Solar, LED, electric car: Taiwan's three bright spots amid trend of eco-friendly business

The year 2010 might go down in history as Year 1 of the electric vehicle era. Major carmakers in countries around the world are introducing new models of either hybrid vehicles or pure electric cars. Forecasts put global demand at 3 million vehicles for the coming decade.

The shift from gasoline-fueled cars to zero-emission electric cars is helping prize open the once tightly closed automotive supply chain. For Taiwanese suppliers this offers an unprecedented opportunity to join the global supply chain for electric cars.

E-One Moli Energy, which belongs to the Taiwan Cement group, supplies the lithium-ion battery for the Mini E electric vehicle by German carmaker BMW. Taichung-based Fukuta Electronics & Machinery Company produces the motor for the high-performance electric sports car, Tesla Roadster, made by industry newcomer, Tesla Motors. And even the company that helped the Californian electric vehicle maker design the system for the US$125,000 Roadster — AC Propulsion — is 80-percent funded by Taiwanese investors.

The electric car boom is most significant in that it will lead to a reshuffle in the automotive industry. New players keep emerging in a market that was long dominated by North American, European and Japanese carmakers such as Ford, GM, Daimler-Benz, Volkswagen and Toyota.

IEK figures show that presently at least 35 carmakers are working on electric vehicle projects. Of these, 18 are newcomers to the automobile industry, including Tesla Motors and Zap from the United States (U.S.), Byd from China, Tata Motors from India, and Aixam Mega from Britain.

Taiwan's automotive manufacturers could do more than just provide car parts. Yulon Motor, which builds Taiwan's only homegrown car brands Luxgen and Tobe, has been faster than many large auto brands to release electric versions. The electric 7-passenger Luxgen EV+ was unveiled at the Dubai International Motor Show in December. With the cheaper Tobe M'car EV, Yulon is preparing to tap China's vast domestic market before tackling other export markets.

If electric cars are to be widely used, government subsidies on the purchase of zero emission vehicles alone will not do the trick. Essential is a dense network of charging stations to make recharging more convenient and prevent electric vehicle drivers from getting stranded.

Taiwan actually offers ideal conditions for electric vehicle use. With a distance of just 400 kilometers from the island's northern to southern tips, plus a complete national power grid and a dense network of gas stations, it makes an ideal testing ground for the novel cars.

In Year 1 of the electric car era, Taiwan has finally managed to gain entry into the new world of the electric vehicle.

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