First electric car taxis to hit the streets of Tokyo on Thursday

Two Zero-taku (Zero-taxis), so called because the electric cars produce no carbon emissions, began picking up fares at JR Tokyo Station’s Marunouchi South exit after an inauguration ceremony. Japanese cab operator Hinomaru Limousine’s Mitsubishi. i-MiEV electric cars can travel 160 kilometers on a fully charged battery. Fares start at 710 yen ($7.80) for the first 2 kilometers, similar to most taxis.Mitsubishi announced on Wednesday that its auto-lease subsidiary would provide about 100 i-MiEV cars to the rental vehicle company Rentas over the next three years. Rentas, which has 350 shops, will be the first rental company to offer electric cars nationwide. An i-MiEV will cost 2,525 yen ( $27) for three hours.