(Yicai Global) Jan. 9 -- Xi'an plans to roll out 1,900 more of BYD Co.'s K8 all-electric buses. The capital of Shaanxi province will have 3,000 in total, more than any other city in northwest China.

Xi'an Public Transport Co. bought the vehicles at the end of last year. Some 106 entered operation on three routes today, according to Beijing Guomai Communications Media Co.'s ChinaBus Information.

When all 1,900 vehicles are in use, they will save 37 million cubic meters of natural gas per year, reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 59,551 tons.

China has a long-term goal to phase out vehicles that use gasoline and diesel as it works to limit greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and curtail air pollution. The central government has provided generous subsidies, helping to achieve near price parity for electric buses with ones that run on fossil fuels. The total electric bus sales hit 116,000 last year, with the city of Shenzhen going all-electric in December. The southeastern tech hub has a fleet of more than 16,000.

Xi'an Public Transport first put 1,100 K8 buses into service in December 2016. They cover main routes in urban Xi'an and have traveled as much as 80,000 kilometers apiece.

The K8 is a core product of Shenzhen-based BYD, a maker of new-energy vehicles that is often described as China's Tesla. Some 20,000 K8s are in operation worldwide. BYD sells its NEVs in over 200 cities in more than 50 countries.