BYD fielding electric taxis in Hong Kong, buses in Bogota

EcoSeed - BYD Company Ltd. is participating in an initiative that could bring down Hong Kong's vehicle emissions by nearly 56 percent.

By introducing e6 pure electric taxis in the region starting this May, BYD will help Hong Kong electrify their public transport system which mostly consists of diesel buses and LPG taxis.

"Hong Kong has been dedicated to promoting green transport for quite some time – electrifying public transportation will not only significantly save costs, but it will dramatically lower the city vehicle emissions and improve air quality, creating a tremendous social impact," said Chuan-fu Wang, chairman and president of BYD Company Limited.

The first 45 electric taxis are expected to be on the streets of Hong Kong starting May. Meanwhile, BYD is collaborating with several partners on charging stations for the electric taxis, having already built and tested three charging station in Oi Man Estate, Shek Wai Kok Estate and Wong Tai Sin.

BYD is also collaborating with local industry partners to pursue further developments in electrified public transport in Hong Kong, including electric buses.

BYD is leading manufacturer of advanced, environmentally-friendly battery technologies that has branched into the electric vehicle manufacturing field. The company has developed an industry-leading iron-phosphate battery for use in its electric vehicles and buses.

BYD’s e6 electric taxis have been successfully rolled out in China, the Netherlands, the United States, Denmark, Colombia and the city of London in Britain (see related story).

Meanwhile, its electric buses are either being tested or on the roads in China, the Netherlands, Finland, Denmark, Canada, Uruguay and the United States. As of January, BYD received approval from the European Commission for sale of these electric buses in all European Union member states (see related story).

Just last week, BYD and Express del Futuro unveiled plans for an electric bus fleet in Bogota, Colombia.

BYD’s K9 all electric buses will be in service in the Columbian capital by the second quarter of 2013, according to a statement from the two companies.

Express, which pioneered the TransMilenio transportation system in Bogota, will be the first to test zero-emissions, all-electric buses in fleet service in South America.