200 battery changing stations to be added in the name of air quality

Beijing Automotive Industry Holding Co Ltd, a Chinese State-owned motor enterprise based in Beijing, plans to set up 200 battery changing stations in the capital this year to meet the demands of the city's electric cars, especially electric taxies, in an attempt to further cut emissions.

Currently, there are 50 battery changing stations across the city, according to Lu Hao, vice manager of BAIC new-energy vehicles marketing sector.

He said, "The changing stations at present mainly serve the city's electric taxies. The entire changing process only takes three minutes, which is much shorter than the charging period, which will significantly reduce the operating costs of environmental-friendly taxis."

In 2016, BAIC sold 52,187 new-energy vehicles in total, increasing 159 percent from the previous year.

Lu said that in 2017 BAIC was expected to sell 170,000 new-energy vehicles.

To improve the air quality, the Beijing government has also been encouraging citizens to use electronic cars and choose public transportation for their commute in recent years.