Taoyuan City's e-scooter subsidy program for this year (2023) has been announced! In addition to continuing to encourage the purchase of e-scooters, the subsidy program is the first in the country to encourage young mothers and youth to purchase e-scooters under the “Youth E-Scooter Go”(青年輕E購) and “Young Mothers E-Scooter Go”(婦幼E騎go) campaign, providing a subsidy of up to NT$39,800 for Taoyuan youth and mothers with children to purchase e-scooters. The dynamic campaign allows more Taoyuan citizens to participate in the promotion of net-zero carbon emissions.
According to the Department of Environmental Protection of the Taoyuan City Government (TYDEP), Taoyuan has spared no effort in promoting various air pollution control measures, and air quality has continued to improve. The percentage of days with good air quality (AQI≦50) reached 70.6% in 2022, ranking the highest among the six direct municipalities of Taiwan, and the fine suspended particles (PM2.5) dropped to 10.8μg/m3, a record low, with the air quality in Taoyuan better than the national air quality standard (15μg/m3) for three consecutive years. The city government team is also actively promoting various mobility pollution source reduction and low-pollution vehicle promotion measures to facilitate the phasing out of highly polluting motorcycles and motor scooters in the city. There are only 23,000 two-stroke motorcycles and motor scooters left in the city, accounting for 1.8% of the total, which is the lowest among the six direct municipalities of Taiwan. There are only 234,000 aging Phase 1-4 motorcycles and motor scooters left in the city, accounting for 17.8% of the total and the lowest among the six direct municipalities of Taiwan. Taoyuan City now has 89,000 registered e-scooters, with a 4.7% per capita ownership rate among those over 18 years old, the highest among the six direct municipalities of Taiwan. The city is also promoting the development of a friendly environment for e-scooters to strengthen the friendly environment for low-pollution vehicles, with 1789 charging (battery replacement) stations now in operation, ranking 1st nationwide.
Chen Shih-Wei, Director-General of the TYDEP, the energy source of scooters in the city is being gradually transformed, and high-polluting potential vehicles are now lower in quantity than other counties and cities. The government's policy is to accelerate the elimination of high-polluting potential motorcycles and scooters, and to continue the policy of encouraging people to replacing their vehicles to low-polluting models through subsidies. This year's innovative "Taoyuan Aging Scooter Phasing-Out Program" (桃汰郎專案) increases the scope of subsidies for the replacement of aging motorcycles and motor scooters, and expands the inclusion of 5 phases of motorcycles and motor scooters over 10 years old for e-scooters, actively reversing the composition of the city's makeup of two-wheeled motor transport. For example, the public can receive a subsidy of NT$8,000 for replacing a heavy motorcycle or motor scooter that is more than 10 years old with an e-scooter. The subsidy will be NT$9,000 for the replacement of Phase 1-4 motorcycles or motor scooters and an additional NT$1,000 for the replacement of two-stroke motorcycles or motor scooters, for a subsidy of up to NT$$10,000. For those replacing Phase 1-4 or 2-stroke motorcycles or motor scooters, an additional NT$8,000 shall be provided as a subsidy, capped at a total of 4,500 applications. The maximum subsidy for new e-scooter purchases is $4,000, limited to 7,500 applications.
Director-General Chen of the TYDEP pointed out that Taoyuan City is a city of youthful vibrancy. The city government attaches great importance to the welfare of young people, so it has launched the innovative "Youth E-Scooter Go" and "Mother E-Scooter Go” programs, both of which offer a 5% discount on the original price of a new e-scooter, so as to reduce the burden of young people who have just entered the job market to purchase an e-scooter. This will make it easier for young people to opt to buy e-scooters instead of traditional motorcycles or motor scooters, and also allow mothers to receive subsidies to buy e-scooters when needed, so that young mothers will be less exposed to the effects of vehicle emissions when picking up their children and achieve the goal of protecting young mothers and children. For young people over 18 and under 30 years old and young mothers with children under 6 years old, a further bonus subsidy of NT$10,000 will be offered to make it easier for them to purchase the e-scooters; and for low- and middle-income households and citizens residing in Fuxing District, a further bonus subsidy of NT$10,000 will be offered to encourage eligible individuals to purchase e-scooters with a variety of more favorable options.
The TYDEP reminds the public that the subsidy period of this year's subsidy program shall last from January 1, 2023 to December 31, 2023, and the latest application period is until January 10, 2024.Taoyuan citizens are invited apply through the online application system of the official website. Furthermore, eligible applicants are encouraged to seize the increased bonus subsidies this year and complete application as soon as possible by calling 03-335-9117 or visiting the official website of the Department of Environmental Protection of the Taoyuan City Government .