Nissan Leaf as a taxi

Bodhan

I was going through the City center the other day when I spotted a Leaf running as a Taxi, plates and stickers all over it.
Seeing as a Taxi is on the road the whole time, I'm wondering how well it fairs on a Saturday night. Anyone been in it?

HeidiHeidi

I just passed that tonight in Donnybrook - couldn't figure out in the dark and the rain what the hell it was!

colm_mcm

Esb supplied them and installed charging points at the drivers houses, It wasn't based on anything other than marketing

johnos1984

colm_mcm wrote: »

Esb supplied them and installed charging points at the drivers houses, It wasn't based on anything other than marketing

Thank god it wasn't based on profits.

Anyone got a picture?

colm_mcm

Also, im sure the leaf doesn't meet taxi regs

colm_mcm

Pic here


http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2011/0609/1224298641822.html

That's an electric pug in the picture, but you get the idea

I Was VB

Makes a change from a wanked out Carina E........





.......:pac:

mgbgt1978

The Prius doesn't meet the regs either (boot space and rear shoulder room) but they allow it because it's seen as "green".

beardo81

If they can get a days work out of a charge cost €3, that's a massive fuel saving for drivers. Well worth the extra outlay for the cab, which is subsidised anyway.

R.O.R

I saw that last week and wondered how the hell that was going to work, then I thought about it a bit, and it aint using any energy sitting around the rank all day.

Should be enough juice to get a fare to where they want to go, then sit at the back of the rank until it's time to go home.

beazee

mgbgt1978 wrote: »

The Prius doesn't meet the regs either (boot space and rear shoulder room) but they allow it because it's seen as "green".

What's wrong in 21.6 cubic feet luggage capacity for the 2010 Prius (according to the official Toyota Prius website)?

Bodhan

I'm still bewildered by how it could work. With a range of 170kms or so a Dublin Taxi must travel further than that in a days work?
If you add passengers and luggage that 170kms becomes a lot less, I foresee lots of Leafs sitting on the M50 waiting for the AA to come tow them home for a charge

2qk4u

Its just promotional stunt to con people into buying electric cars, I drive a Taxi and I done 254 miles yesterday, an electric car is not a viable option for a real Taxi.

Cionád

beazee wrote: »

What's wrong in 21.6 cubic feet luggage capacity for the 2010 Prius (according to the official Toyota Prius website)?

Ask the regulator... From license renewals next year a Kia Carnival 7 seater will only be classified as a 5 seater (4 passengers), and the two back seats will have to be removed in order to satisfy luggage capacity rules.

mgbgt1978

beazee wrote: »

What's wrong in 21.6 cubic feet luggage capacity for the 2010 Prius (according to the official Toyota Prius website)?

According to the Taxi Regulator's "model report database" dated 22/10/'10 the Prius FAILS on both shoulder room and luggage capacity. Yet it still passes as acceptable for a Taxi. If you think that's strange the Lexus GS450H hybrid fails as Taxi on boot space even though it obviously has more than enough shoulder room.

Sesshoumaru

http://maps.google.ie/maps?q=http:%2F%2Fwww.esb.ie%2Felectric-cars%2Fkml%2Fall.kml&hl=en&sll=53.401034,-8.307638&sspn=10.098809,19.753418&vpsrc=0&t=m&z=7

Lots of charging points around Dublin, the blue ones are fast chargers that will top you up in 30 minutes. Fast charging is still free, pulling into Topaz and filling up for free seems pretty sweet for a taxi driver. Charging overnight won't cost more than 2 euro.

beazee

mgbgt1978 wrote: »

According to the Taxi Regulator's "model report database" dated 22/10/'10 the Prius FAILS on both shoulder room and luggage capacity.

Why don't you have a look into Oct 2011 report?

No issues with Prius 2010 onwards.

Dartz

I'd like to catch this.

I'd really like to try one. But would feel like a twonk walking in to a dealer asking for a test drive, and not even having the ability to buy one.

galwaytt

R.O.R wrote: »

I saw that last week and wondered how the hell that was going to work, then I thought about it a bit, and it aint using any energy sitting around the rank all day.

Should be enough juice to get a fare to where they want to go, then sit at the back of the rank until it's time to go home.

Ha !
Sitting on the rank on a warm day, I hope. In the depths of winter, where'll the heat come from......... ?

And, back at the Rank, unless they put in a plug every 16ft, you're going to lose your spot in the queue waiting for the 'green light' to come on !

kirving

Maybe there's more to this than I am missing, but according to the report mentioned earlier. [PDF]

...A Volvo S60 Fails(on boot capacity?), while an 05 Civic Hatchback passes, as does a Chrysler Voyager. I know what I'd rather be driven around in.

