The ECCT hosted the 2021 International Electric Vehicle Forum to discuss Taiwan’s EV transition. Arranged by the ECCT’s Mobility committee in partnership with the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA), the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA), the Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC), and the European Economic and Trade Office (EETO), the full day forum held in a hybrid format, brought together policy makers and industry experts from Taiwan, Europe, and Asia. The forum began with opening remarks by guests of honour Lin Chuan-neng, Vice Minister, MOEA (林全能 經濟部常務次長); Thomas Juergensen, Head of Trade Section, EETO; Tsai Hung-teh, Deputy Minister, EPA (蔡鴻德 環保署副署長), and Chen Yen-po, Political Deputy Minister, MOTC (陳彥伯 交通部政務次長) and ECCT Chairman Henry H Chang. This was followed by presentations by officials and experts in three sessions on the topics: 1) Charging standards and facilities, 2) Charging infrastructure & power management, 3) EV ecosystems and supply chains.

During the forum, speakers and panellists discussed relevant initiatives currently undertaken and challenges faced in Taiwan, aimed at increasing awareness and understanding among major stakeholders in Taiwan of crucial elements that should be considered during the process of forming EV development policies.

In addition to presentations by industry experts, Lee Chun-li, Deputy Director General of the Bureau of Energy (BOE, 李君禮 經濟部能源局副局長) and Hsieh Han-chang, Deputy Director General of the Bureau of Standards, Metrology and Inspection (BSMI, 謝翰璋 經濟部標準檢驗局副局長), under the MOEA took part in the morning panel discussion session.

Opening remarks
In his opening remarks, Chairman Henry Chang stressed that the EV transition will need government support to succeed. In particular, he said that Taiwan will need a master plan for charging infrastructure development. Changes will also be needed to regulations to allow the installation of charging stations on public land and to give apartment owners and tenants the right to install charging facilities. In addition, subsidies and other incentives are needed to spur private investment in charging infrastructure as well to spur consumers to purchase EVs.

In his remarks, Deputy MOTC Minister Lin Chuan-neng said that the government is assisting the transition by supporting infrastructure development, promoting industry clusters, and developing testing standards. In terms of infrastructure, focus has been on charging infrastructure. There are already clear regulations on installing public charging stations using the CCS1 standard as well as other major charging interfaces. In terms of the supply chain, ICT plays a crucial role. Taiwan already enjoys an advantage and can cooperate with European players. Tax incentives have also been introduced to spur the use of EVs.

In his remarks, Thomas Juergensen said that EVs are becoming more ubiquitous globally. Promoting EVs is part of larger efforts that are part of the EU’s Green Deal objectives. The transport sector will have to contribute of 90% of emissions reductions. An important lesson from Europe is that it is essential to have EV infrastructure, a legal framework as well as research and innovation. For example, we need more research to drive innovation to make batteries smaller and more efficient. Taiwan faces similar challenges as Europe. To overcome them, cross-departmental coordination is very important.

In his remarks, Deputy EPA Minister Tsai Hung-teh said that the EPA has been actively involved in initiatives and legislation to reduce pollution, including stricter air pollution and emission reduction targets in 2017 and the initiative to transition to electric buses for all of Taiwan’s municipal buses by 2030. This has already resulted in a drop in air pollution. Recently the EPA announced its draft Climate Change Response Act, which is now in the 60-day comment period. One of the EPA’s recent initiatives is to create a task force on green transportation. The EPA is already working to promote e-scooters since there are more of them in Taiwan than passenger cars. According to Tsai, e-scooters accounted for about 10% of market share in the first eight months of 2021 while the market share of EV passenger cars (including hybrids) is expected to hit 16% this year. However, he acknowledged the need to improve infrastructure. This will be challenging since installing charging infrastructure in buildings requires forging consensus with building and apartment owners. However, he expects Taiwan to follow the rest of the world in reaching consensus on this although he said that Taiwan cannot achieve the transition alone, which is why international collaboration is needed.

