Taiwan forms extended range electric bus R&D alliance

The Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) and the Automotive Research & Testing Center (ARTC) have formed the Extended Range Electric Bus R&D Alliance to develop an extended range bus for public transportation in Taiwan.  The goal of the alliance, in addition to developing a new cleaner type of bus, is to make Taiwan a major OEM electric bus production hub for the international market.  The Alliance also includes private company members, such as Delta Electronics Inc. and Master Transportation Bus Manufacturing Ltd.  M.J. Wu, director general of the Department of Industrial Technology (DoIT), stated at the founding ceremony, “Taiwan companies, however, have not given up and have been aggressively striving to establish their own technological advantages so as to root the bus industry for sustainable development on the island.  The extended-range electric bus R&D alliance is one of the best examples of the vigorous joint efforts that domestic private companies and high-level research organizations are undertaking to promote industrial development. In addition to building up a homegrown technological capability for extended range electric buses, the alliance can also be seen as a group of players who love our earth and want to protect the environment.”  The concept for an extended range bus comes from the concern that existing battery technology would not work for domestic city buses, which run an average of 100 to 200 kilometers per day.  Fuel savings from the use of a bus system with only 15% of the fleet based on extended range electric technology will amount to US$3.3 million annually and carbon dioxide emissions will be reduced by 10,000 tons.  The alliance is expected to bring in more than US$30.3 million in investments into the development of key technologies for extended range propulsion systems. The exports of electric buses and parts should generate about US$330 million in 2012. (May 4, 2011)