TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Eight localities throughout Taiwan have received subsidies to construct public electric vehicle chargers from a NT$500 million (US$15,352,965) pool created by the central government in 2023.

Speaking to CNA on Wednesday (July 10), Chang Shun-chin (張順欽) of the environment ministry said the power supply to 400 charging sites has been improved, and 1,000 new sites have been added. Chang said counties and cities submitted subsidy applications, assessed alongside user demand.

Tainan and Taoyuan have received most of the funding so far, while the remainder has been used to build charging stations in New Taipei, Chiayi, Kaohsiung, Taitung, and Kinmen. Tainan Mayor Huang Wei-che (黃偉哲) recently announced his city had received NT$250 million of the central government funding to build 202 charging stations.

Chang said the NT$500 million subsidy fund was established in 2023 and will be available until 2025.

In 2018, Taiwan announced a goal of banning the sale of fossil fuel-powered vehicles by 2040. The government began promoting public electric vehicle charging stations in 2021, with the goal of building 7,800 charging piles by 2025, according to the National Taiwan University Risk Society and Policy Research Center.

The Ministry of the Interior also revised building codes in 2019 to require all new buildings with parking lots to reserve space for electric vehicle charging equipment.