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HONG KONG, Malaysia - The first electric taxis have hit the streets of this congested city.
The 45 bright-red BYD e6 five-door cars belong to Chinese electric vehicle producer BYD which is partly backed by US investment titan Warren Buffett.
They're powered by iron-phosphate batteries that, BYD said, can last for 300km then take two hours to charge and have been rented by the Hong Kong Taxi and Public Light Bus Association for a six-month test.
ONE-THIRD THE COST
Wong Chung Keung, president and chairman of the association, said: "The idea of being environmentally friendly is a global trend and the electric car is one good example.
"An electric car saves the cost of fuel and will allow our taxi drivers to earn more," he added. A normal taxi cost 10 US cents/km to run, the battery taxi only three cents.
He called for more charging stations around the city to encourage taxi drivers to go electric; BYD was setting up 47 chargers at nine locations.
Hong Kong's financial secretary John Tsang was quoted in a BYD statement as welcoming the electric car. He was committed to "promoting environmental sustainability by laying the foundation for Hong Kong to become a zero-emissions city".
The state government announced revisions to its air-quality objectives for the first time in 25 years in January 2012 after University of Hong Kong research showed pollution-related illnesses killed more than 3000 residents a year.
The 45 bright-red BYD e6 five-door cars belong to Chinese electric vehicle producer BYD which is partly backed by US investment titan Warren Buffett.
They're powered by iron-phosphate batteries that, BYD said, can last for 300km then take two hours to charge and have been rented by the Hong Kong Taxi and Public Light Bus Association for a six-month test.
ONE-THIRD THE COST
Wong Chung Keung, president and chairman of the association, said: "The idea of being environmentally friendly is a global trend and the electric car is one good example.
"An electric car saves the cost of fuel and will allow our taxi drivers to earn more," he added. A normal taxi cost 10 US cents/km to run, the battery taxi only three cents.
He called for more charging stations around the city to encourage taxi drivers to go electric; BYD was setting up 47 chargers at nine locations.
Hong Kong's financial secretary John Tsang was quoted in a BYD statement as welcoming the electric car. He was committed to "promoting environmental sustainability by laying the foundation for Hong Kong to become a zero-emissions city".
The state government announced revisions to its air-quality objectives for the first time in 25 years in January 2012 after University of Hong Kong research showed pollution-related illnesses killed more than 3000 residents a year.
