China’s BAIC Group said its plans to begin exports of electric passenger vehicles to Mexico in June as part of a broader move to expand into global markets, according to local reports.
The company said it will export 100 built-up EU300 electric passenger cars to Mexico every month from June 2018, with monthly shipments expected to continue for at least a year.
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The cars will be used as taxis in Mexico City, with the local taxi association encouraged by the municipal government to help reduce air pollution in the country’s capital city.
The EU300 has a range of 300km on a single charge. Its batteries can be swapped for fully-charged units in 3 minutes, helping to reduce operational down-time for taxi operators and other users.
BAIC plans to build up to 3,000 battery swap stations across China to encourage domestic sales of these vehicles. The company said it has already built 100 outlets in four major Chinese cities as of March this year.
BAIC is also actively looking to expand its EV sales in South-east Asia, Western Asia and South Africa.
The company has invested US$830m in a new 150,000-unit/year vehicle assembly plant in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, which is scheduled to become operational in June of this year. The facility, the largest overseas investment for the company to-date, will also export to other markets in the region.
