BYD wins order for 50 electric cabs in London in push for global expansion

Mainland carmaker BYD, which is backed by Warren Buffett, won a preliminary order to supply 50 electric cabs to a London-based minicab company, gaining its first foothold in the international market.

BYD's e6, a pure electric car model, will start to join the fleet of Greentomatocars, London's second-largest minicab service company, from the second quarter of next year under a memorandum of understanding signed by the two companies yesterday.

The order is in line with the aim of London mayor Boris Johnson to convert all the minicabs and taxis in the city to zero-emission vehicles by 2020.

BYD initially planned to introduce the e6 to Hong Kong as part of the city's efforts to replace the entire fleet of its 18,000-odd taxis with electric-powered models. But the delivery has been delayed due to a fatal accident involving an e6 taxi in Shenzhen.

As the first green minicab company in London, Greentomatocars kicked off its service with just five Toyota Motor's Prius hybrid minicabs in 2006. Its fleet has now grown to more than 300.

"As a car, we see strong parallels between the e6 of today and the then unfashionable Toyota Prius of 2006," said Jonny Goldstone, managing director of Greentomatocars. "We'd love to do a Prius with the e6, and help propel electric vehicles into the automotive mainstream."