Taipei Boosts Electric Bus Fleet with New Charging Hub

City aims for a fully electric bus system by 2030, inaugurating a significant charging facility.

Taipei has inaugurated a new electric bus charging facility at the Taipei Metro's Beitou Depot. This state-of-the-art facility features 22 charging bays designed to support the city's growing fleet of electric buses, which currently stands at 886 vehicles.

Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) announced the city's ambitious goal to transition its entire bus fleet to electric power by the year 2030. He highlighted the substantial growth in the electric bus numbers, noting an increase from approximately 650 last year to the current 886, with projections indicating the fleet will exceed 1,000 buses by the end of this year.

Mayor Chiang emphasized the strategic advantage of locating the charging station within a metro depot. This placement optimizes land and energy utilization, as the metro system's power consumption is primarily during daylight hours, allowing electric buses to charge efficiently overnight.

During a recent Mayors' Summit in Paris, marking the 10th anniversary of the Paris Agreement, Mayor Chiang shared Taipei's successful strategies in waste management and the advancement of green transportation initiatives with international counterparts.

Looking ahead, Taipei is slated to host the World Congress on Intelligent Transport Systems in 2029. This event will serve as a platform for the city to showcase its progress and innovations in transportation technology to a global audience.

The Taipei Department of Transportation stated that the new charging site will operate overnight, from midnight to 6 a.m., enabling buses to recharge during off-peak electricity hours.

Ho Cheng (賀政), chairman of Danan Bus Co., the company responsible for building the facility, confirmed that as of July 1, the company has deployed 21 electric buses on Route 288, which connects Shilin District to Taipei City Hall.

Danan Bus reported that the total investment for the related infrastructure amounted to approximately NT$90 million (US$3.1 million). This significant investment was a joint effort, with both Danan Bus Co. and the Taipei City government contributing 50 percent each.

The company further explained that each electric bus requires about 3.5 hours for a full charge. Charging during off-peak hours leads to substantial cost savings, with electricity priced at NT$3 per kWh compared to NT$10 per kWh during peak daytime hours.

To ensure the highest standards of public safety at the charging station, Danan Bus invested NT$400,000 in specialized firefighting equipment.