Environment

Aiming to Reduce Pollution in Hong Kong Through the Use of Electric Taxis

Aiming to Reduce Pollution in Hong Kong Through the Use of Electric Taxis
Bernadine Racoma

Pollution in Hong Kong is steadily increasing since car consumers also increase yearly. The Hong Kong government has always been looking for ways to reduce the pollution which affects everyone. Statistics have also shown that more than 3,000 people die every year due to pollution related sickness.

Due for testing

Just recently, it has been revealed that BYD, a Chinese company that mainly produces electric cars has released one of its latest creations, the BYD e6. These 5-door cross-over sedans are meant to become taxis that will freely roam the streets of Hong Kong. This electric vehicle has a charging time of only two hours with a 300 kilometer capacity per charge. In partnership with BYD on this quest to free Hong Kong from pollution is the company Hong Kong Taxi and Public Light Bus Association which is set to rent out the electric vehicles and put them into test for a span of six months.

The pilot program is still on its testing phases and will soon put drivers to the test. For now, the charging of the electric car will last for eight hours which means that there will be a lot of waiting time before it can be used again.

An environment-friendly vision

According to Mr. Wong Chung Keung, the chairman of Hong Kong Taxi & Public Light Bus Association, the adoption of EV technology would not gain any traction without the support of the taxi industry. Promoting EV tech would definitely lead to a major impact since there are thousands of taxis in all of Hong Kong.

China’s central government is aiming for the new energy cars to dominate their roads before 2020 making the country less polluted.

BYD comes back with a punch

BYD electric cars have been launched a few years ago. They were mainly intended for private use in China and in the U.S. as consumers were expected to like the environmental friendly vehicles. Though the cars sold, the sales did not really pick up as expected. Only about 1,700 e6 vehicles were sold last year and the sales aren’t really getting higher. According to BYD’s executives, they are planning to promote hybrid vehicles that would somehow make up for the slow sales of the e6. They also added that the company might eventually focus on just producing electric-assisted cars in the years to come.

However, BYD’s partnership with Hong Kong’s transport association proved how vital electric cars are in terms of reducing pollution. The rental might not totally cover the cost of an e6 but it is sure to get self-promotion and attention while roaming the streets of Hong Kong as a taxi.

Electric taxis in other parts of the world

Environmental awareness is now getting the attention of almost everyone. Just recently, six electric taxis were being tested in the state of New York. This program is part of New York City’s Mayor, Hon. Michael Bloomberg. Bloomberg has expressly pointed out his goal: 1/3 of taxis in New York are electric by 2020.

Photo Credit:  BYD e6

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