A mainland Chinese joint venture will introduce an electric taxi in Hong Kong next month, but a lawmaker has warned that a lack of quick-charging stations remains the biggest challenge to the government’s target of introducing 3,000 such cabs by next year. SAIC-GM-Wuling, a joint venture between SAIC Motor, General Motors China and Guangxi Automobile Group, on Tuesday unveiled its Darion Taxi, a new six-seater e-taxi to be launched in Hong Kong. DH Legend Motors, the joint venture’s sole Hong Kong distributor, expects to deliver the new model next month. Wong Kin-man, the distributor’s director and general manager, said the model had a 540km (336-mile) range and 30-minute quick-charging capacity, designed to meet demand in the city. “We promise to provide car owners and drivers across Hong Kong with the highest quality, most professional factory maintenance and repair services,” Wong said. “Our team will continuously strive for faster, better and more efficient after-sales support, significantly shorten repair waiting times to ensure smooth taxi operations across Hong Kong and give drivers peace of mind in making a living.” He said the new model would come with a 500,000km battery warranty and cost about HK$300,000 (US$38,248), adding that he expected the company to sell at least 300 cars. Wong added the company would also build Hong Kong’s largest battery repair centre next year, which would cut battery repair costs by about 60 per cent. Wong Po-keung, chairman of the Hong Kong Taxi Owners’ Association, said the new model’s quick-charging capacity was attractive to taxi owners. The vehicle’s real-world range could be closer to 400km once factors such as Hong Kong’s traffic congestion and air conditioning use were taken into account, he added. The Environment and Ecology Bureau said Hong Kong had 988 electric taxis in 2025, which accounted for a fraction of the city’s total of about 18,000 cabs. The government has set a target of introducing 3,000 electric taxis by 2027. Lawmaker Mark Chong Ho-fung said the biggest challenge to hitting the target remained the lack of quick-charging facilities for electric vehicles. He noted that the government was relying on the market to solve the problem, but called for authorities to introduce more quick charging stations specifically for taxis. “Many taxi [drivers] need to charge their cars within a short time – about an hour while having their meals – and they cover a lot of mileage every day. They can only provide service if they’re able to charge to a full battery [during these intervals],” he said. Chong suggested that the government set up more fast chargers at the airport, Disneyland and other tourist spots, adding that such facilities could also help divert traffic at gas stations for petrol and gas-powered taxis.