TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A Metropolitan Transport Corp. electric bus caught fire Monday at 8:40 p.m. near the Taipei Chang Gung Memorial Hospital station, CNA reported.
A battery warning appeared on the dashboard just before the fire erupted, prompting the driver to immediately pull over. All seven passengers exited safely before flames burst from the vehicle’s right side. No injuries were reported.
The company said the bus was manufactured by RAC Electric Vehicles in December 2021 and underwent maintenance in March and April. Beginning Tuesday, all buses using the same type of battery have been temporarily pulled from service, with diesel buses dispatched as replacements.
On Tuesday morning, Taipei’s Transportation Department, along with the Ministry of Transportation and Communications and the Vehicle Safety Certification Center, sent personnel to the bus company to investigate the cause of the incident. The department also ordered all 858 electric buses in the city to complete inspections of their batteries and charging systems within three days.
RAC Electric Vehicles said the battery had no prior record of accidents. The company added that the battery pack is certified under European safety standards and includes built-in protection mechanisms in case of abnormalities.
New Taipei Mayor Hou Yu-ih (侯友宜) said the city operates 56 electric buses equipped with the same type of battery. He said the Transportation Department will review the service life, maintenance records, and incident history of batteries used in the city’s fleet.
Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chi-mai (陳其邁) added that the city has three buses made by RAC Electric Vehicles, which have also been taken out of service for inspections of their batteries and related equipment.
According to the transportation ministry, Taiwan had 1,926 registered electric buses and 10,086 public charging connectors as of December. The ministry plans to invest NT$64.3 billion (US$2.1 billion) by 2030 to subsidize the replacement of diesel buses or the purchase of 14,500 new electric buses.
