Electric taxis

celtic_oz

seems a perfect taxi ?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJ1rn_XZ1sk

Gumbo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117876685#Comment_117876685

3 years.

Gumbo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117879473#Comment_117879473

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117879473#Comment_117879473

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117879473#Comment_117879473

Yeah i looked at them also. I could of had one on the rod ready to work for 10,400!

Thats not to be sniffed at.

But, it didnt look or feel or drive as good as the eNiro.

There are questions about quality especially in the UK where rust is proving to be a big issue at the moment nd dealers struggling to fix them.

celtic_oz

Thought they had the rust issue solved ?

Battery tech ( and autonomy 😲 ) will change quite fast .. a small investment now for 3 years and you could be into an entirely different environment

innrain

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117878964#Comment_117878964

My understanding is that they already have dedicated 150kW at the airport rank. Also Heuston station has some charger installed for taxis only last year but not sure it is powered.

Print screen from the epower app. Maybe Gumbo can confirm the airport ones are operational.

Gumbo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117879530#Comment_117879530

I don’t know. Maybe they do but not worth the risk. Also, the newer bigger 61 kWh battery in the MG5 will be here in October so that was covering any range concerns.

there’s a few of them in Dublin as taxis already.

the_amazing_raisin

Here's an interesting concept, if you have a taxi license do you actually have to take any passengers?

I mean with discounts like what Gumbo was getting for the E-Niro, it'd almost offset the cost of a taxi plate for 3 years, then you could sell the car to yourself as a private vehicle

I seem to remember there was a similar scam running a few years ago in London where people would register as a minicab to avoid the congestion charges

Not that I would ever approve of such misconduct 😁

unkel

Michael O'Leary being chauffeured to work by his private driver in his private car. With taxi plates, so it could go in the bus lanes? Anyone remember that? You got to admire the huge brass cojones of the man 😁

Gumbo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117881820#Comment_117881820

You cannot buy a taxi licence at the moment.

Any new entrant must buy a wheelchair plate (WAV).

so most of the “normal” EV’s don’t comply. Then with the modifications you have to carry out to get a WAV the car would be worthless afterwards.

then you have to add in the costs as a taxi such as year nct, insurance is €2k. Doesn’t matter if your 30,40,60. Newcomer is just under €4K. The insurance side is a closed shop.

this would all eat into any “scam” savings.

the typical “scam” here over recent years was to register your large engined car as a limo. That way you got link tax of €88 instead of €1800+

also, you could register an estate as a hearse, I kid you not!

the_amazing_raisin

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117890476#Comment_117890476

Ah yeah, I suspected that if it were easy then everyone would be doing it

Plus I presume there's some requirement to actually operate as a taxi to get the license

I heard of a great one that was going on with Uber drivers in the US. They'd get a fixed amount of money for logging in as available during peak times in some areas

But they didn't actually have to pick anyone up so a bunch of people were registering as drivers and just collecting money for nothing 😂

cannco253

https://electrek.co/2021/09/21/londons-largest-taxi-firm-to-go-fully-electric-by-2023-with-4000-evs/

From November, the taxi firm will put 200 Volkswagen ID.4s on London’s roads on a monthly basis.

the_amazing_raisin

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117922032#Comment_117922032

I guess we know why all the Irish orders got delayed 😐

That is great news though, seeing taxi companies go electric will save a lot of emissions and convince a lot of people to go electric

cannco253

https://www.nextgreencar.com/news/9232/ride-hailing-service-offers-evs-as-default-option/

I didn't realise Free Now was a joint venture between BMW and Daimler.

gazgaz22

I've bought a new Kia E-Niro ...does anyone know or has anyone claimed back spsv scrappage grant back and how long does it take the NTA to refund you the money

Gaz

MakersMark

We took a Kia E Niro taxi to the airport.

Great car, but wholly unsuitable for the airport run.

We are a family of 2 adults and 2 kids. Boot space was too small for our luggage, and we had to have our carry on bags on our lap.

Really liked the drive, but the car wasn't suitable for this type of journey.

unkel

Ah come on now MakersMark. You had to have your handbags on your lap / at your feet for the short run to the airport? You are seriously giving out about that? Not all taxis are those horrible big stinking diesel cancer vans thankfully.

CoBo55

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118479264#Comment_118479264

Bags, not handbags he said. I think they're totally unsuitable for taxi work too. A trip to the airport for me is the guts of 80 miles, I wouldn't fancy doing that in one of those bean tins with my case on my lap.

unkel

Carry on bags. Yeah. Tiny bags. Hand luggage. Hand bags. Calling an eNiro a bean tin is preposterous.

colm_mcm

What is the reason for the size requirements on non electric taxis I wonder ?

Surely if they were allowed to use little 1.0 Yaris and stuff like that it’d be a bit better for the environment than the current stuff like Passats, Octavias etc.

