E-Ton Power to Build E-scooter Factory in Taiwan

Taipei, Jan. 28, 2010 (CENS)--Taiwan-based E-Ton Group plans to speed business development this year by expanding solar-cell production capacity and setting up an electric-scooter factory.

The E-Ton Solar Tech Co., Ltd., a major solar-cell manufacturer in Taiwan, shipped 225 MW (million-watt) of solar-cells in 2009, more than double from the previous year, but still lagging market demand. The optoelectronics company decided to further expand its production capacity by 60% this year to meet flooding orders.

Eying the high-potential electric-scooter business, E-Ton Power Tech Co., Ltd. has applied to the Industrial Development Bureau (IDB) in Taiwan to set up an e-scooter factory in the Yunlin Technology Industrial Park.

The Taiwan government plans to subsidize 160,000 e-scooters and e-bikes meeting required performance standards in four years. Currently, E-Ton Power's e-MO e-scooter is the first and only qualified model to qualify for the NT$8,000 to NT$11,000 (about US$246 to US$338) subsidy in Taiwan.

E-Ton Power proposes to sell its e-MO e-scooters in northern Taiwan and produce about 1,000 units per month initially.

According to E-Ton, the e-MO weighs only 50kg with the battery pack, has 14-inch aluminum front and rear wheels, cruises about 40 to 45 km, and has a top speed of 45 kph as well as two gears: power for speedy ride and standard for normal riding.

The company says that the e-MO has a 48V DC brushless motor rated at 750 watts. The portable lithium-ion battery pack weighs only 5.6kg and can be 80% recharged from an 110V or 220V socket in 90 minutes to two hours, or fully recharged in 2.5 hours, with available power capacity displayed on the LED instrument panel or battery pack.

Others in Taiwan to soon launch e-scooters to qualify for the government's subsidies include Kwang Yang Motor Co., Ltd. (KYMCO), Sanyang Industry Co., Ltd. (SYM), China Motor Corp. (of Yulon Group) etc.