Taiwanese Delegation Visits Ford HQ
2010/08/23 | By Quincy Liang
The main purpose of the visit was to see Ford's intelligent electric vehicle (EV) research center and try out the company's EVs, as well as, possibly, to pave the way for interaction between the United States and Taiwan in the field of auto technology and for the establishment of international cooperation aimed at developing the EV industry in Taiwan.
Members of the delegation came from the Economic Ministry's Department of Industrial Technology, Industrial Development Bureau, and Energy Bureau, as well as government-sponsored research organizations such as the Industrial Technology Research Institute, Automotive Research & Testing Center, Metal Industries Research and Development Center, and Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology. All of the four research bodies are key members of the Taiwan Automotive Research Consortium, an organization designed to boost the development of automotive technology.
During its stay in the U.S. the delegation also participated in the 2010 Taiwan Automotive International Forum and Exhibition, held there to publicize the island's achievements on the development of automobiles and EVs.
Vice Minister Huang noted that Ford Motor has long been an important partner in the development of Taiwan's automotive industry, helping domestic suppliers to improve their purchasing and quality management. During the past two years, Huang added, Taiwan has made significant breakthroughs in the development of key modules for EVs, including safer lithium-ion batteries and electric control systems.
The visit to Ford, he went on, allowed the delegation to witness the most advanced auto technology as well as Ford's efforts in the fields of technological R&D and integration. "We would like to sincerely invite Ford Motor to become one of our international partners in the project we call 'Intelligent Electric Vehicle Development,' which is sponsored by the MOEA," he commented. "This project is aimed at achieving success in the global automobile market and in the development of advanced clean-energy technology."
Aggressive EV Development
Ford is working aggressively on the development of EVs that incorporate new concepts and new technologies. It has set up an EV research center and hired more than 50 engineers to develop EV-related battery modules, transmissions, transmission system key modules, and other components. As a result, the company expects to introduce five new electric car models in 2012.
According to executives from the Ford Lio Ho Motor Co., Ford's subsidiary in Taiwan, the company has begun looking for collaboration in EV technology with major technology firms. In April, for example, it announced a cooperative effort with Microsoft in the development of the Hohm system, which will be used to recharge EVs by using an intelligent information management system that maximizes recharging capacity and automatically controls the flow of electricity. This will help owners of electric cars to manage costs and understand loads better.
Ford has also teamed up with Coulomb for the development of technology needed to provide complimentary recharging services for the first batch of electric-car owners.
Ford Lio Ho, a joint venture between Ford Motor and the local Lio Ho Group, employs about 1,300 people to manufacture and market Ford cars and commercial vehicles in Taiwan. It has been the No. 4 seller of automobiles on the island in recent years. (QL, June 2010)