Electric-powered taxis will be seen on the streets of downtown Seoul later this year. The city government announced on Monday that it will operate 10 electric taxis in a trial run starting around November.
City Mayor Oh Se-hoon aims to have 120,000 electric vehicles on the roads by 2020 by replacing 50 percent of public transportation and official vehicles, 10 percent of automobiles, and 1 percent of cargo trucks with electric vehicles.
Fifty more electric taxis will be introduced next year, 150 more in 2013, and an additional 250 in 2014. Two single-ton electric cargo trucks will be put into trial operation in March 2012.
The city currently operates 36 electric cars mainly for use as official vehicles, and plans to gradually supply a total of 5,860 units by 2013.
Starting in 2013, those who buy an electric car will receive government subsidies of as much as 50 percent of the price difference of a comparable non-electric vehicle.
Seoul city also aims to increase the number of electric buses to 150 by 2013, and electric motorcycles, which cost some W3.5 million each, to 2,000 by 2013.
