TECO Teams Up With RAC in Forging E-Bus Supply Chain in Taiwan
TECO Electric & Machinery, the world's topnotch motor manufacturer, will supply its first batch of 200 kW auto permanent-magnet motors to RAC Electric Vehicles Inc., Taiwan's leading electric-bus producer, as the power source of the latter's new electric-bus model.
The cutting-edge motor, developed jointly with an European firm employing synchronous reluctance assisted permanent magnet, is a compact product, with size and weight only one fourth of traditional induction motors. It will be installed in RAC's latest high-voltage 600 V electric bus, with 12 tons of net weight, the lightest among electric buses 12 meters long worldwide. The cooperation between TECO and RAC represents a major step in the localized production of key e-bus components/parts and vehicles, facilitating foray into the international market.
The new electric bus has passed the verification by the Automotive Research and Testing Center (ARTC) of the Industrial Development Bureau, with full-load cruising range reaching 260-320 km, 30%-degree grade ability, 110 km/hour maximum speed, suited for driving on freeways and comparable to traditional diesel-oil bus in performance but without the latter's flaws of air pollution and noise.
TECO points out that in addition to electric bus, synchronous reluctance assisted permanent magnet technology can also be applied in products with strict space constraint on their applications, such as electric ships, electric vehicles, and heavy-duty machine tools. It also boasts more stable cost structure, thanks to less use of rare earth, compared with common permanent-magnet motors. Sophia Chiu, TECO chairperson, notes that the development of the cutting-edge motor underscores the company's support for the government's policy encouraging localized production of vehicles and materialization of the corporate vision of "energy conservation, emission reduction, smart application, and automation." In addition to the e-bus market measuring 34,000 vehicles, TECO will aggressively tap business potential of other electric vehicles, including electric railcar trains, electric passenger cars, and electric bicycles. TECO also suggests the government to subsidize vehicles furnished with certified locally produced components/parts, so as to encourage investments in auto power-source components and industrial upgrading.
RAC's new-generation electric bus featuring own design has passed the Taiwan's CNS certification, as well certification of six functions and 200,000-kilometer endurance test by the Ministry of Transportation and Communications. TECO and RAC may join hands tapping overseas markets.