In his remarks, MOTC Deputy Political Minister Chen Yen-po said the MOTC is focusing on heavy duty vehicles since they account for a large portion of Taiwan’s emissions. The ministry has already started introducing e-buses and now moving on to intercity buses, starting with pilot projects at the moment with mass replacement set to happen between 2026 and 2030. Many of the components can be made in Taiwan. The ministry is also working on reaching level 4 autonomous driving by 2030. Serious measures to regulate Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) vehicles as well as incentives for EVs will be used to promote the EV transition. The MOTC will do its part to install charging infrastructure along highways as well as work with city authorities to install charging in cities.

Morning session: Charging standards and facilities

Topic: What does real world e-mobility charging Infrastructure require?
Speaker: Jacques Borremans, Managing Director Asia, CharIN

CharIN is organised in different working groups focused on various aspects of EV charging standards. Members are from the entire charging supply chain, including producers, developers, and service providers. The speaker introduced some of the latest and most advanced charging solutions which was made possible by working with global MNCs, including Taiwan’s Delta Electronics.

AC charging works for homes and office building while fast charging DC now makes it possible to fully charge a car in less than 12 minutes.

Real world EV charging infrastructure requires seamless roaming to allow users to use any charging station. For example, if you have four charging operators, you would need to have cooperation between contractors to allow users from rival operators to use their charging facilities. If Taiwan wants to export its products it will need to use the same communication protocols that allows EV users to travel and recharge their vehicles across borders.

Payment systems need to be secure. EVs need to be able to communicate with third party chargers in a secure manner. The international standard (ISO 15118) has been created to address this issue and enable secure payment. It automates the entire process, including authentication and payment seamlessly to allow plug and charge.

A single charging standard is essential. The problem with multiple charging standards is that investment and maintenance costs are high. In 2016 South Korea decided to adopt a common DC charging standard. This led to exponential growth in EV sales. The same happened in Europe. Without a single standard, you can’t ramp up. Most countries are now using CCS standard. In the US CCS-Combo 1 chargers can charge two cars at the same time.

The government plays a role by adopting standards for automated charging. This will also be important in the future for autonomous vehicles. The speaker showed a video of a demonstration of autonomous vehicle being plugged in and charged without human intervention. With smart charging system, you can help to reduce impact on the grid.

Topic: EV smart charging and V2G technology using CCS type 1 plugs
Speaker: Kijin Park, Head of Energy Solutions Group / Chief Researcher Smart Distribution Laboratory, Korea Electric Power Research Institute / Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO)

The speaker began with an overview of KEPCO, Korea’s utility, and its involvement in electric vehicle charging. He noted that EV usage is growing rapidly in Korea, thanks to expanding infrastructure and advances in vehicles that allow for a driving range of up to 600km per charge.

Balancing fluctuation in the power grid from renewables is essential and EVs can play a role in this stabilisation in future. With smart systems, when charging demand is high, the supply can be reduced. If you control the depth of discharge, batteries can be used for longer.

He went on to explain vehicle to infrastructure and vehicle to grid (VGI-V2G) technology to allow for flexibility and bi-directional charging. KEPCO is now introducing smart charging systems. He said that about 100 smart chargers have been installed so far to test the functions and usability of the system. A V2G demonstration project will start in November this year whereby both AC and DC chargers will enable V2G functions.

Topic: Certification of Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment (EVSE) in Taiwan
Speaker: Carl Chang, Deputy Director, Taiwan Electric Research & Testing Center (TERTEC, 張庭綱 臺灣大電力研究試驗中心電器試驗處 副處長)

TERTEC is developing EVSE testing standards and is responsible for certification of related equipment. TERTEC started working on EVSE several years.

Taiwan has specific EV targets, including electrification of government vehicles and buses. The driving range of EVs is improving thereby reducing range anxiety. This would be further reduced by increasing the number of charging stations across Taiwan. Certification schemes are important to ensure the safety of EVSE as accidents would scare off consumers.

The development of EVSE standards started in 2010 with an IDB pilot project. Taiwan integrated IEC and other standards into its own Chinese National Standards (CNS). Given higher risks, standards for DC charging are stricter. Taiwan’s standards for DC charging in 2013 were actually introduced ahead of international standards at the time. Back in 2013 Taiwan already considered various plug and socket options. Since then, Tesla’s TPC system has become the most-commonly used system in Taiwan.

