Electric-powered taxis produced by Chinese vehicle maker BYD Auto Co., Ltd. were unveiled in Belo Horizonte, the capital of Brazil’s Minas Gerais state last week.

The Government-run news agency Xinhua reported that the introduction of electric taxis follows the success of the BYD-made electric buses and minibuses already on the streets of Belo Horizonte.

Compared to a standard diesel taxi, an electric taxi can save up to 85 percent in operational costs and travel about 400 kilometres on a full battery.

BYD is expected to sell more than 2,000 electric vehicles in Brazil this year, Xinhua says.