Electric taxi driver in Scotland
William Purnell has been driving a hackney cab full time in Edinburgh for 16 years, and as his old TX4 taxi came to the end of its warranty, he felt it was time for a change. After considering the interest free Low Carbon Hackney Cab Loan, now the Switched on Taxis loan, from Energy Saving Trust, and reviewing the potential fuel savings, William opted to switch to an LEVC electric taxi. At the time of this case study, he has been driving the electric cab for roughly six months.
Reduced carbon footprint
Driving an electric cab has resulted in a weekly saving of £75-100, and a marked reduction in William’s carbon footprint. He used the Energy Saving Trust domestic grant fund to install a charge point at home, and while on shift he uses a range of more centrally located chargers to keep the battery topped up.
The electric experience
Charging the vehicle to 80% takes just 30 minutes using a rapid charger and provides around 71 miles of all electric driving. The vehicle William chose was an electric range extended vehicle (E-REV), which uses a back-up petrol engine to recharge the depleted battery, providing a total range of 377 miles, removing any anxiety around range.
In the electric cab you can clearly see the fuel usage in miles on the dashboard. This encourages more fuel efficient driving, resulting in increased mileage between charges, reduced fuel costs and a more comfortable ride for passengers.
“There are some weeks when I haven’t used any fuel at all. These taxis will have a higher residual value as there will be more cities where you can operate them in several years’ time.”
William Purnell, electric taxi driver
Get in touch
For more information call 0800 0931 669 or email sustainabletransport@est.org.uk