Electric-driven 'London cabs' part of Copenhagen green effort
Copenhagen’s new City Ring Metro line opens this weekend, but it is not the only addition to transportation in the Danish capital.
Two new electric taxis are set to stand out from the crown on Copenhagen’s roads, given their strong resemblance to London’s iconic black cabs.
The new cars, made by the London EV Company (LEVC), are primarily powered by electricity and part of a six-month trial testing potential greener alternatives in the hired carriage sector.
“We are launching a car that is primarily electric. That means it will be recharged with electricity and there is also an extra motor that can recharge the battery,” Gert Frost, CEO of Taxa 4x35, the company which owns the vehicles, told Ritzau.
The cabs can travel 100 kilometres on electric power alone before the motor kicks in, giving a maximum range of 400 kilometres.
“It’s difficult to recharge a taxi that is used 24 hours a day. There aren’t enough paces to do it and it takes a very long time,” Frost said.
“That’s why this is the best option for us right now,” he added.
Particle emissions from the vehicles are significantly lower than traditional vehicle types. The electric, black cabs emit 29 grams of CO2 per kilometre, almost 100 grams of CO2 per kilometre less than a 2019 Mercedes taxi.
Although the trial only includes two vehicles, Taxa 4x35 said it was open to extending the fleet.
“We expect to test costs, practicalities, and how users experience using this type of taxi,” Frost said.
“Potentially, all taxis could look like this. In the modern world, many taxis are going to have to fulfil the need to be green,” he added.
Dantaxi, another Danish cab firm, has 25 Tesla cars and another 10 electric cars in its service.
Taxa 4x35’s distinctive vehicles cannot be ordered specifically by passengers, and fares will be the same as for the company’s other cars.
READ ALSO: Denmark launches hydrogen-powered taxis in bid to clear emissions
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Two new electric taxis are set to stand out from the crown on Copenhagen’s roads, given their strong resemblance to London’s iconic black cabs.
The new cars, made by the London EV Company (LEVC), are primarily powered by electricity and part of a six-month trial testing potential greener alternatives in the hired carriage sector.
“We are launching a car that is primarily electric. That means it will be recharged with electricity and there is also an extra motor that can recharge the battery,” Gert Frost, CEO of Taxa 4x35, the company which owns the vehicles, told Ritzau.
The cabs can travel 100 kilometres on electric power alone before the motor kicks in, giving a maximum range of 400 kilometres.
“It’s difficult to recharge a taxi that is used 24 hours a day. There aren’t enough paces to do it and it takes a very long time,” Frost said.
“That’s why this is the best option for us right now,” he added.
Particle emissions from the vehicles are significantly lower than traditional vehicle types. The electric, black cabs emit 29 grams of CO2 per kilometre, almost 100 grams of CO2 per kilometre less than a 2019 Mercedes taxi.
Although the trial only includes two vehicles, Taxa 4x35 said it was open to extending the fleet.
“We expect to test costs, practicalities, and how users experience using this type of taxi,” Frost said.
“Potentially, all taxis could look like this. In the modern world, many taxis are going to have to fulfil the need to be green,” he added.
Dantaxi, another Danish cab firm, has 25 Tesla cars and another 10 electric cars in its service.
Taxa 4x35’s distinctive vehicles cannot be ordered specifically by passengers, and fares will be the same as for the company’s other cars.
READ ALSO: Denmark launches hydrogen-powered taxis in bid to clear emissions
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