Society

Beijing to have 500 electric cabs this year

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2010-04-25 08:41

BEIJING - The Chinese capital will have 500 electric taxi cabs in service by the end of this year, Beiqi Foton Motor Co. Ltd., the manufacturer, announced Saturday.

The electric Midi model can run 200 kilometers after being fully charged, Zhao Jingguang, a senior executive of the Beijing-based company, said at the 2010 Beijing International Automotive Exhibition (Auto China 2010).

The new-energy cars would account for 30 percent of the company's total output in future, Zhao said, without giving a timetable.

Beiqi Foton became China's largest commercial vehicle producer in terms of sales last year.

The company sold 588,500 commercial vehicles in 2009, up 44.97 percent from a year earlier, according to data from the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers.

The Auto China 2010, held every other year, has 2,100 automotive manufacturers from 16 countries and regions participating. It runs from April 23 to May 2.