In 2017, Taiwan further aligned plug and socket outlet standards with IEC standards. More than 90% of users adopted type 1 charging interface but also the TPC standard was added given Tesla’s dominant market share in Taiwan to date.

In 2021, EVSE standards in Taiwan were reviewed and updated and aligned with IEC standards.

Topic: Overview of fire safety management for EV charging stations in Taiwan
Speaker: Mo Huai-tsu, Director, National Fire Agency, Ministry of Interior (莫懷祖 內政部消防署組長)

The speaker spoke about fire prevention measures and educating the public about how to prevent fires. The first priority is to ensure charging stations are safe and the second is dealing with fires if they start.

Existing buildings may not be up to the fire safety standards that new buildings have to meet. For example, a lot of underground parking lots do not have sufficient fire extinguishing facilities. There is also the problem of EVs and ICE vehicles being kept in the same spaces, which could result in fire spreading from EVs to ICE vehicles or vice-versa.

Morning session panel discussion
Moderator: Lee Chun-li, Deputy Director General, Bureau of Energy, MOEA (李君禮 經濟部能源局副局長)
Panellists (in addition to speakers from the morning session: Hsieh Han-chang, Deputy Director General, Bureau of Standards, Metrology and Inspection (BSMI), MOEA (謝翰璋 經濟部標準檢驗局副局長) and Oliver Britz, ECCT Mobility Committee Co-Chair.

Oliver Britz stressed that clear guidelines and standards as well as investment are needed for a successful EV transition. Right now, there are three main EV charging use cases: charging at home, charging at the office and along highways.

In Taiwan average distances are short. Therefore, home charging would take care of most users in Taiwan. This is why an essential plank in development is to allow users to install charging facilities in their apartment building parking lots.

Borremans stressed the importance of clear communication standards. He noted that making EVs is much easier than ICE cars. If you don’t have standards, other countries will attract investment.

Kijun Park stressed the need for incentives like tax subsidies, especially in the early stages when returns on investments are low. Another important aspect is ensuring that there is enough land to install charging stations.

Borremans noted that Even Tesla is introducing cars with the CCS standard in Europe and that you cannot just unify standards after the fact.

Kijun Park said that there were initially three standards in Korea but since 2017 the government chose a standard CCS type 1 because this was the standard used in the US (its major export market). This has been the main standard promoted since 2018 although the others are still used.

Oliver Britz made the point that you need to do what gives consumers confidence. The BSMI said all available standards need to be covered until it becomes clear which system will succeed in the market. This should be clear in the next 3-5 years. Right now, there are seven interface charging standards but only two core interface systems. This should shrink to three and eventually just one. Whatever system wins, it needs to be safe.

Director Mo said he had participated in a lot of meetings to discuss safety, particularly fire safety concerns. In one incident, there were parts and components supplied by multiple vendors, which increased the risks. The National Fire Agency is working to educate the public, such as how to turn off power supply to charging stations in the event of a fire. Carl Chang said that charging facilities need to be certified and examined before they are installed to ensure safety.

In conclusion, Borremans said only certified technicians should be allowed to install charging facilities (as in Europe) and photos should be taken of the original installation as proof in case changes are made subsequently.

Kijun Park concluded that it is important to provide what consumers want, including sufficient public charging as well individual charging capacity.

Hsieh Han-chang said that the BSMI should have a master plan by next year. By 2024 there will be a mandatory certification procedure for charging stations.

The moderator concluded that Taiwan needs to speed up the EV transition. The government will provide subsidies, but the amount/percentage has not yet been decided.

Director Mo said that he has not practiced drills in underground parking lots yet but will ask for assistance from local governments in this regard.

Afternoon session 1: Charging infrastructure & power management

Topic: Coping strategy of electric load for EV charging infrastructure
Speaker: Wang Yao-ting, Vice President / CEO of Distribution & Service Division, Taipower (王耀庭 臺灣電力公司副總經理/配售電事業部執行長)

The speaker spoke about optimising grid management. He cited analysis showing the most common EV charging use cases in Taiwan. Given Taiwan’s small size and short travelling distances (for most EV drivers), home charging will account for most charging needs (60%). The next highest proportion will come from shopping centres, hotels and office buildings (15-35%) while public charging will account for just 5%.