Spook_ie

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118479988#Comment_118479988

Most people would still be thinking these size things as hand luggage surely?

CoBo55

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118480006#Comment_118480006

The requirements were brought in to stop people using tiny yokes like the Yaris, converted vans as minibuses etc to improve the fleet, which at that time was in a shocking state. Bit by bit they've bent the rules to allow these tiny EVs which I think is a mistake. I've worked in the PSV industry and it was great to see these standards being brought in and disappointing to see them starting to slip.

Dubwat

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118477659#Comment_118477659

It took me about 4-5 months but 2 of those months were waiting for my car to turn up.

Strictly speaking, there is no EV grant scheme at the moment. The 2021 one ended 31 Dec 2021 and the 2022 scheme hasn't been announced yet. I would guess Feb or March for the announcement.

The NTA strongly advise people not to buy cars until they have the letter of grant approval - just in case things go wrong. You can read the details of last year's scheme here - https://www.nationaltransport.ie/taxi/forms-and-guides/ It's relatively straightforward but there are a few 'gotcha's' date-wise so read the documentation carefully.

The next bit is pure speculation on my part. I wouldn't plate up your new E-Niro yet just it case it's not considered 'new' by the time the new scheme is announced. You have to scrap an old registered taxi to avail of the grant. The older (or high mileage) the taxi you're scrapping, the bigger the grant. Best bet is to talk to the NTA.

gazgaz22

Thanks Dubwat

All in hand as in car scrapped, grant extension approval etc. All good .... collect ING car this week and only then can you return all forms required ...so should only take a couple of weeks to get grant

Gaz

Dubwat

I think they say they'll pay out within 20 working days after you send in the paperwork and all is ok.

Might be no harm to ring them after 20 days anyways. I did and they told me my grant was approved but the computer hadn't been updated! Rang a week later and same message. Then the money appeared one day out of the blue. Then 2 weeks after that, I got a letter saying my grant was approved and the money was on it's way!

MakersMark

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118479264#Comment_118479264

Not sure if your joking or not.

It was the carry on suitcases.

The car is great as a general taxi, but inadequate for airport runs for a family.

CoBo55

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118481456#Comment_118481456

If it can't do all jobs required of it as a taxi then it's unsuitable that was the whole idea of bringing in the suitability test. I wouldn't be happy to pay for a cab anywhere and have my suitcase on my lap, feck that for a caper!!

gazgaz22

Dabwat thanks for the info .

I'll just wait and see what happens

Thanks again

Gaz

cannco253

https://www.gov.ie/en/press-release/f1623-up-to-25000-for-taxi-drivers-to-buy-electric-vehicles/

Not sure if this has been mentioned elsewhere already.

"Transport Minister Eamon Ryan has announced the re-opening of the very successful electric vehicle taxi scheme, with €15 million allocated by the Department of Transport in 2022. 

Almost 600 drivers successfully applied for grants last year, with over €11 million paid out as well as €4 million in provisional grant offers (PGOs).

In addition to the eSPSV scheme, the Department of Transport continues to invest in the installation of SPSV-dedicated recharging infrastructure across Ireland. These are already in place at both Dublin and Cork airports and at a number of key stations on the rail network, including Dublin Heuston, Cork (Kent) and Limerick (Colbert). More will be added in the course of 2022."

unkel

A ridiculous subsidy as it already makes more sense for a taxi driver to buy a new EV than a new diesel / petrol. But while it lasts, I'd encourage every taxi driver to take this massive bag of cash and go for it 😁

Dubwat

I have an MG5 LR taxi and there is one potential catch with EV taxis. It's only anecdote but I've heard many of the garages don't keep parts in stock so if you have a crash or need some repairs, you'll be waiting a loooooong time for the part to turn up. And they can't give you a loaner because taxis are regulated vehicles. So you'd have to rent for the week or two. Or three!

With the ICE taxis, there was a lot of parts sharing among the various manufacturers (e.g. VW, Skoda, Seat) so you could go to the breakers yard and get a replacement part if one was needed quickly.

Gumbo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118477659#Comment_118477659

Have you been approved through the scheme from last year?

It took us about 5 weeks on the 3 we done in 2021.

zg3409

I just got this somewhat spam on Facebook. Does similar glass apply to model 3 rear windows as I have seen a few as taxis?

🔥 SPECTACULAR NEWS !!! 🔥

🔥KIA EV6 Taxi have arrived in Ireland with Clear Glass 🔥🔥

We do have Glass call us now for your Order !!!!

<SNIP>

Your dreams come true with <SNIP> for electric Cars!!!

