A city of electric taxis

Taiyuan in Shanxi province is set to become the first city in China whose fleets of taxis are entirely electric.

Some 8,000, or 97 percent of the city's taxis are now electric thanks to innovative government scheme allowing drivers to trade in their old petrol and gas vehicles and purchase an electric replacement at a heavily subsidized price.

The scheme, which was introduced only at the beginning of 2016, allows the city's cabbies to buy the BYD e6, a fully electric vehicle, for only 90,000 yuan ($13,354), almost one third of its market price.

The BYD e6 produces zero emissions and pollution. It can save fuel of some 14,100 liters and decrease 32 tons in emission of carbon dioxide per car per year.

Meanwhile, the government has established a network of 2,000 charging piles so that drivers can conveniently maintain the full power. A further 3,500 charging piles are due to be built by the end of this year.

The revolutionizing of the taxi industry has been the fastest in the country as the city government has pushed hard to reduce emissions in a bid to create a green traffic network.

A driver recharges his electric taxi at a charging station for electric vehicles in Taiyuan, Shanxi province on Oct 19. [Photo/Xinhua]