Chunghwa Motors Launches Taiwan's First Smart EV Architecture-Based Electric Commercial Vehicle

Chunghwa Motors held a press conference on the 22nd at its Hsinchu plant to celebrate the rollout of the ET35 3.5-ton electric commercial vehicle, announcing that Taiwan’s first model developed under the Ministry of Economic Affairs'“Smart Electric Vehicle Ten-Plus-One System Architecture” has officially entered mass production.

Representatives from the Ministry of Economic Affairs’ Industrial Development Bureau, the Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI), and the Automotive Research & Testing Center (ARTC), together with industry partners including Foxconn, Shih Lin Electric, China Taiwan Asia, Chuan Hsing Innovation, Fuji Jie, and Ru Yi, attended the event to witness this milestone for Taiwan's electric commercial vehicle sector.

Chung Hsing-cheng, General Manager of China Motor Corporation, noted that the ET35 achieves over 90% local content, with 86 domestic suppliers involved in its production. Supported by the Ministry of Economic Affairs, China Motor harnessed its independent R&D and design capabilities to connect upstream and downstream manufacturers, forming a national EV team. Key components—including chassis, powertrain, battery cells, and modules—were jointly developed, underscoring Taiwan’s strong capability in independent integration and industrial upgrading for electric commercial vehicles.

Built on the “Smart EV Ten-Plus-One System Architecture,” the ET35 employs a newly developed “dedicated electric commercial vehicle platform.” Its modular design allows flexible adaptation to market needs, enabling diverse applications such as logistics vans, recycling trucks, mobile food trucks, and mobile retail vehicles. Equipped with domestically manufactured battery packs and an integrated electric drive rear axle, the ET35 also incorporates multiple locally sourced key components. It is the first mid-size commercial truck in Taiwan to feature a domestically developed ADAS Level 2 driver assistance system, addressing enterprises’ demands for safety, intelligence, and low-carbon transport.

After five years of development and testing, the ET35 will enter full production in 2025. This milestone not only strengthens China Motor’s proprietary technologies but also accelerates supply chain transformation. The battery system is supplied by Foxconn, with modules mass-produced at its Hefa Plant in Kaohsiung. Shih Lin Electric, which holds an 80% share in Taiwan’s two-wheeled vehicle electrical components market, applied its proprietary know-how to develop a “two-in-one motor controller” for the ET35, successfully expanding into the electric four-wheeled vehicle sector. The integrated electric drive rear axle is provided by China Motor’s subsidiary, China Motor Taiya, which acquired technology from U.S.-based DANA, enabling integration of the powertrain and motor systems to enhance driving range.

Keeping pace with global smart vehicle trends, the ET35 adopts a centralized electronic/electrical architecture (EEA) comparable with international EV makers. Its proprietary “integrated domain controller (eDCU)” consolidates the vehicle control unit (VCU), battery management system (BMS), advanced vehicle alert system (AVAS), and IoT system, improving efficiency and functional flexibility. The truck achieves comprehensive electronic control—including throttle, braking, and steering—enhancing handling, responsiveness, and energy efficiency while showcasing Taiwan’s competitiveness in smart vehicle electronic control.

In addition, with technical support from ITRI, China Motor's independently developed Electric Vehicle Charging Controller (EVCC) has passed the CNS fast-charging communication compatibility test—the first in Taiwan. This ensures high flexibility and global compatibility in vehicle charging, maintenance, and software upgrades.