Chinese-made electric taxis debut in Brazil

Chinese eco-friendly taxis have been rolled out on the streets of Brazil.

Electric taxis manufactured by Chinese automaker BYD were unveiled on Friday in Belo Horizonte, capital of Brazil's southeast state of Minas Gerais and will begin to circulate in the next few days.

The environment-friendly taxis from China can travel up to 400 kilometers on a single battery charge and have 110 horsepower, which equals to a standard car running on fossil fuel.

BYD's electric double-decker bus operates in Shenzhen, south China.

Belo Horizonte's public transit system already has a fleet of BYD electric buses and minibuses, whose success led to the decision to expand the network to taxis.

According to the Chinese manufacturer, the electric vehicles not only are green, but also economical, representing savings of up 85% in operational costs, compared to conventional gas-guzzling cars.

BYD has established operations in Brazil's biggest city Sao Paulo, and expects to sell some 2,000 electric vehicles nationally by the end of 2018.

(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)