Taiwan donates e-bikes to Vatican

台灣捐贈電動自行車給梵蒂岡

Two Taiwan-made e-bikes were donated to the Vatican, in a bid to reduce the Vatican’s environmental impact


TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Taiwan donated two Taiwan-made e-bikes, or electric bikes to the Vatican City State on July 2, in response to the Pope's call for greater efforts in environmental protection, reported CNA.

This is the second e-bike donation from Taiwan to the Vatican, with the first e-bikes changing hands in August last year.

Matthew Lee (李世明), Ambassador to the Holy See said that the donation was in response to the Pope's second encyclical which called for greater care for the environment.

Taiwan donated the e-bikes to reduce the Vatican's environmental cost of transport.

E-bikes have become a major export for Taiwan, after six years of strong export growth, according to Taiwan's Ministry of Finance.

The Vatican's Migrants and Refugee Section Under-Secretaries, Michael Czerny and Fabio Baggio took delivery of the e-bikes during an event at Taiwan's embassy in the Vatican City.

Czerny praised the e-bikes, saying that the bikes are of good quality. Heis inspired to ride to work, and to recommend his colleagues to do the same.

Baggio said he was surprised to see that Kymco (光陽工業) branded e-bikes andrecalled his time as a missionary in the Philippines, where he rode a Kymco motorcycle for four years.


Baggiohappily sits on Taiwan-made e-bike. (CNA)

The Vatican said innovation and promotion of green energy by Taiwanese business was impressive and they hopeto replace gasoline-powered transport throughout the city state, in an effort to be an example to the world.