City of Hangzhou halts operations of EV taxi fleet after vehicle catches fire
Officials in the east China city of Hangzhou have halted operations indefinitely of the city's fleet of 30 electric-powered taxis after one of the vehicles caught fire.
No one was hurt in the April 11 fire. Chinese media have speculated that the fire was caused by the EV's battery pack. But Zotye Holding Group, a local automaker that built the EV, said in a statement that its engineers are still investigating.
Hangzhou's EV fleet, which includes 30 vehicles supplied by Zotye and another Chinese automaker, Haima Automobile Co., entered service in January. The EVs have a maximum range of 80 kilometers (49.7 miles) on a charge.
To promote the purchase of EVs, Beijing announced sales subsidies last June in Hangzhou and four other major cities. Buyers of plug-in hybrids receive up to 50,000 yuan ($7,600), while buyers of pure electric vehicles receive up to 60,000 yuan.
Earlier this year, the Hangzhou government said it plans to increase its EV taxi fleet to 600 units.
