50 electric buses are running on the road in Beijing, the host city of 2008 Olympic Games. These electric buses are the first in Beijing to use an advanced lithium ion electric battery, which enjoy a higher energy density, comparatively smaller cubage and a longer life span for repetitive use. Each bus can carry 80 people per trip and reach 80 kilometers per hour. With batteries fully charged, it can run 130 kilometers without recharging. During the Games, a 5,000-square-meter station northwest of the Xiongmao roundabout temporary bus terminal will offer 24-hour parking, transfer, maintenance and battery charging services for the electric buses. Following the two weeks of the Olympic Games in August, the clean energy buses will be utilized within the public transport system of Beijing for years to come.

The transport sector, which relies almost entirely on oil, is projected to account for a large part of China’s new demand for oil during the next 20 years, and the source of much of China’s future emissions. According to official statistics, it is predicted that by 2010 the percentage of emissions from large cities will make up 64 percent of all emissions in China. Therefore, the application of low-carbon approaches to urban transport stands as a key challenge for both domestic energy security and global climate change.