Mexican company Vemo placed an order of 1,000 electric vehicles from BYD to expand its EV taxi fleet. The vehicle in question is the BYD D1, which was unveiled back in 2020 as an electric minivan exclusively designed for ride-hailing. According to BYD, the Mexican fleet of D1s will be the largest EV taxi fleet outside China.
The BYD D1 was developed in collaboration with car hiring company DiDi. However, besides major Chinese cities, the EV has already started its taxi duties in Mexico. The D1 is fitted with an electric motor producing 134 hp (100 kW / 136 PS) and has an electronically limited top speed of 130 km/h (81 miles). The BYD Blade lithium iron phosphate battery has a capacity of 70 kWh, offering a range of 418 km (260 miles) between charges.
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VEMO Orders 1,000 #BYD D1s—Forming the Largest #electricvehicle Taxi Fleet Outside of China! pic.twitter.com/F6O5csdeIu
— BYD (@BYDCompany) April 28, 2022
The Chinese minivan measures 4,390 mm (172.8 inches) long and has a sliding door from the passenger side allowing easier access to the cabin. Inside there is plenty of legroom and headroom for the rear passengers, who have access to screens and reclining tables mounted on the seatbacks. The zero-emission ride-hailing vehicle also comes equipped with a Level 2 ADAS suite.
Vemo said that using the 1,000 units of the BYD D1 instead of conventional vehicles will reduce carbon emissions by 20,000 tons per year, which is similar to planting 1 million trees. Besides the BYD D1, Vemo has also bought other electric vehicles from Chinese automakers including the BYD Yuan SUV and a number of Yutong buses.
