TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A network of charging stations for electric vehicles on Taiwan's highway network has been completed, the transport ministry’s Freeway Bureau said on Tuesday (Sept. 10).

The bureau issued a press release that said 85 fast charging piles have been installed throughout 23 locations in the highway network, providing 154 spaces for EVs to charge. All the chargers provide at least 200 kilowatts of electricity, and 70% provide more than 350 kilowatts, meaning shorter delays for drivers.

The bureau installed the chargers in response to “recent exponential growth in the number of domestic EVs.” Those using chargers in highway service areas can track progress using the Freeway Bureau’s “1968App” available on Android and iOS.

Installing the chargers required electricity infrastructure upgrades which were carried out in cooperation with other government agencies and private companies, the bureau said. It said multiple engineering teams worked on the project to speed up delivery times.

In addition to highways, the environment ministry said in July that the power supply to 400 charging sites on ordinary roads had been improved, and 1,000 new sites had been added.

According to data published by Taiwan’s Automotive Research & Testing Center, EV sales increased to around 24,930 units in 2023 compared to under 795 in 2018. The most popular EV brand in 2023 was Tesla, with a 45% market share. 

In 2018, Taiwan announced a goal of banning the sale of fossil fuel-powered vehicles by 2040. The government began promoting public EV charging stations in 2021, with the goal of building 7,800 charging piles by 2025.