High fuel prices are a common place now, and over in Taiwan, where fuel prices start from TWD 29.5 (~RM 4.38) for a litre of RON 92 fuel. RON 95 fuel goes for TWD 31 yuan (~RM 4.60), while RON 98 fuel is TWD 33 per litre (~RM 4.90).
Photo by Jeffrey W on Unsplash
And this is why in Taiwan, especially taxi drivers who cover hundreds of kilometers a day, prefer a fuel-sipping car, as fuel savings are amplified over a greater distance. This is something Malaysians can’t relate to at the moment, as the prices of RON 95 fuel is subsidized here and aren’t reflective of real-world conditions.
Image via: Carnews
Like Cambodia and Singapore, many taxi drivers in Taiwan utilize hybrid Toyotas, as Hotai Motor, Taiwan’s official distributor of Toyota models began offering electrified taxis there since 2010 with the third-generation Toyota Prius.
This XV50-generation Toyota Camry Hybrid is one such example. Listed for sale back in June, this particular Camry Hybrid has covered well over 500k km over its 10-year lifespan.
Photo by Lisanto 李奕良 on Unsplash
With the total distance of roads (highway + urban roads) in Taiwan totaling to slightly below 50,000 km (Malaysia has almost 300k km of roads), it’s quite impressive to see taxis being able to cover more than half a million kilometers over its lifespan.
But that’s not the only high-mileage example. There’s also a 2013 Camry Hybrid listed in April 2020 with 436k km on the odometer.
If anything, these high-mileage Toyota hybrid taxis are a testament of how reliable Toyota’s hybrid system is. After all, Toyota’s hybrid system has undergone 4 generations of improvements to reach the stage of where they are today.
At the moment, various Toyota hybrids ply the streets of Taiwan, including the Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid, Toyota Corolla Altis Hybrid, Toyota RAV4 Hybrid, Toyota Prius, and Toyota Camry Hybrid.
Keyword: Not just in Cambodia, Taiwan also has a Toyota Camry Hybrid taxi with 500k km on the clock