GREEN MEANS GO
TfL REVEALS HOW OFTEN CABBIES ACTUALLY DRIVE £60K HYBRID TAXIS USING JUST ELECTRICITY
TfL has revealed how often cabbies drive their hybrid cabs using only electricity. Data from a recent survey suggests that sometimes cabbies have to use their petrol range extender mode whilst on the job. Responding to a FoI request from a member of the public, a TfL official wrote: “In our most recent TPH Taxi and PH Licensee Cus- tomer Satisfaction Survey from November 2022; of 248 LEVC TXe
drivers surveyed, over two thirds stated that they drive their vehicle in pure electric mode more than 60 per cent of the time. “The petrol range extender mode is used far less frequently, with more than half of respondents stating that they used it 40 per cent of the time or less.” This comes after the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, suggested that more research should be conducted to
understand the
impacts of an increase in greener vehicles amid concern that “heavy” EVs could result in extra wear on the city’s roads. He said: “The weight of cars has been increasing by around one per cent per year for several decades, so this problem is not specific to EVs. “As battery technology continues to improve there could be an opportunity to reduce the weight of batteries to help reduce any additional impact on road wear.”
REQUEST TO DELAY ELECTRIC VEHICLE TAXI CONVERSION IN TORRIDGE IS REFUSED
A request by the taxi trade in Torridge to allow it more time to go fully electric has been refused. Torridge DC’s licensing committee has decided to stick to its current policy in a bid to get better infra- structure, such as charging points, in place sooner rather than later. The Torridge taxi liaison comittee had asked the authority to push back compliance times for its 130 licensed taxis to go electric to April 2035, in line with the change in government policy. They also asked for more time to replace their vehicles with lower emission cars to meet the Euro 6 standard which only 35% of taxis in Torridge currently meet. But councillors decided to keep the 2026 deadline for Euro 6 compliance and 2030 for EVs adding that this will apply to all vehicles licensed for the first time. Existing stock will be allowed to continue below the required emission standards until they
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reach the end of their natural life. Reps from the taxi liaison com- mittee said it was not feasible to change all the vehicles to Euro 6 at this time or even in two years time. Until sufficient charge points were in place, having EVs was not workable, and in rural areas with big hills and full loads of passen- gers, EVs would only do 200miles not 300-400 suggested, said one taxi company. Firms say trade has not returned to pre pandemic levels; the cost of new/second hand vehicles had increased substantially; there had insufficient progress in respect of charge-points and availability of cost effective and suitable EVs to operate in a large rural district. Committee chairman Chris Bright said: “The government pushing back its deadline to 2035 is affecting everyone’s opinion of it. If we still aim for that 2030 date there will be more impetus to get more charge points in quicker.”
Cllr Anna Dart said EVs were not fit for purpose in Torridge for the majority of residents let along taxi drivers and there must be a place for hybrid vehicles “It’s absolutely ludicrous, and moving the deadline once, the government is going to do it again if the infrastructure still isn’t there. Everyone is seeing sense, the economy isn’t up to standard, people cannot afford to do this.” The committee was told that a second hand hybrid taxi could cost £45,000 and £60,000 or more new, and an EV in the region of £80,000. But Cllr Stephen Gibson, who runs a fleet of transport vans, said he has been Euro 6 compliant for many years and moving deadlines was a dangerous thing. “If that deadline stays, our businesses will find a way, you have got to have these deadlines in place or we will keep moving back and sending out the wrong message on the environment.”
NOVEMBER 2023 PHTM
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