Taiwan's Freeways Embrace EV Era with Expanded Charging Network

To improve the convenience of electric vehicle (EV) charging services, Taiwan's Freeway Bureau under the Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC) has been implementing a three-phase rollout of EV charging stations across service areas. Last year, Phase 2 saw the completion of four new stations, while Phase 1 has already facilitated over 80,000 charging sessions, with the Cingshui district recording the highest energy usage.

Following the successful launch of fast-charging stations in Hukou, Cingshui, and Dongshan Temple in 2022, the Freeway Bureau expanded its network by commissioning new stations at Guanxi, Tai'an, Rende, and Su'ao between August and October last year. These stations serve key locations along the Sun Yat-sen Freeway and National Highway No. 3, covering northern, central, and southern Taiwan. In addition, the Su'ao service area on the Chiang Wei-shui Memorial Freeway, connecting Yilan, Hualien, and Taitung Counties, now provides essential EV charging. The second-phase stations have been upgraded with faster chargers, increasing output from 200kW to 350kW, and feature lighter, water-cooled charging guns to ensure a more convenient and efficient charging experience.

Data from 2023 highlights the growing demand for EV charging. The first-phase stations handled 81,705 charging sessions, 2.7 times more than in 2022, delivering nearly 3.2 million kWh—almost triple the previous year’s total. On average, users spent 24.2 minutes per charge, receiving 33.7 kWh of electricity. Cingshui led in both the number of sessions and energy delivered, averaging 70.2 sessions per day, with an impressive 103.5 daily average during peak periods like the National Day holidays.

In a 2023 Service Area Satisfaction Survey, nearly 93% of EV charging station users expressed satisfaction with the service. The Freeway Bureau plans to further improve its offerings by constructing a third phase of charging stations, aiming to equip every service area with EV charging points by August 2024, thereby establishing a comprehensive national highway EV charging network.