Skip to main content

Beijing to replace all taxis with new energy vehicles

Beijing is aiming to gradually replace its petrol-powered taxis with greener new energy vehicles to help reduce air pollution starting from this year. The city currently has about 71,000 taxis in total, out of which 67,000 are conventionally powered. It has mandated that all petrol-and diesel-powered taxis being taken out of service must be replaced by electric or liquid petroleum gas (LPG) powered cars. Any new taxis should be electric or other types of new energy cars. The project is expected to cos
March 3, 2017 Read time: 2 mins
Beijing is aiming to gradually replace its petrol-powered taxis with greener new energy vehicles to help reduce air pollution starting from this year.

The city currently has about 71,000 taxis in total, out of which 67,000 are conventionally powered. It has mandated that all petrol-and diesel-powered taxis being taken out of service must be replaced by electric or liquid petroleum gas (LPG) powered cars. Any new taxis should be electric or other types of new energy cars.

The project is expected to cost taxi operators US$1.3 billion before it is complete. Basic models of fossil-fueled cars in use today cost about US$8,000 to US$10,000. Equivalent electric cars cost twice as much. Taxi drivers are also concerned about the time needed to charge an electric vehicle, coupled with the limited range, which could impact on competition.

In 2015, the London Mayor and 1466 Transport for London committed to introducing the world’s first Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) in the capital in 2020. From 1 January 2018, all taxis licensed for the first time must be zero emission capable, while new diesel taxis will not be allowed in London.

The Chinese government’s Five Year Plan 2016-2020 includes expenditure of US$2 trillion on transportation infrastructure, including railways, roads and water transportation. The country also targets the use of 200,000 new energy buses by 2020, up from more than 160,000 at the end of 2016.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • RAC: over half of drivers believe congestion has worsened on UK major roads
    November 2, 2017
    56% of 1,727 drivers questioned in an annual survey believe that congestion has worsened on UK major roads, which carries 65% of all traffic, despite them comprising only 13% of the country’s road network. The findings from the survey have been presented by the RAC’s Report on Motoring.
  • Joining old and new in Canada’s Highway 407
    June 17, 2016
    David Arminas visits Canada’s Highway 407 ETR to see how the concession is working and hear about new arrangements for the roadway’s extension. The Toronto region is North America’s eighth largest metropolitan area and its roads become notoriously congested. In 1997 Highway 407, a 68km concrete toll motorway which skirts the northern edge of Toronto, was opened and initially operated by the province and CHIC - a consortium of four leading Ontario-based companies. Finance came from the Ontario Financing Auth
  • Smart cities: first, define your strategy
    April 27, 2020
    How smart are we really being about smart mobility? Martin Howell of Worldline UK and Ireland reckons we could do better – but to do so you have to start asking the right questions…
  • Fleet management market worth US$30.45 billion by 2018
    December 18, 2013
    MarketsandMarkets recently conducted a study on the "Fleet Management Market (Fleet Analytics; Vehicle Tracking & Fleet Monitoring; Telematics; Vendor Services) By Vehicles (Trucks; Light Goods; Buses; Corporate Fleets; Container Ships; Aircrafts) Worldwide Market Forecasts and Analysis (2013 - 2018)", which analysed and studied the major market drivers, restraints and opportunities in North America, Asia-Pacific, Europe, Latin America, and Middle East and Africa. The study indicates that the fleet manageme