Subsidies to replace old vehicles with new electric vehicles (EVs) have been extended until 2026 with the goal of discouraging the use of vehicles older than 10 years old, reducing carbon emissions and improving air quality.
Subsidies vary, depending on the type of vehicle and where it is registered. They also apply to cross-category replacements, such as a small commercial van being replaced by an EV.
For example, people who buy an EV to replace a small vehicle could receive up to NT$3,000 in subsidies and recycling bonuses if the air pollution credits are attributed to the Ministry of Environment.
Photo: Chen Chia-yi, Taipei Times
Taiwan has 6.3 million scooters, 4 million small vehicles and 100,000 large commercial vehicles that are more than a decade old, Department of Atmospheric Environment head Chang Shun-chin (張順欽) said on Wednesday last week.
The current subsidies do not allow for cross-category replacements, such as replacing a scooter with a passenger EV, but the new policy would, as some people might be interested in replacing a motorcycle with an EV or an old car with an electric scooter, Chang said.
Only EVs qualify for assistance under the new rules; hybrid vehicles are excluded, he added.
The subsidy amount varies depending on the type of vehicle being replaced. In general, subsidies to buy an electric model to replace conventional vehicles are: NT$1,000 for scooters; NT$2,000 for passenger cars; and NT$30,000 for large diesel commercial vehicles, Chang said.
Vehicles registered in Miaoli County, Hsinchu City and Hsinchu County receive higher subsidies if the carbon credits go to Hsinchu Science Park. They are: NT$2,200 for a motorcycle, NT$5,100 for a small gasoline car and up to NT$200,000 for a large diesel commercial vehicle. The three areas also offer recycling bonuses of NT$300 for scooters and NT$1,000 for cars.
Asked whether other vehicle replacement incentive policies would continue, Climate Change Administration Deputy Director-General Huang Wei-ming (黃偉鳴) said they were up for consideration.
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