A batch of electric sightseeing buses and sedans began trial operations on Saturday in Hangzhou, the capital city of eastern China's Zhejiang Province.

The vehicles were recently produced in low volumes. Despite their higher production cost over traditional fuel vehicles, the electric power-driven cars will consume 60 to 70 percent less energy per hundred kilometer of distance traveled.

Statistics show electric sedans can run as fast as 126 kilometers per hour while the sightseeing buses top out at speeds of 90 kilometers per hour.

It is China's first deployment of pollution-free electric vehicles incorporating lithium-ion batteries.

(CRI.com April 3, 2006)