Business and Economy

Kaohsiung City poised to become important base in global electric bus market

Model T electric bus
Business and Economy 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , , ,

Kaohsiung City Mayor Chen Chi-mai said that he looks forward to jointly building the world’s most important electric bus base during a handover ceremony that saw the city taking delivery of the first electric bus produced by Foxconn joint venture Foxtron today, March 3. Hon Hai Precision Industry Co. (TSE: 2354, Foxconn Technology Group) Chairman Liu Young-way said that the delivery was the most important milestone since the company ventured into the electric vehicle industry. Liu noted that 65% of

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Nationwide power outages after accident at major power station

fire and smoke at Xingda Power plant
Business and Economy 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , ,

More than one third of households around Taiwan were without power after what the Ministry of Economic Affairs described as “a bang, but not an explosion” at a major power plant in Kaohsiung City at 9:07 am this morning, Thursday, March 3. Minister of Economic Affairs Wang Mei-hua made a public apology for the situation and said that the power outages were caused by an accident at the main switch station of Xingda Power Plant in Kaohsiung City. Wang said

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Taiwan’s electric motorcycle brand Gogoro reports recent sales surge

Gogoro electric scooters
Business and Economy 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment ,

Electric scooter brand Gogoro announced March 1 that the number of newly licensed electric scooters in Taiwan in the first two months of 2022 reached 7,308 units, more than double the same period last year, with a growth rate of 132.2%.  Compared with the booming sales performance of electric motor scooters, the sales of traditional fuel scooters continued to decline. The number of new licenses of traditional fuel scooters in January and February 2022 declined by 10.4% compared with the

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Ministry of Labor says no menstrual leave for transgender women

ministry of labor sign
Business and Economy 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , ,

Taiwan’s Ministry of Labor said that transgender women are not entitled to menstrual leave, because transgender women don’t have a uterus, and therefore do not menstruate. Under Taiwan’s Gender Equality in Employment law, women are entitled to take one day off per month, with a maximum three per year not counting towards days off for sick leave. The employee is not required to provide supporting documents, and the employer cannot refuse or allow the absence to affect such aspects as

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Female appointed Taipei Main Station Station Master for first time in history

Taipei Main Station stationmaster handover ceremony
Business and Economy 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment ,

For the first time in its 135-year history, a female has been appointed as station master at Taipei Main Station, and began duties after a handover ceremony today, February 7. During the ceremony to appoint the 25th station master of Taiwan Railway Administration’s largest train station, outgoing station master Tu Wei-ting (涂維庭) handed responsibility for the management of Taiwan’s largest railway station over to 43-year-old Hu Yongzhi (胡詠芝). Hu holds a master’s degree in transportation and logistics management from National

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The war on viruses: What’s that got to do with the price of eggs?

composite image showing laying hens and people queuing for eggs
Business and Economy 
Phillip Charlier 1 Comment , , ,

As Taiwan goes into the Lunar New Year holidays, people are facing empty egg shelves in some supermarkets, long queues at stores with supplies, and rising prices that have been capped as an emergency measure by the Council of Agriculture. Just as egg prices rise while supply falls, hundreds of thousands of chickens are being culled due to “bird flu.” But this seems to be the elephant in the room. Taiwan’s peak government agricultural authority, the Council of Agriculture, doesn’t

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China Airlines cargo plane aborts flight, makes precautionary emergency landing after engine problem

flight map
Aviation 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment ,

A China Airlines 747 cargo plane circled and dumped fuel before returning to Taoyuan International Airport after reporting an engine problem shortly after take-off today, January 16. China Airlines cargo flight CI-5240 took off from Taoyuan Airport at 11:45 am bound for Anchorage, Alaska. According to a United Daily News report, airport ground crew reported hearing an explosion and seeing flames shoot from the outside right engine of the four-engine plane during take-off. A pilot in another plane waiting for

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Joint venture launches made in Taiwan electric buses for global market

Alighter electric bus
Business and Economy 
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A joint venture between Tangrong Advanced Vehicles (TAV) and Aerospace Industrial Development Corporation (AIDC) has launched a new electric bus for the domestic and international market. The “Alighter” brand electric bus was unveiled at the Alighter Taiwan Electric Bus First Global Presentation at the Taipei Nangang Exhibition Hall, yesterday, January 5. TAV boasts that the new bus pioneers several unique bests, including the most lightweight aluminum alloy body, the most user-friendly low floor, the most advanced battery liquid cooling system,

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Taiwan’s ambulances sport new look designed for visibility, safety

Taiwan ambulance with Battenburg markings
Business and Economy 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment

Taoyuan City received its first new ambulance painted in a distinctively new style designed to enhance visibility and safety, today, December 28. Taoyuan City Fire Department received the ambulance as a donation from the Taoyuan Charity Golf Association, noting that it was the first in the city to be painted with Battenburg markings. The distinctive pattern was designed in the UK in the 1990s, and have quickly spread to many countries who use the patterns to mark emergency vehicles. The

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