70,000 Beijing Taxis to go Electric
Mar 03, 2017
Electric vehicles are the future, there’s no doubt about that, and Beijing is embracing it. National Business Daily reported that all of the capitol’s taxis will soon be electric, an attempt by the city to reduce its notorious smog.
The programme is another step in China’s new approach to climate change and energy conservation. Despite its high rate of pollution, the nation is aspiring to be a leader against global warming. China has criticised American president Donald Trump’s anti-climate change actions, reduced emissions to match the United Kingdom’s output in the first quarter of 2015, and decreased carbon intensity by 20 percent between 2010-2015.
China currently has the largest electric vehicle market with a fleet of over 600,000 electric units, which exceeds the United States and European totals combined. Adding an additional 70,000 units is expected to cost ¥9 billion, a hefty price, but one that will hopefully return dividends in the future.
