A small Chinese startup wants to jumpstart a global EV taxi revolution

On a recent morning in an industrial zone near Hong Kong’s bustling cargo port, a white MG electric taxi glided into a narrow kiosk resembling a car wash. A hydraulic lift elevated the vehicle, allowing a guided mechanical system to slide out the taxi’s depleted battery and replace it with a fully charged one. There was no plugging in, no waiting around to recharge. The taxi was ready for the road in under three minutes. 

That battery-swapping kiosk is the first of a network of hundreds planned for Hong Kong by U Power...