BYD Adds EVs to Calif. Ride-Sharing Fleet

BYD Motors, Inc., will provide 50 of its e6 battery-electric vehicles to the San Diego fleet of California-based transportation provider Opoli Technologies.

The e6 vehicles will join Opoli's natural gas airport shuttles in late summer 2015. Opoli has been allotted charging spaces at the docking station at San Diego International Airport.

San Diego will join other U.S. cities, including New York, San Francisco, and Chicago, that use the e6 crossover SUV in taxi and municipal fleets, Opoli said. The e6 has also been incorporated in fleets in Hong Kong, London, Singapore, Rotterdam, Bogota, and Rio de Janiero.

The partnership comes weeks after Opoli launched services in the San Diego area, including being the first ride-sharing service permitted at San Diego International Airport, according to Opoli. The service functions under a "name-your-price" model, connecting drivers and ride seekers to agree upon a fare, with 100 percent of the fare going to the driver's account. Rides can be booked in advance or on demand via the Opoli app.

The e6 has an all-electric range of over 180 miles.