Hong Kong has launched its first all-electric taxi fleet consisting of BYD e6 electric crossover sedan  models. BYD collaborated with Sime Darby Motors Group, Hong Kong Taxi & Public Light Bus Association Limited, The Link Management Limited, CLP Power Hong Kong Limited and The Hong Kong Electric Company Limited to put the first batch of 45 BYD e6 Taxis on the city’s streets. BYD also announced that the e6 “Taxi version” and e6 “Premier” sedan were now officially on sale in Hong Kong.

The BYD e6 is a 5-passenger, crossover electric vehicle (EV) powered by the BYD iron-phosphate (or Fe) batteries. According to the company, the batteries have a long charge life with the highest safety level in the industry. It takes only two hours to fully charge the e6 using AC charging equipment developed by BYD. This pure EV can then travel approximately 300 km.

The availability of charging facilities is also critical to EV customers, said BYD. In conjunction with the introduction of Hong Kong’s first pure electric taxi fleet and the e6 Premier sedans, BYD is setting up 47 chargers in nine charging locations near car parks throughout Hong Kong as the first phase of deployment. To address the anticipated growth of EV adoption, BYD plans to increase the number of charging facilities as adoption rolls out. These charging stations are now dispersed across Hong Kong Island, Kowloon, New Territories, and Lantau Island.

The selection of these locations was optimized with the taxi-driver, shift-change locations, while taking into consideration the distance between each station and forming a reasonable coverage network for convenience, according to the company. In addition, it is only anticipated that a one-hour recharge would only be needed per shift (during a rest or lunch break).