A Taiwan delegation promoting eco-friendly vehicle collaboration with Japan has brought back good news with key Japanese carmakers promising to join efforts, according to the Ministry of Economic Affairs Sept. 14.
Led by Huang Jung-chiou, deputy minister of the MOEA, the five-day mission began Sept. 5 with visits to industrial heavyweights seeking specific collaborations in the electric vehicle, lithium battery and light-emitting dioxide sectors, MOEA officials said.
“This tour was driven by the Japan earthquake on March 11 and the Cross-straits Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement, and appealed to the world’s third largest economy to seek new operation bases and opportunities overseas,” Huang said.
Carmakers Nissan Motor Co. Ltd. and Mitsubishi Motors Co. expressed willingness to work with Taiwanese companies on electric vehicle parts production and charging system operations, which is expected to help the MOEA reach its target of bringing 3,000 electric cars to the road in Taiwan in two years, the ministry said.
Yamaha Motor Co. Ltd. has already approved investments in its Taiwan-based subsidiary to strengthen R&D and promotional campaigns on electric motorcycles; it is also considering manufacturing “localized” electric motorcycles to suit the Taiwan market, the MOEA said.
Other collaboration topics explored by the delegation include lithium battery technology with Sony Corp., entry strategies into mainland China’s light-emitting dioxide market with Panasonic Corp., and carbon capture skills with Mitsubishi Heavy Industry Ltd.
The MOEA said these Japanese firms are expected to inject more than NT$4 billion (US$135.6 million) capital in Taiwan.
The delegation also called on the Nomura Research Institute and the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization for an understanding of Japan’s policies on green energy and carbon emission reduction.
The MOEA hopes Taiwan and Japan can form a strategic alliance based on complementary technologies and resource integration in the energy-related industries.
