Photo: wikipedia.com
Chinese car maker BYD Auto wants to penetrate the US market and decided to kick things off with a partnership done with Über. The people-carrying subsidiary of Google has 25 electric cars from the aforementioned manufacturer in use in Chicago to test the waters.
The fleet of cars is made up of BYD e6 EVs thanks to Green Wheels USA, a model that is also being used by chauffeur service Thriev in London and it is a bit more generous in size than other electric models, being somewhat of a crossover.
According to the manufacturer (that is currently backed by Warren Buffett, by the way) the car has a 186-mile range on a single charge and it can’t be purchased in the US at the moment. It has an electric motor making 121 HP and 450 Nm (332 lb-ft) of torque and has a battery of 61.4 kWh.
Über drivers get a special deal, Green Wheels USA allowing them to lease the car for $200 a week to be used as a taxi. Plans are to expand to a couple hundred of these things by the end of the year according to the Chicago-based importer’s President, Doug Snower.
The aim is to convince drivers to drop conventional cars in favor of electric ones and showcase their advantages. While the Tesla Model S and the Nissan Leaf, for example, managed to change the way people view EVs, the BYD e6 might have some work to do to rise to the expectations. In the meantime, the biggest winner here is the metro area of Chicago that, in case EVs become the weapon of choice for taxi drivers (be that for Uber or not) will get a substantial improvement in air quality.
According to the manufacturer (that is currently backed by Warren Buffett, by the way) the car has a 186-mile range on a single charge and it can’t be purchased in the US at the moment. It has an electric motor making 121 HP and 450 Nm (332 lb-ft) of torque and has a battery of 61.4 kWh.
Über drivers get a special deal, Green Wheels USA allowing them to lease the car for $200 a week to be used as a taxi. Plans are to expand to a couple hundred of these things by the end of the year according to the Chicago-based importer’s President, Doug Snower.
The aim is to convince drivers to drop conventional cars in favor of electric ones and showcase their advantages. While the Tesla Model S and the Nissan Leaf, for example, managed to change the way people view EVs, the BYD e6 might have some work to do to rise to the expectations. In the meantime, the biggest winner here is the metro area of Chicago that, in case EVs become the weapon of choice for taxi drivers (be that for Uber or not) will get a substantial improvement in air quality.
Google News