Taipower has been working with EV makers and charging point vendors as well as facilities vendors on developing solutions to balance power supply and demand as renewables are added to the grid. One solution to balance the demands on the grid is to introduce cheaper tariffs for off-peak charging.

Topic: Role of grid scale storage in Taiwan as the system transforms
Speaker: Achal Sondhi, VP Growth, APAC, Fluence

The speaker introduced his company, a stationary storage provider based in the US. He said that Taipower is taking the right steps to upgrade the grid.

The introduction of renewables is changing the grid. Every country has different peaks in energy generation and usage, which also varies from season to season. It is not possible to make completely accurate predictions given variations, although ability will improve with experience and analysis of more data. To reduce the use of wastage in energy generation, EVs can play a role. Peak charging can help to reduce the load on the grid. However, grid operators need to be prepared for instances where everyone charges at the same time, despite the higher costs.

Battery storage can add value in these cases. They can be built in various places and can charge or discharge for a few hours at optimal times. He gave a real-life example from his own company which has helped to optimise the grid and obviate the need to build a large thermal power plant.

Many charging stations will have different configurations. For example, you could add additional battery storage at electric bus charging stations to charge when there is a surplus of power and feed into the grid at peak charging times.

He stressed that these types of battery systems are not designed to take over baseload but to provide support to balance the grid.

Topic: Strategies and prospects for installing EV charging in Taiwan’s buildings
Speaker: Kao Wen-ting, Director, Building Administration Division, Construction and Planning Agency, Ministry of Interior (高文婷 內政部營建署 建築管理組組長)

A lot of focus is on building regulations to enable EV charging. Common objections raised against EV charging facilities are around safety, how to determine who pays for electricity bills as well as damage to buildings and appearance (if installation is not done neatly).

EVs still account for only 2% of vehicles. Ideally each parking lot should have centralised metering facility or room. Taipower has proposed such a solution that is scalable, neat and safe and will allow users to be charged only for their own use.

Another obstacle is that upfront costs of EV charging facilities are still high. Based on new regulations introduced on 1 July 2021, new buildings have to reserve space for charging facilities. However, this is not retroactive to existing buildings. The building’s management committee is in charge of improvements and repairs. However, if the repair requires high costs, it must be agreed by unit owners. There are three ways to share the costs of installation, and this is determined by apartment owners. Owners’ meetings to make decisions on EV charging need to be attended by at least half of residents. However, if a quorum is not reached in the first meeting, regulations have now been proposed to allow a subsequent meeting to be held at which the quorum is lower, which should make it easier to approve the construction of EV charging facilities.

Designs of EV facilities have to undergo evaluations, and installations need to be examined and approved by Taipower before they can go into operation. In future, the process may be simplified to allow self-management plans. Owners are encouraged to take out insurance. Taipower has been asked to publish a list of FAQs and to hold demonstrations to educate the public. EV makers are also encouraged to educate their customers on all issues related to EV charging, including safety and ways to reduce energy usage.

Topic: Electric vehicle charging equipment installed in existing buildings
Speaker: Lo Wen-ming, Assistant Director, Taipei City Construction Management Office (羅文明 臺北市政府建管處副處長)

The speaker introduced measures local governments can take to promote EV charging. He noted that individual EV users often run into resistance from management committees when asking to install charging. The most often cited reasons for this resistance are over the cost sharing of charging and objections to the use of common space for EV charging facilities.

The city provides advisory and consulting services. A professional team was established to assist communities. The cost is borne by the city. The team makes an assessment of the building and helps to create a development plan. This year the city provided a template of management measures for installing new charging equipment for EVs. It differs from the central government in that it does not focus just on the law but also provides a reference for management committee owners.

The city is also offering two kinds of subsidies for maintenance and repair of shared areas of apartment buildings and to upgrade to green or smart building functions. He went on to explain how to apply for the subsidies.

Topic: Strengthening the rights of apartment owners in Germany - a real push for charging at home solutions
Speakers: Claire Dietz-Polte, Partner, Baker McKenzie & Vivien Vacha, Senior Associate, Baker McKenzie

The speakers cited regulations and some best practices from Germany. Germany provides a legal basis for EV charging, which is backed by climate and energy transformation initiatives. The idea was to make it easier for consumers to switch to EVs. Germany has already introduced incentives for EVs and regulations.

