrical control systems and battery technology — using local components — while their foreign partners should be responsible for vehicle assembly.
With its experience and resources in the semiconductor and ICT industries, Taiwan would enjoy an advantage against international competition in smart transportation.
By following the smart transportation plan in the government’s Digital New Southbound Policy, Taiwan could anticipate positive outcomes in New Southbound countries.
Huang Chen-sheng is chairman of Tron-e Energy Technology Corp, and Wang Yi-chuan is chief of strategy at the Taiwan Thinktank.
Translated by Eddy Chang
Recently, the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) hastily pushed amendments to the Act Governing the Allocation of Government Revenues and Expenditures (財政收支劃分法) through the Legislative Yuan, sparking widespread public concern. The legislative process was marked by opaque decisionmaking and expedited proceedings, raising alarms about its potential impact on the economy, national defense, and international standing. Those amendments prioritize short-term political gains at the expense of long-term national security and development. The amendments mandate that the central government transfer about NT$375.3 billion (US$11.47 billion) annually to local governments. While ostensibly aimed at enhancing local development, the lack
Having enjoyed contributing regular essays to the Liberty Times and Taipei Times now for several years, I feel it is time to pull back. As some of my readers know, I have enjoyed a decades-long relationship with Taiwan. My most recent visit was just a few months ago, when I was invited to deliver a keynote speech at a major conference in Taipei. Unfortunately, my trip intersected with Double Ten celebrations, so I missed the opportunity to call on friends in government, as well as colleagues in the new AIT building, that replaced the old Xin-yi Road complex. I have
Former US president Jimmy Carter’s legacy regarding Taiwan is a complex tapestry woven with decisions that, while controversial, were instrumental in shaping the nation’s path and its enduring relationship with the US. As the world reflects on Carter’s life and his recent passing at the age of 100, his presidency marked a transformative era in Taiwan-US-China relations, particularly through the landmark decision in 1978 to formally recognize the People’s Republic of China (PRC) as the sole legal government of China, effectively derecognizing the Republic of China (ROC) based in Taiwan. That decision continues to influence geopolitical dynamics and Taiwan’s unique
Former president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) — who once endured the hardship of living under an authoritarian political system and arduously led a quiet revolution — once said: “Democratic issues must be solved with democratic means.” Today, as Taiwanese are faced with the malicious subversion of our country’s democratic constitutional order, we must not panic. Rather, we should start by taking democratic action to rescue the Constitutional Court. As Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) caucus whip Fu Kun-chi (傅?萁) leads the KMT and the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) in strangling Taiwan’s judiciary and depriving individuals of the right to recall and development, Taiwanese
RSS