Officials in Guangzhou are currently seeking public feedback on a plan to replace all of Guangzhou’s petrol-powered buses with vehicles running purely on electricity in the next three years.
According to a Xinhua report, the proposal calls for approximately 30,000 clean-energy public transport vehicles, including both taxis and buses, to be cruising Guangzhou streets by 2020.
Unlike hybrid electric buses – which were found to use more fuel than normal ones in Hong Kong – pure-electric buses run solely on electricity and are propelled by one or more electric motors powered by rechargeable battery packs.
Another aspect of the plan is aimed at encouraging members of the public to purchase their own electric cars, by reducing the purchase price and maintenance costs for energy-efficient autos.
More charging stations are also set to be built, as, under the new scheme, the number of parking spots with electric charging stations must take up at least 30 percent of the spaces at new malls, restaurants and office towers, according to the report.
It is estimated that by 2020, over 120,000 privately-owned electric cars will be on Guangzhou's streets.
Announcement of the new measures comes less than a year after transportation officials in neighboring Foshan deployed 12 fuel-cell-powered buses to operate the No. 682 route, which runs from Gaofeng Park Station to Shuidu Industrial Park Station.
[Image via QCWP, Ballard Power Systems, Evannex]
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