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SHENZHEN: Shenzhen, the city with the population of 12 million people has switched its taxis from diesel to electric.
Transport Commission of Shenzhen on its official website announced that 99 per cent of more than 21,000 city taxis are now powered by electric batteries. About 1,350 vehicles are still waiting for installation of electric systems due to the shortage of charging stations.
Shenzhen “has taken the lead among major Chinese cities,” said Cui Dongshu, the secretary-general of the China Passenger Car Association.
Since 2017, Shenzen has turned all its buses electric. It is among the 13 pilot cities promoting alternative-energy public transport to reduce smog and develop the alternative energy industry, said the Shenzhen Municipality Transport Committee.
Shenzhen’s traffic authority said that electric taxis are 70 per cent more energy-efficient compared to fossil fuel taxis. The decision to install of electric cabs is estimated to cut carbon emissions by 856 thousand metric tons a year.