Xinhua (Beijing) - Beijing municipal government is to add another 100 electric taxis next year to its existing fleet of 50.

Beijing expects to increase the number of electric taxies in Yanqing to 150 units by May next year, and may launch similar programs in other suburban counties.

However, there are still challenges to overcome before electric cars can attract more converts in Beijing. Most manufacturers are facing technology as well as logistical difficuties.

For example, it takes around eight hours for manufacturer Foton Motor’s electric taxi to be fully charged. It can only travel 150 kilometres at most in the summer and even shorter distances in the winter before the battery runs out.

Currently, there is only one charging station in Yanqing. So the electric taxis can only operate within a very small area. Although large cities like Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen have all announced plans to build more charging stations, there has to be a complete network of charging facilities thoughout China before the uptake of electric vehicles can move higher.

An electric vehcile is actually easier to control than a manual car because there are no gear changes.

The taxi, produced by Foton, is powered by electricity rather than gasoline, so there are no emissions and it does not need tailpipes.

To attract more passengers, the starting price for each ride is set at 5 yuan, half the price of a traditional taxi.

In Beijing, electric car owners can skip the current purchase restriction and get a number plate straight away. And they will also receive subsidies from the central government.