Tainan is the first city in Taiwan to set up autonomous low carbon regulations and the city has seen a steady increase in the number of electric buses. So far there are 51 electric buses in service, which makes up approximately 12% of the entire city bus fleet. The government is actively promoting its electric bus policies by subsidizing businesses NTD 1.5 million per electric bus they launch.
Tainan has already launched one Foxtron Model T electric bus for test operations on the city bus route in May, according to the Bureau of Transportation, and the fifteen electric buses approved by the central government this year are all Model Ts. It is expected that Tainan City will become the first city in Taiwan where mass-produced Model T buses are put to commercial use once these buses begin service by the end of this year.
The electric buses, or “lunch boxes”, as bus enthusiasts affectionately refer to them because of their boxy appearance, stand out as they wind through Tainan’s narrow streets and have sparked a lot of discussion online. This batch of Model T buses has a battery endurance of over 240 km and is capable of handling city routes which have winding roads and frequent stops. All buses are equipped with Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) to detect distance with the vehicle in front of the bus as well as driving blind spots, inappropriate driving behaviors, and lane departure warnings.
After introducing buses to Kaohsiung and Taipei, Foxconn has chosen Tainan as the third city to launch their electric buses. In the future, the electric bus supply chain can be connected with Tainan’s local industries and generate more cross-domain collaborations. Tainan is also working on several smart transportation applications including smart AI technology, AI for traveler and vehicle interaction, and IoV to transform the city into a smart city.