Inchcape plc’s Future Motors (Macau) Limited held a launch event at Macau Fisherman’s Wharf yesterday for a new e-taxi model aimed at achieving Macau’s “Dual Carbon Goal” (Carbon Peaking and Carbon Neutrality)*, the London-based company said in a statement.
According to the statement, which was released during the event, the new model, named “MIFA 7 Elite”, is produced by Shanghai-based SAIC Maxus Automotive Co., Ltd., with Inchcape plc acting as the authorised distributor.
SAIC Maxus is also known by the pinyin transcription of its Chinese name, Datong (大通).
Rex Wong (黃偉康), head of sales at Inchcape plc in Macau, said in a speech that the initiative, which introduces the new model to Macau, is a collaboration with the Nasdaq-listed Shanghai company U POWER LIMITED (U POWER). The aim is to bring high-quality vehicle models together with a comprehensive battery-swapping infrastructure to Macau’s taxi industry, Wong said.
The new model, according to Wong, is equipped with a large-capacity 90 kWh battery and features “charging and battery-swapping compatibility”, providing greater flexibility for taxi fleet operations. Under the solution currently offered by U POWER, the battery-swapping process at a station takes only about five to eight minutes, Wong said, adding that for taxi companies, significantly reducing refuelling time can effectively raise vehicle availability during peak hours and improve the efficiency of shift handovers, while also easing the pressure on management staff to reassign vehicles at short notice.
Moreover, Wong underlined, cabbies can flexibly choose their preferred method of replenishing energy in line with their shift schedules and charging conditions, ensuring more stable rest periods and shift arrangements, Wong noted.
According to the statement, regarding after-sales support for the power battery, U POWER will provide an eight-year, unlimited-mileage battery warranty programme.
Regarding the development of a battery-swapping station network in Macau, the statement also noted that Inchcape is actively working with U POWER to advance the first phase of planning, with two or more stations expected to be established. The proposed battery-swapping locations cover both the Macau peninsula and Taipa, the statement said.
*The local government aligned its climate policies with the national target and outlined its local target through the Macao Long-term Decarbonisation Strategy, released by the Environmental Protection Bureau (DSPA) in December 2023, aiming to reach carbon peak by 2030 and achieve near-zero emissions in key sectors by 2050. – Gemini, DeepSeek
Two Maxus MIFA 7 Elite taxis are displayed on the stage during yesterday’s launch ceremony at Macau Fisherman’s Wharf in Nape.
Interior of Maxus MIFA 7 Elite on display at Macau Fisherman’s Wharf yesterday. – Photos: Armindo Neves
