On Tuesday Premier Lai Ching-te convened the 21st interministerial meeting on accelerating investment in Taiwan, where he received briefings from several government agencies on strategic plans for ending the sale of fossil fuel-powered motorbikes by 2035. He instructed the Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC) to integrate the plans and submit for the Executive Yuan's approval a single action plan that will ensure Taiwan implements a complete sales ban by 2035.
Fulfilling the objective requires effective transportation policies as well as suitable environmental and industrial policies, the premier said. While the overall strategy was proposed by the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) as a means of addressing mobile sources of air pollution, it will be up to the MOTC to plan the future and overall direction of traffic and transportation management policies. To deliver the intended results, it is essential that government agencies work together to implement the sales ban policy and build an ecosystem for alternative fuel motorbikes.
The Ministry of Science and Technology should also consult with the MOTC and Ministry of Economic Affairs to assess bottleneck problems in the development of electric motorbikes, he continued. Taiwan's industries can only grow if the nation's R&D capabilities keep pace with industrial demands and applications.
As many countries have already announced sales bans on fossil fuel vehicles or begun promoting electric vehicles, others will most certainly follow, Premier Lai said. For its part, Taiwan's government will actively help companies develop a local talent pool, mustering domestic market demand and Taiwan's manufacturing foundation to drive the development of future export capabilities and build the nation's economic strength.