A Nottingham taxi driver has become the first in the city to own an all-electric Hackney cab.
Kuldip Dhillon has taken possession of the vehicle and is being supported through a scheme run by Nottingham City Council.
Dhillon said: “This is the future. Not only is the taxi environmentally friendly, it’s efficient to run, with a long-range battery that means I don’t have to worry about charging in the middle of my shift.”
The Dynamo taxi is the first fully-electric cab in use outside London and has a range of 170 miles from each charge.
The council said it has been encouraging taxi drivers to consider making the switch from diesel vehicles to electric, and organised a ride-and-drive event in November last year, followed by information days and test-drives in January.
The total number of ultra-low emission hackney taxis (ULEVs) on Nottingham’s streets has now increased to 33.
The council has installed a number of dedicated Hackney-only charging points in and around Nottingham to help the taxi trade. The first have gone in along Canal Street, Curzon Street and the Victoria Embankment, with a dozen more proposed.
Drivers who choose to switch to a ULEV taxi are eligible for up to £3,500 of financial support from the council. Dynamo taxis, which are based on a Nissan multi-purpose vehicle, are said to cost around £30 per week to run and can reportedly save up to £110 on fuel in the same seven-day period.
Councillor Sally Longford, deputy leader of Nottingham City Council and portfolio holder for energy and environment, said: “It’s been really good to work closely with Hackney taxi drivers in Nottingham to show them the types of new cabs we can help them to drive. As well as the obvious environmental benefits, the savings in fuel and maintenance are considerable.”
