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BBC:
Electric black taxis have hit London's roads under plans to improve air quality but critics say their cost will put drivers off "going green".
The cab costs £55,599 up from £45,000 for the newest petrol equivalent.
Chris Gubbey, boss of manufacturer the London Electric Vehicle Company (LEVC) insists the cab will "play a major role in helping to improve air quality".
The launch comes weeks ahead of rules requiring new cabs in the capital to be capable of emitting zero emissions.
More than 9,000 such taxis, roughly half the current black cab fleet, are expected on London's roads by 2021.
The £10K price difference should break even in two years of savings on fuel, less if maintenance costs are factored in. But will that make up for lost revenue from fares the cabs can't accept while recharging?
(Score: 2) by aclarke on Wednesday December 06 2017, @06:25PM
Yeah, the range thing isn't really a problem now, and it will be solved when it becomes a big enough issue.
OK, there aren't enough chargers scattered around London, yet, to charge all the taxis at the same time. Boo hoo. They're being added, and they'll add more as long as more are needed. If London can add more chargers and get fewer petrol-miles driven per year, they're going to do that as they're aggressively working to remove pollution and emissions from the city centre.
With enough charging points, cab drivers are going to use them. Electricity is way cheaper than petrol. With an app and queuing system in place, a driver can charge locally for 10 minutes while waiting for their next fare, taking a bio break, whatever. If someone else comes up behind, the person with a lower charge, takes priority, or whatever it takes for people to not hog charging stations.