The eco-friendly LPG hybrid taxi, which reduces carbon emissions by 45% compared to conventional taxis, will begin pilot operations next month with four corporate taxi companies in the Seoul-Gyeonggi and Chungnam regions.
On the 27th, the Korea LPG Association announced that a memorandum of understanding was signed at the Traffic Hall in Songpa-gu, Seoul, with four corporate taxi companies, including Yuchang Transportation (Seoul), Seogyeong Transportation (Incheon), Sinjang Taxi (Hanam), and Sinjin Transportation (Cheonan), along with automotive development specialist Blue Gent.
This pilot project involves applying the 2-liter LPG full hybrid engine and battery, developed through a national project by the Ministry of Environment since 2021, to taxi vehicles for real-world evaluation.
To achieve this, the four corporate taxi companies plan to measure vehicle performance and fuel efficiency through a minimum of 100,000 km of real-world driving from next month until December 2024, while also verifying the durability under harsh operating conditions.
Before the real-world driving, the average combined fuel efficiency of four Kia K5 LPG hybrid test vehicles tested by the Korea Automotive Research Institute was recorded at 16 km/ℓ, with average carbon dioxide emissions of 77 g/km. This represents a 68% improvement in fuel efficiency and a 45% reduction in carbon emissions compared to existing LPG taxis (with fuel efficiency of 9.6 km/ℓ and carbon dioxide emissions of 139 g/km).
The taxi industry anticipates that the activation of LPG hybrid taxis will significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions resulting from taxi operations, which generally have much higher mileage compared to passenger vehicles, while also potentially decreasing annual fuel costs by about 40% through improved fuel efficiency.
Kim Dong-wan, chairman of the Seoul Taxi Transportation Business Association and representative of Yuchang Transportation, stated, “Taxis have an average annual mileage of 100,000 km, making fuel costs a significant burden. We expect that hybrid taxis will help reduce fuel costs and simplify vehicle management and charging, easing operational burdens.”
Lee Ho-joong, chairman of the Korea LPG Association, emphasized, “LPG hybrid taxis can play a significant role in reducing carbon emissions in the public transportation sector. Considering the verified vehicle durability, charging infrastructure, and economic viability, they are the optimal alternative for taxi models.”
Lee Sang-jin daedusj@autodiary.kr