[EV Rider]

Seems as though the leaf Taxi craze is spreading..My Aunt in Strabane mentioned She had seen one when I was on a visit with them yesterday,and on my way home I saw my first Minicab Leaf waiting on a fare in Sion Mills...It's only about the 5th Leaf I've seen in this country so far..are they a rare or common sight in your area?

 

[Brooktop]

It's a nice step, but probably small beer. Every other minicab in Nottingham is now a Prius.

 

[Richard Gledhill]

There's a black Leaf taxi in Coventry...

 

[Brooktop]

In Nottingham, DG Taxis have bought quite a few Leafs. Don't know if it's a publicity stunt or a business decision though.

 

[EV Rider]

It's a nice step, but probably small beer. Every other minicab in Nottingham is now a Prius.

I dunno...the more people asking about the silent taxi,coupled with naturally chatty drivers..seems like a good way to spread the word!

 

[Bilgy_no1]

In Amsterdam, NL, there's a taxi company that only uses LEAFs. It's a very convenient service, especially getting to and from the airport. It's called Taxi Electric or something like that.

 

[Paul_Moxhay]

If I had the capital to invest I would look to start a E-Taxi service here in Plymouth. I have thought of qualifying as a private hire driver and just doing it with my current Leaf... still thinking about it but probably it won't happen especially as we don't have a rapid charger here yet (other than the dealer that is).

 

[andrew*debbie]

eNV-200 London Taxis should be coming if they aren't here already. Leaf doesn't meet the PCO requirements.


I didn't see any EV taxis on two recent trips to London. We did ride in a Mercedes Vito as well as a few LTI black cabs.

 

[Waterfall16]

Just had a message from my daughter arriving in Malta. Her booked taxi is a LEAF. Suggested she ask for a test drive - she finds mine a bit too speedy!

 

[Eclectic]

Longley's Taxis in Canterbury, Kent, have a new Leaf as a joint Green venture with the local Nissan dealer, it even made the local paper!

 

[Ready to charge]

They should make a Black Taxi for London based on the Nissan Leaf. As at taxi it's a pretty ideal car - smooth, comfortable, plenty of space. I read somewhere that taxis account for a large percentage of the pollution in cities, as they spend a lot more time moving around than private cars, which spend most of their lives parked.

I have seen Nissan Leaf taxis in Madrid, Spain. I think the local government helped to fund them and they seem to be pretty sucessful.

 

[MikeProcter]

Leaf doesn't meet the PCO requirements.

Really? I have seen a few Leaf's being used as PCO vehicles in South London.

(Though not interviewed any drivers yet)

 

[MetalHead]

Paging @Michelle C&C and @Premier Cabs Blackpool
I'd be willing to bet they're doing it for business reasons.

 

[BarryP]

There is a plated LEAF Taxi in Portsmouth, only seen the one so far.

 

[andrew*debbie]

Really? I have seen a few Leaf's being used as PCO vehicles in South London.

(Though not interviewed any drivers yet)

Sorry I wasn't clear. LEAF can be a Private Hire Vehicle (mini cab). LEAF does not meet many of the requirements of a London Taxi.

Sight patches
Intercom
Wheel Chair access
Automatic Door Locking System
25ft turning circle​

http://content.tfl.gov.uk/vehicle-licence-inspection-manual.pdf


Nissan announced special London Taxi versions of the NV200 and eNV200 a few years ago. Then things went very quiet.
I don't know if Nissan abandoned the project or if it is just very delayed.


REVEALED: New vision for the London taxi


Mercedes build a London Taxi version of the Vito. It has rear wheel steering to meet the turning circle requirement.

 

[dirtyred619]

I think it's a great car for a taxi company. As mentioned above, if I had the money I'd love to set up a service in my area but it's a lot of initial investment. The Leaf taxi service in Blackpool who post on here seem to have a great model but have set up a rapid charge network on top of investing in a fleet of Leafs. How do you even go about setting up your own personal rapid charger network?

 

[andrew*debbie]

How do you even go about setting up your own personal rapid charger network?

Select sites that have 50kW 3-phase power available or pay for DNO upgrades. Buy rapid chargers from DBT or Siemens and have them installed.

 

[dirtyred619]

I take it that they would have to be on your own property or have to pay money to the council in car parks etc?

 

[andrew*debbie]

Yes. You would have to rent a spot or install one in your taxi depot.

There could be business rate implications too. That would be a question for one of the taxi operators.

 

[ringi]

If a taxi company is based in a town where most customers want to travel into the town or home from the town, then you can have a single base in the town with your chargers etc. This can work great with an EV, as the drivers can charge while waiting for the next customer wishing to leave the town. Also about 50% of your trips will end near your charger. (Could also work near a hospital if you can find a way to market to people going to/from it.)

However in a city like London or Manchester your customers will want to go all over the place, hence needing lots of public rapid chargers before taxis can do EV.