There are four laws that are the basis for promoting EVs. This includes requirements for new and existing buildings to provide cabling for charging stations. The condominium owners assemble in an association, a Condominium Owners Association (COA), that meets once a year and is empowered to make decisions related to EV charging. The condominium owner owns her apartment and is also the co-owner of shared areas. This is fundamental because the law only refers to space under co-ownership. Only common property is administered by the COA.

Germany’s new law give every apartment owner the right to install charging infrastructure.
Only in rare cases is this not possible, such as in historically protected buildings or buildings in disrepair. However, how the charging infrastructure is installed can be decided by the owners.

Building security standards in Germany are high. Each condo owner may demand reasonable changes. However, they would have to ensure that construction and facilities do not create fire or other hazards. Condo owners have to ensure that safety standards are maintained. Charging infrastructure is covered by building insurance and there is also personal insurance for EV drivers.

The new laws were well received by the public in Germany as they give EV owners’ rights as well as giving building owners oversight as to how they are installed.

Afternoon session 1 panel discussion
Moderator: Kao Wen-ting, Director, Building Administration Division, Construction and Planning Agency, Ministry of Interior (高文婷 內政部營建署 建築管理組組長)
Panellists (in addition to speakers from the session): Mathias Busse, ECCT Mobility Committee Co-Chair; Rau Yow-jen, Deputy Director, Department of Power Distribution, Taipower (饒祐禎 臺灣電力公司配電處副處長)

The moderator noted similarities between Germany and Taiwan. Vivienne Vacha noted that it is not mandatory for apartment buildings to offer parking spaces but new buildings which have more than 10 parking spaces, are required by law to upgrade cabling. This is a more important issue than installing charging facilities in Germany.

There is a strong push for electrification which explains public support for EVs and supporting legislation.

Lo Wen-ming said local ordinances have restrictions on what can be done in certain underground areas. This includes hiring experts and getting approval for certain types of construction. It is important that new electrical infrastructure does not interfere with existing infrastructure.

Wang Yao-ting said that most concerns arise from people who think charging will undermine safety and be ugly or they have to bear the costs of charging without enjoying the benefits. That is why it is important to have standalone metering for charging. If consumers learn to charge during off-peak periods, it will maximise use of energy and not overload the grid.

Mathias Busse said it would help to standardise the rights of apartment owners.

Vivienne Vacha noted that Germany requires strict standards and only qualified electricians are allowed to install charging facilities, which provides an additional level of assurance to condo owners.

Claire Dietz-Polte said that while there is no quorum needed to gain the right to install charging facilities but the how may be challenged by fellow owners. Rau Yow-jen said that Taipower also monitors safety. He also made the point that vehicles are not used all the time and only drive a few kilometres a day, they will not necessarily need to be fully charged every day.

Afternoon Session 2: EV ecosystems & supply chain

Topic: Driving the energy transition
Speaker: Jeff Renaud, Managing Director, Asia and Oceania, Enel X

The speaker gave an introduction to his company, the Italian utility, and its activities, which are now heavily involved in the energy transition. It has 50GW of renewable projects ongoing, and on track to shut down all coal plants by 2027. Nearly all capex is directly aligned with UN SDGs. It has installed nearly 250,000 EV charging points.

The company’s mobility platform provides charging hardware and technology services, public charging, and mobility services to facilitate charging for customers.

The portfolio includes AC charging units for home up to DC fast charging and bidirectional products. EV charging software platforms are designed to be as open as possible to be used by multiple users. For example, there is a solution for fleet owners who want to electrify their fleets as well those who want to operate public charging facilities that are compatible with a range of EV charging hardware.

The company is investing resources in smart charging to minimise capex and the cost of ownership and maximise the contribution of EVs to the power grid and support the integration of renewables into the grid.

V2G is not yet commercial but Enel X is bullish on the potential. It has been working on the technology since 2012. Yesterday, the company announced collaboration with Gogoro and Taipower to integrate battery swapping stations to the grid and make some of the capacity available to support the grid in Taiwan. Hopefully this will serve as a blueprint to support power grids around the world.

