The Cabinet will earmark NT$5 billion (US$152 million) by 2010 to help the country develop an intelligent vehicle industry, a spokesman for the Science and Technology Advisory Group said on Wednesday.
Wang Ting-an (
After that, the government plans to help the automotive industry manufacture intelligent vehicles, enhance the added value of automotive parts and components, allow vehicle information services to grow, and create an intelligent mobile environment to ensure safety and convenience for motorists, he added.
Wang said that the Ministry of Economic Affairs and the Ministry of Transportation and Communications would work together on special programs to combine the automobile-electronics industry and the information and communication technology (ICT) industry, with the eventual aim of developing Taiwan's own intelligent transport systems.
The plan to produce intelligent vehicles will enlist the help of government officials, academics, experts and industry leaders, who will make use of the country's advantages in information-related industries.
Su Ping-hui (蘇評揮), from the Industrial Technology Research Institute, explained that the intelligent vehicle being planned will be equipped with multimedia digital systems, such as a heads up display, in-car navigation systems and voice-operated controls to enhance road safety, provide entertainment and allow the car's occupants to conduct business and monitor activities at home and in the office.
Huang Chung-chiu (
He said that in 2001, automobile electronics accounted for 19 percent of a car's value, and that the percentage is expected to increase to 40 percent by 2010 with a total worth of US$100 billion.
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