I realise you have to draw the line somewhere, but there has to be a level of cop on too. A Leaf would be fine for city journies I'd imagine, with 3 customers.

coylemj

Kevin Irving wrote: »

...A Volvo S60 Fails(on boot capacity?), while an 05 Civic Hatchback passes, as does a Chrysler Voyager. I know what I'd rather be driven around in.

You'd be surprised at the difference between perception and reality when it comes to boot size. A BMW 3 series looks like it has a decent boot but last time I looked the wheel arches almost met in the middle and there was feck all space. I used to own a 2003 Volvo S60 and the boot isn't half as big as it looks, for example you can only fit a golf bag diagonally meaning it won't take two!

Spook_ie

coylemj wrote: »

You'd be surprised at the difference between perception and reality when it comes to boot size. A BMW 3 series looks like it has a decent boot but last time I looked the wheel arches almost met in the middle and there was feck all space. I used to own a 2003 Volvo S60 and the boot isn't half as big as it looks, for example you can only fit a golf bag diagonally meaning it won't take two!

The taxi reg specifications are mainly for a std folded wheelchair not 2 golfbags

Sesshoumaru

http://www.enniscorthyguardian.ie/news/plug-and-go-as-electric-taxi-hits-wexford-roads-2962147.html

WEXFORD'S first electric taxi has caused a spark of excitement among revellers in Gorey this month, as Francis Lenehan started taking passengers in his car which sources its power purely by plugging the mains supply.

'I did it to save money, and there's big savings on them,' he added. 'I'd say I'm saving around €300 a week. I'm hoping to add more electric vehicles to the fleet.'

keithclancy

Its a Stunt imo..

Part of the reason for Toyotas reputation allot of people base reliability on what Taxi Drivers buy.

L1011

beazee wrote: »

Why don't you have a look into Oct 2011 report?

No issues with Prius 2010 onwards.

The NTA still allow pre-'10 reg ones to be taxis for utterly bollox "green" reasons. Whereas they ban the S40, a far more suitable car for being a few mm too short on shoulder room from memory.

Del2005

Dartz wrote: »

I'd like to catch this.

I'd really like to try one. But would feel like a twonk walking in to a dealer asking for a test drive, and not even having the ability to buy one.

There's no reason to tell them you can't buy it. Take a test drive and say you'll get back to them as you've a few other cars to look at.

I didn't buy every car I test drove when I was looking.

GreeBo

MYOB wrote: »

The NTA still allow pre-'10 reg ones to be taxis for utterly bollox "green" reasons. Whereas they ban the S40, a far more suitable car for being a few mm too short on shoulder room from memory.

I looked at buying an S40 and discounted it as I couldnt sit in the back without my head hitting the roof and I'm under 6".

Spook_ie

MYOB wrote: »

The NTA still allow pre-'10 reg ones to be taxis for utterly bollox "green" reasons. Whereas they ban the S40, a far more suitable car for being a few mm too short on shoulder room from memory.

Not so, they still allow them because the "age" rule has been shelved until vehicle change

Conba

Only bringing this up again because I spotted my first Nissan Leaf taxi in Cork last week. Now I don't live in a city so forgive me if I'm way behind the times but I'd be curious to know if many taxis are electric at this stage?

I followed that one in Cork a good bit out of the city (beyond Blarney) so I was wondering if he has to recharge a few times a day doing trips like that.

KCross

Conba wrote: »

Only bringing this up again because I spotted my first Nissan Leaf taxi in Cork last week. Now I don't live in a city so forgive me if I'm way behind the times but I'd be curious to know if many taxis are electric at this stage?

I followed that one in Cork a good bit out of the city (beyond Blarney) so I was wondering if he has to recharge a few times a day doing trips like that.

He can only get 100km's or so, anything beyond that and he is cutting it fine. So unless he is happy to do only a few fares a day he is going to have to charge at least 2-3 times a day for 20-30mins. While charging is free he is fine but as soon as charging for charging comes in his business model is going to be very different!

I've seen him at the Frankfield charger a few times. I dont know if there are others in Cork but a 24kWh Leaf isnt suitable for Taxi work. It only works now because charging is free.

There are a few other Leaf Taxis in the Dublin area. I saw one at the Stillorgan charger and I think there is one in Gorey?

BoatMad

one in Gorey abuses the charger , ultimately the pricing model will kill EV taxis