E-Mobility Show Demonstrates Taiwan’s Technology Advancement, Business Stability Amidst Tensions With China

As China was banning all ships from entering an area north of Taiwan due to ‘possible rocket wreckage,’ that may fall from the atmosphere, Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen went on air to thank Taiwanese fighter pilots who positioned themselves defensively against China’s air force during drills around the island nation. The tensions were felt very much in the capital Taipei, but it failed to dampen activities at the 2035 E-Mobility Taiwan event, the largest electric vehicle gathering in this part of Asia.

Taiwan is central to electric vehicle manufacturing globally and yet little is heard about it. This is because a lot of what is done in factories in the island nation are white labeled — batteries, digital display panels, electric motors, semiconductors, and power management and automation software are designed and manufactured by companies like Foxconn, TSMC, and Delta Electronics, and aren’t seen by consumers.

Considered to be Taiwan’s most influential electric transportation trade show, 2035 E-Mobility Taiwan was held at the Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center Hall. The show was split into six main categories: electric, autonomous, connected, interactive, shared, and EVs. Visitors were shown cutting-edge solutions for electric vehicles — complete battery, motor, and electric controls, ADAS, innovations like Internet of Vehicles (IoV), and smart cockpit.

Though there were very few electric vehicles on display — mostly cars showing off technologies and electric scooters and buses — the event was mostly a technology show on a B2B platform.

Taiwan: A Technology Source

The organizers of the event, the Taiwan External Trade Authority (TAITRA), say that the show has been a sourcing platform for electric and autonomous vehicle solutions since it started five years ago.

The ‘2035’ in the trade show’s name signifies that the future of transportation is anticipated to be dominated by electric and autonomous vehicles by 2035.

Taiwan is the perfect location for the e-mobility show because of its strong foundations and legacy in the semiconductor and ICT industries. It has its own automobile brand, Luxgen, which is also entering into electric vehicle manufacturing. Taiwan is also well known for its advanced manufacturing processes and software programming.

In fact, a great number of parts and components that go into Teslas are made in Taiwan. These include TSMC, FUKUTA, BizLink, EOI Group, Asia Optical, and CoreMax. Other companies like Delta, Pegatron, and Quanta supply top carmakers in the US, Europe, and Japan.

Why Taiwan?

According to TAITRA, in the last few years, the electric vehicle market is growing even faster  — a 60% increase or about nearly 7 million cars globally. This mean more demands on technology, manpower, and materials. TAITRA says that Taiwan is able to assist the electric vehicle business designer and application developers thanks to its capabilities in the hardware and software space.

Taiwan is good at developing middle-small sized vehicles and motorcycles. Electric scooter growth in the country is impressive because of the Gogoro electric scooter and battery swapping centers.

TAITRA officials at the e-Mobility show told CleanTechnica how the country is able to develop profitably, with the techniques of limited-volume but large variety production in response to its own market’s needs. They also highlighted the development and application experience of low-speed vehicles both for safety and for easier mobility in its motorcycle and bicycle lanes.

TAITRA also lists the advantages of electric vehicle producers doing business in Taiwan:

Skilled workforce: The availability of a highly skilled and educated workforce. Taiwan’s school system focuses a lot on STEM, thus creating a strong emphasis on engineering and technology.

Government support: The Taiwanese government is actively promoting the development of the EV industry, with initiatives such as tax incentives, subsidies, and investment programs to support EV research and development, manufacturing, and infrastructure.

Strategic location: Taiwan is strategically located in the Asia-Pacific region, with easy access to key markets such as China, Japan, and South Korea. This makes it an ideal location for companies looking to expand their EV production capacity in the region.

Stable business environment: Taiwan has a stable and business-friendly environment, with a strong legal system, low corruption, and a favorable regulatory framework. This provides a predictable and secure business environment for companies looking to invest in EV manufacturing in Taiwan.

E-Mobility Global Demo Day

As early as April 2022, TAITRA made a global call to companies which may want to demonstrate their smart mobility and sustainability concepts in an event they call the E-Mobility Global Demo Day, which culminates at the show. The call for the demo day was to “bring infinite possibilities and inspire many startup companies to develop solutions and products that turn these concepts into reality.”

TAITRA cooperated with the Epoch Foundation — a private-sector consortium of 20 Taiwanese organizations established to foster academic opportunities for the Asia-Pacific region — to hold the E-Mobility Global Demo Day, aimed at scouting new solutions for future mobility and fostering business collaborations.

After 2 rounds of selection, 12 startups are selected from the US, Canada, France, UK, Israel, Vietnam, and Taiwan to exhibit in the trade show this year. They will showcase technologies such as edge AI chip solution, automotive AI, human machine interface, imaging sensor chip, voice-AI technology, autonomous last mile delivery, and a repairable battery for bikes and scooters.

Rundown Of Major Exhibitors

For vehicle connectivity, real-time data on traffic and road conditions, collision avoidance, driver behavior monitoring, ADAS, and In-Vehicle Infotainment systems, the exhibitors included were Rohde-Schwarz, HCLTech, Advantech, Gigabyte, Clientron, Carota, Arcadyan, MiTAC, and Keysight.

For EV batteries, charging systems and stations, energy storage, and technologies that optimize the use of energy and manage charging demand, as well as various EVs and e-buses which were also exhibited, the exhibitors were led by Hotai Motor, Master Transportation, Texas Instruments, Delta Electronics, Zerova, PEWC, TECO, Chroma, and Noodoe.

The E-Mobility Forum was also held during the four-day trade show. The event brought together industry leaders and visionaries from around the world to discuss the most impactful developments that have taken root across automotive industries with regards to electric vehicles.