🔴The ‘electric SPSV grant scheme’ will offer grants, nationwide, for the purchase of new and second-hand electric vehicles.🔴

🔴

Everything you need to know about our electric vehicle grants; their value, how to apply, and additional incentives to help get your plug in.🔴

🔥Free Installation of Meter Printer Branding 🔥

🔥Also we Bring your New Vehicle SPSV Taxi suitability test !🔥

<SNIP>

#electriccar #id4 #skodaenyaq #kiaeniro #kiaev6 #kiaev6gt #electriccarsarethefuture #carsforlife #taxi #taxigreen #greatvalue #carsforyou #carsireland #gogreen #kiaeniro #mg5ev

Mod Note: Removed the number from the advert

Gumbo

That’s not spam. That’s a specialists in taxi prep.

They will sell you the car, kit it out and do the paperwork etc

You need to remove the rear tinted glass for taxis, that’s why the glass comment. The M3 doesn’t come with rear tints so they don’t have to do anything. The EV6 comes as standard with privacy glass so they have to be removed.

Last year you couldn’t get eNiro rear glass due to the amount of taxis buying them. At one stage I had sourced one side from a dealer in NI and one from the uk just to get one on the road.

CoBo55

Without a proper fast charger in your area there's no real point it getting one is there? There's only a 50Kw charger locally which could be occupied and with the business finally starting to get off its knees I don't think one charge would last a whole shift.

Gumbo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118662371#Comment_118662371

ENiro lasts a full shift here in Dublin. Haven’t had a single complaint from any that I done.

CoBo55

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118662925#Comment_118662925

How many kms would they be doing each shift roughly? Rural taxi work would be very different to city work, the city cars barely get dirty, down here they’re manky within an hour. I think the full ev round the clock rural taxi is only a pipe dream unfortunately, it would be lovely if it could work but I can’t see it happening in the real world. The car I was in last night was stopped for 7 hours and is on the road now, had I got on to the 50Kw charger it would be full this morning but nearly empty when I get into it this evening. I see a few one driver EV’s in Wexford town, maybe a one owner taxi would work.

unkel

Iirc a Dublin taxi averages about 250km per day. I can imagine a busy rural taxi doing a lot more. If it's busy. How many of them are very busy though? You would need a fast charger somewhere around you for sure.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118662925#Comment_118662925

What's a shift? Don't most taxis run 24 hours a day? With different drivers

Mad_maxx

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118663192#Comment_118663192

A rural taxi would not be near as busy as one in a city

CoBo55

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118663514#Comment_118663514

You'd be surprised what mileage a rural taxi will clock up, maintenance costs are a lot higher because of the brutal country roads. A lad in a nearby village was driving to Dublin to work, he got a rush of blood to the head and decided to start working locally. He had one of those little plastic bussy yokes, it practically fell to bits pounding the country roads, he's back driving for Vinny in Dublin 😋

Firblog

Spoke to taxi driver in Letterkenny with new leaf - he was disappointed with the range (getting about 230km) but delighted with the savings - both in the grant he got, and reckoned that he'd saved €3.5K in running cost todate - about 4 months.

Gumbo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118663218#Comment_118663218

Nope. Could be 8pm-2am

Could be 5am to 12pm.

Owner drivers here none of this squatters driving cars 24 hours a day!

CoBo55

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118664654#Comment_118664654

8 to 2?? Lazy fcukers...

unkel

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118665032#Comment_118665032

More like cleverly thought out. Better than the taxi drivers back in the recession who "worked" 12 hours a day. Most of the time they were just sitting at the rank doing nothing

Gumbo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118665032#Comment_118665032

Could be 2.10am. You’d never know where your last fare could end you.

Anyway, great incentives as a brand new eNiro on the road working for less than €18k.

I’d take that all day long.

Mad_maxx

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118665190#Comment_118665190

Any new entrant to the industry can only avail of a grant if their car is wheelchair accessible

Gumbo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118665233#Comment_118665233

We are not new entrants.

PSV licence holders for many many years in my family.

Done 3 eNiros in 2021 and 1 MG5.

unkel

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118665190#Comment_118665190

It really is incredible. You could taxi that for years and still have zero depreciation. On top of running costs and maintenance easily 80% cheaper than diesel. The one thing I don't understand is why 99% of taxi drivers aren't doing this, are they really that ignorant??? Even if I didn't have a cent saved I would get a loan or remortgage to get into this deal.

Mad_maxx

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118665242#Comment_118665242

I understand that, just making a comment, I think it's quite restrctive

Gumbo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118665260#Comment_118665260

It sure is such a good incentive.

The NTA have run out of funding but it will return. The other big problem, is that it came during the worse pandemic that taxi drivers were crippled. Those that could do it had relatively older cars and were already sitting on the fence about to change anyway, so this incentive pushed them.

It would be hard for someone, another family member for example who just bought a 2015 535d as his taxi 3 years ago, he doesn’t want to give up the car just yet. He very nearly got into a MS (as you know ;) ) but the money for the year of car relative to the 10pm year rule meant it couldn’t be done. It would be madness. He will consider it in the future though.

Onemgood thing, is that after 3 years the taxi driver can sell the car privately to someone for buttons. The grant conditions expire after 3 years 😀