The government has decided to extend its offer of subsidies to buyers of electric motorbikes for another year, the Industrial Development Bureau (IDB) under the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) said Thursday. In 2009, the MOEA allocated NT$1.6 billion (US$50 million) for subsidies over four years to encourage people to buy environmentally friendly electric motorbikes and scooters. The program was due to expire at the end of 2012 but will be extended for another year and will be expanded to include bikes equipped with fixed lithium fuel cells, IDB officials said. Currently, only bikes equipped portable lithium ion battery packs are included in the program, which offers subsidies of NT$8,000 to NT$11,000 per vehicle. Last year the government set a four-year target of 100,000 locally made electric motorbikes powered by replaceable batteries, as part of its efforts to save energy and cut carbon emissions. The program started with three eligible manufacturers -- E-Ton Power Tech Co., Kwang Yang Motor Co. (Kymco), and China Motor Corp. (CMC). However, Sangyang Industry Co. (SYM) is also now on board, IDB officials said. SYM manufactures a lightweight scooter model called EA1LU that is powered by a 48V portable lithium ion battery pack. The scooter weighs only 56 kilograms and the battery can give 50 kilometers on a single charge at a speed of up to 45 kph. Other lightweight models that are included in the subsidy program are E-ton's EV3A, Kymco's EA10BB and CMC's EM198. Buyers of these models can apply for a subsidy of NT$8,000 each, the bureau said. The bikes cost NT$55,000 on average. Local manufacturers have been urging the government to raise its target for electric motorbike sales to one million over a four-year period. They have also asked the government to build recharging stations and dedicated lanes for electric motorbikes in cities throughout Taiwan. Taiwan has the highest scooter density in Asia, averaging one per 1.6 people, according to government statistics. There are some 14.55 million scooters or motorcycles in the country of 23 million people, the figures show. 