Topic: Lessons from rolling out a pan-European high-power charging network
Speaker: Dominik Ziriakus, Governmental Affairs, IONITY

IONITY is joint venture partnership of carmakers to enable long distance driving of EVs around Europe. It was established in 2017 when there was no high-power charging. Now the group is a leader with 378 charging locations with 1,500 charging points in 24 European countries.

A single plug standard (CCS) makes it easier for operators and users. In terms of services, it offers a plug-and-charge system and a customer service hotline.

The entire network is powered by renewable energy.

There is some diversity across Europe owing to local regulations. This influences the size, layout, and appearance of charging stations.

There has been a continuous rise in demand for charging. There are peaks in demand during the holiday season and drops during strict Covid-19 lockdowns. The sharp uptick in demand over the summer of 2021 was helped by people being unable to fly abroad and having to spend their holidays in Europe.

Key challenges when rolling out over the past four years have included: 1) Limited availability of suitable space along motorways for charging stations. This will only increase in the future; 2) Getting sufficient power is sometimes a challenge, especially in remote areas. It can be expensive and take a long time to set up; 3) Regulatory framework: The permitting process is complex and time-consuming. There are a lot of institutions involved and requirements across Europe are diverse and subject to change.

He ended by offering some recommendations: Make public land available, offer incentives to private landowners to make land available, expand the capacity of the power grid, especially in remote areas, simplify the regulatory process, especially for locations along motorways. Finally, he stressed that to succeed requires a joint effort.

Topic: Overview of Taiwan EV infrastructure and future developments
Speaker: Carrey Hsieh, System Development Dept. Minister, YES Energy (解睿凱 裕電能源系統開發部部長)

The company operates charging stations for various carmakers. The speaker began with a short introduction to EVs in Taiwan, which started with pilot projects. There was a turning point when Tesla entered the market in 2016, which sped up when prices of EVs where reduced. A lot of charging points are AC while most of the DC chargers currently are for Tesla. As of 2021 15,000 EVs have been sold but the proportion of EVs is growing.

There is still limited density of charging stations, but it is growing. Taiwan does not have a local standard which results in poor use of resources but there seems to be a convergence emerging. Taiwan also does not have interoperability of charging operators, unlike IONITY’s solution.

A lot of destinations need charging stations to attract customers. YES is trying to promote the parking = charging concept. Customer service will be important.

Topic: The European Battery Alliance – supporting electric vehicle industry transformation
Speaker: James Copping, Principal Administrator of Automotive and Mobility Industries Unit, European Commission DG Grow

The speaker spoke about the EU’s drive towards zero emission vehicles in line with its net zero goals. Transport accounts for 30% of the EU’s emissions (72% of which comes from road transport alone), indicating how important the sector is to meeting overall goals.

The EU is supporting industrial alliances to help meet its goals. Several car companies have already set ambitious goals. Renault is the leading European EV carmaker and its EV model is as profitable as its ICE version.

The European Battery Alliance was set up in 2017 with the aim to establish a complete and sustainable battery value chain. Members include member states, industry players and other stakeholders. It aims to support all aspects of the value chain. The EU provides a budget for research and innovation, access to raw materials and developing skills, among other support.

The EU has an action plan on critical raw materials that aims to develop resilient value chains and circularity. A new regulation proposed in December 2020 aims to ensure that only high quality and sustainably produced batteries are placed on the EU market. This will take some time to be finalised and implemented.

According to Copping, 800,000 people in the automotive industry will need to be reskilled while there is a shortage of people in new mobility technologies. The EU’s ambition is to empower 5% of the workforce per year and eventually reskill up to 700,000 workers.

To speed up the EV transition, all new cars and vans registered as of 2035 will be zero emissions.

Topic: Development opportunities for EVs in Taiwan
Speaker: Lu Wen-tsan, Deputy Division Director, Industrial Development Bureau (IDB, Ministry of Economic Affairs (盧文燦 經濟部工業局副組長)

The speaker spoke about the government efforts to promote EVs, including the IDB, MOF, the EPA, and the MOEA’s BOE.

