Battery Maker Debuts Taxis

Battery maker BYD Co. Ltd. Shenzhen, China, plans to put 200 electric taxis into service during the first quarter of this year, reports China Daily.

“We have made a breakthrough in the quality and functions of rechargeable lithium-ion batteries for electric cars; a maximum speed of 125 km/hr could be realized and every recharge could support another 400km drive,” Chairman Wang Chuanfu said at a recent forum.

Co-sponsored by the local government, the project will mark the introduction of BYD’s electric cars in the local market, followed by Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Xi’an. According to Wang, BYD has designed four models, and will debut the 1.6-liter BYD316 in the first quarter of this year. The company has co-operated with Motorola, Delphi, and Autoliv.

Last January, BYD tapped China’s fast-growing car market by acquiring 77% of a state-owned car maker in Northwest China’s Shaanxi Province for 269 million yuan (US$32.41 million). The acquisition provided BYD the resources to develop energy-saving and clean electric cars.

The company has obtained 1,500 mu (100 hectares) in Xi’an High-tech Industrial Park and plans to invest 2 billion yuan (US$240 million) to set up a production plant there in five years, said Wang. Upon completion, the production capacity could reach 200,000 units a year.