A cyclist wearing a mask[Photo/Agencies]

"We are pioneers worldwide. The only similar service is in San Francisco ('Scoot', which launched in 2012). We wanted to tackle the double problem of traffic and pollution," Porta says.

The scooters go up to 55 kilometers per hour. A half-hour trip costs a little over $0.5 with a monthly subscription fee of $11.

In a year, the company has expanded from five charging stations to 37 and tripled its initial fleet of 50 scooters. It now has 1,800 users.

Pocketbook test

Then there are electric bicycles, which give users a battery-charged boost as they pedal. They can go up to 30 kilometers per hour and cover up to 60 kilometers with a single battery charge.

"Since the air pollution alert was declared, interest has soared. Sales have doubled," says electric bike salesman Daniel Cruz of a local firm called Prodecotech.

"Electric bicycles don't require an intense physical effort. You don't sweat, you don't get tired and you don't have to inhale so much air."

The mayor's office has launched an e-transport task force. However, officials say more money is needed to make the city's bus fleet electric and expand the number of electric taxis from around 20 to a target of 1,500.

And it is still early days for electric cars.

The infrastructure for recharging cars has expanded, but it is still not enough, says Fausto Cuevas Mesa, head of the Mexican Automobile Industry Association.

And there are no tax incentives for people to buy electric, he says.

"There could be greater interest in electric cars, but the issue is people's pocketbooks. They cost two or three times more," he says.

At a Chevrolet dealership in an upscale neighborhood, electric car specialist Vicente Cuevas admits the typical client reaction upon learning what the vehicles cost－$22,000 for an entry-level model－"is not favorable."

But "with the new anti-pollution measures, people are starting to view our vehicles with greater interest," he says.