Taiwan is expected to sell 20,000 electric motorcycles at home and abroad this year, according to the Industrial Development Bureau (IDB), under the Ministry of Economic Affairs.

The local consumption and export growth should result from the aggressiveness of the manufacturers in setting up recharging stations throughout Taiwan and providing subsidies to consumers from the Environmental Protection Administration of the Executive Yuan (Cabinet), an IDB spokesperson explained.

Last year, a total of 14,000 electric motorcycles were sold to the local market as well as exported worldwide, the IDB spokesperson noted.

It has also been reported that one electric motorcycle manufacturer has set up 100 recharging stations in Taipei and Kaohsiung, southern Taiwan, to facilitate electric motorcycle users in recharging their vehicles. It is hoped that the presence of the stations will also help to raise the interest of consumers to buy electric motorcycles. An executive of the manufacturer said a German importer has shown interest in placing orders for the electric motorcycles it produces.

Kwang Yang Motor Co., Taiwan's biggest manufacturer of this kind, is expected to turn out 5,000 electric motorcycles this year. It will produce 250,000 motorcycles altogether in 2001 for both local consumption and export.

Industry sources report that there are currently about 10 companies in Taiwan involved in the production of electric motorcycles.

IDB officials say that since electric motorcycles possess the advantages of being non-polluting and generally producing a lower level of noise, the Environmental Protection Administration is willing to subsidize buyers in order to promote the increased use of this method of transport.