RIO DE JANEIRO, July 14 (Xinhua) -- Electric taxis manufactured by Chinese vehicle maker BYD were unveiled in Belo Horizonte, capital of Brazil's southeast state of Minas Gerais and would begin to circulate in the next few days.
The Chinese-made environment-friendly taxis, which can travel up to 400 kilometers on a single battery charge, have 110 horsepower, equal to a standard car running on fossil fuel.
Belo Horizonte's public transit system already has a fleet of BYD electric buses and minibuses, whose success led to the decision to expand the network to taxis.
According to the manufacturer, the electric vehicles are not only green, but also economical, representing savings of up 85 percent in operational costs, compared to conventional gas-guzzling cars.
BYD has established operations in Brazil's biggest city Sao Paulo, and expects to sell some 2,000 electric vehicles nationally by the end of 2018.
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