The legislature has agreed to tax incentives for EVs and the MOEA has provided incentives for e-scooters and e-buses. A new guideline provides a subsidy of NT$10 million for each bus. Qualification requirements include providing local content for 10 items.

He mentioned Taiwan’s progress in developing e-buses and passenger cars. The industrial cluster of EVs is different from traditional car manufacturing. Taiwan has great potential given its abundant capacity for producing EV parts. Some components have already entered the supply chain. They are just awaiting system integrators.

Topic: Shaping a new era of mobility
Speaker: Jan Hollmann, Head of Strategy, Transformation and Product Management, Bosch Business Sector Mobility Solutions, Bosch

The speaker gave an introduction to his company and presented videos showing the future of mobility, which will be personalised, automated connected and electrified.

He reported that Bosch is working to address chip shortage by building a new wafer fab in Dresden. As an indication of how seriously the company is taking mobility is that mobility solutions accounted for the largest share of investments in 2020.

Sales of EV related technologies are growing and becoming a more important core business. Mobility must be climate friendly as well as affordable and policies need to take this into consideration. Challenges to be overcome include building infrastructure. There should be a balance between the economy, business, and society.

He went on to introduce some of Bosch’s technologies for EVs. The company is also investing in fuel cell power trains, which are suitable for trucks.

Topic: Opportunities and challenges for ICT players in smart vehicles
Speaker: Sam Shen, Secretary General, Taiwan Advanced Automotive Technology Development Association (TADA) 沈舉三 台灣先進車用技術發展協會(籌備處) 祕書長

The speaker introduced EV development from the perspective of the ICT industry. Smart technology could refer to AI, 5G or IoT and has caused a paradigm shift. In the automotive industry, the trends have been towards electrification, autonomy, shared and connected vehicles.

The connected aspect involves various technologies. According to stats cited by Shen, growth potential is highest EVs, battery fuel cells, ADAS and infotainment and communications. This will drive growth in semiconductors.

The current chip shortage is not just a supply chain issue but driven by the growing number of chips needed in each vehicle. Cars need higher performance chips. Cars need to be more intelligent, meaning more sensors and more real time computing power. Navigation and communication require additional hardware. System integration is another trend that requires technology and cross-industry collaboration.

The car industry is facing challenges and opportunities for integrating smart technologies.
Taiwan is an important parts supplier as well as technology resources useful to car makers. Taiwanese companies still make the largest share of the world’s ICT hardware. Taiwan has potential to make cars smarter. System integrators should take advantage of these strengths.

Afternoon session 2 panel discussion
Moderator: Lu Wen-tsan, Deputy Division Director, IDB, MOEA (盧文燦 經濟部工業局副組長)

Jan Hollmann noted that although there has been a slight decrease in the overall global vehicle market, it will remain strong and 60% of new vehicles by 2035 will be EVs, showing that there are plenty of business opportunities for both existing and new players.

Dominik Ziriakus noted that there is additional and new supply chain for EV charging that show great new potential business opportunities for Taiwan as well as for service providers.

James Copping added that there will be dramatic changes in regulatory structure that will drive changes in EV charging infrastructure. Things are changing and development will be even faster in future.

Dominik Ziriakus said that infrastructure is expensive, so it is important to have a stable regulatory framework and support from government as well as cooperation.

Jan Hollmann added that there needs to be alignment between industry and government as well as other stakeholders.

On a question about developing talent for the new era, James Copping said it was recognised that batteries require new skills. This has become a major issue. For example, a Swedish battery producer is recruiting across the world. At the European level the commission is trying to determine what skills and courses to teach at universities and how to reskill existing workers and sharing information on what is needed and what courses are available that can be replicated. Dominik Ziriakus made the point that charging services involve communications technology so talent for this new market is coming from the mobile telecommunications sector.

Dominik Ziriakus noted that there were queues at charging stations over the busy summer months. This shows that will be a need for more charging infrastructure but also better communication to consumers as to where charging stations are available.

Dominik Ziriakus said the decision to adopt CCS Combo 2 standard, which is capable of high voltage charging, across Europe was very helpful to consumers and developing the market.

Jan Hollmann made the point that the transition will take time and there are use cases for interim technologies such as more efficient ICE vehicles and hybrids before the fully electric era begins.