Starting in July, the Kaohsiung City Government is to require that all newly constructed buildings reserve space for electric vehicle (EV) charging stations, Kaohsiung City Public Works Bureau Director Yang Chin-fu (楊欽富) said yesterday.
The policy is to be implemented following changes to the Kaohsiung Building Management Ordinance (高雄市建築管理自治條例).
Yang made the announcement in response to New Power Party (NPP) Kaohsiung City Councilor Lin Yu-kai’s (林于凱) questions regarding the city government’s policies on electric vehicles.
Switching to electric vehicles is an international trend, which the central government has noted and embraced, Lin said, citing the Executive Yuan’s policy to only allow the sales of electric scooters by 2035 and electric cars by 2040.
Despite the government’s promotion of the policy, people who have purchased electric vehicles face difficulties, primarily in setting up charging stations in the parking lots of their apartment buildings, he said.
Under current laws, the installation of electric vehicle charging stations in apartment buildings mandate that the individual obtain the approval of the building’s management committee, Lin said.
However, committees are likely to refuse such requests due to concerns over the possible negative effects of charging station, due mostly to lack of understanding on how charging stations work, he said.
Local governments should inform management committees on the matter and answer their questions, he said, adding that the central government should also assist in installing charging stations.
Yang said that the Kaohsiung City Government is in talks with Taiwan Power Co (Taipower) on how to provide sufficient electricity to apartment buildings in the city once buildings start installing charging stations.
City officials and Taipower technicians would visit buildings and assess how many charging stations can be set up at each building, depending on the building’s access to the power grid, he said.
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