David Lubinski, an importer of Peugeot, Citroen, Opel and MG vehicles, is ranked fourth in Israel in the supply of vehicles to the taxi industry with a share of 13%. In front of her in the table, Motors crashed with 16%, in second place as Lombil with 22% and in first place Champion Motors, which is responsible for the main volume – over 34%, thanks in no small part to the Octavia. The iPhone MG ZS EV was the best-selling in the country last year with more than 800 units (almost 45% of all dedications in the EV genre throughout 2020).
Due to its waves of momentum, and in light of the growing demand for alternative propulsion, the importer of the Car-East brand is now trying to test whether the taxi industry will respond positively to a taxi on a battery as a useful passenger carrier to congested cities. As part of the package, they will receive a two-year warranty on the vehicle and the battery, or 200,000 kilometers and a 32-amp charging station, including basic installation in their home.
Lubinski knows in depth the travel in the taxi and transportation industry and estimates that, on average, a private passenger taxi tires around 70,000 kilometers in 12 months. The MG ZS EV has a driving range of 263 kilometers between charges, produces 143 hp, has a fast charging capacity in external infrastructure, a trunk volume of about 450 liters and original active safety systems from the manufacturer including automatic braking, as well as standard equipment including climate control , A primary media system with compatibility with Apple and Android etc. But, is it really ready to give them a combined solution compared to a conventional car?
Advantage or disadvantage?
On the face of it, using an electric taxi may be an attractive solution for taxi drivers whose significant percentage of their journeys are made in alleys and neighborhoods. This method has been used in Europe for over a dozen years (historical fact: the first electric taxi ever was invented 120 years ago in London). These are in increased distribution in Amsterdam, Norway, Estonia, Hungary, Germany, Portugal, England and more. One of the pioneers in Europe in the sector was the Nissan Leaf, and from tests conducted among the stations and institutes for environmental protection, it was found that in a daily shift the car was charged once or at most twice. Other aspects that are to the credit of the electric taxi lie in the zero maintenance and the reduction of air pollution at a sharp rate; Without complex piping, oils, heavy assemblies like a diesel engine, gearboxes, pumps, clutches and parts that wear out quickly, drivers reported needing almost no repairs. Meanwhile, passengers also reported that the ride was more pleasant and relaxed due to the quiet prevailing in the cabin in the absence of a diesel engine chattering and even residents in the urban area said there was an improvement in their quality of life.
A thorough comparison conducted at the Technica Transport Institute in Europe last year sought to analyze the economic disparities between a conventional taxi and an electric taxi in UBER services. The parameters tested were based on a travel time of 60,000 kilometers per year and a maintenance time of 4 years for a taxi from segment C (Volkswagen Golf or Nissan Leaf for example). From the segmentation of the numbers, it emerged that the driver of the electric taxi serving in a big city like Paris or Madrid saved close to 3,000 euros a year, or 24% compared to a taxi with a combustion engine. Studies conducted in Israel in the last five years, around the time since the electric car gained momentum in the private sector, showed a certain preference for the electric vehicle in terms of cost savings, although these are not yet steep differences due to their high initial cost to the average driver.
energy consumption
For taxi drivers in Israel, this is an opening for a change in usage and consumption habits – its buds experienced factions of them when they replaced the diesel taxi with a hybrid taxi (Kia and Toyota are dominant in the category). At this point, however, difficult questions remain to be cracked; Charging stations are not available at any point in the cities, not every house can install a charging pole, and the loads applied to an electric taxi consume a lot of power from the battery, we maximum travel range varies depending on a number of parameters: heat, cold, weight, utilization of electrical systems in the interior and more. Charging costs are not high (around NIS 40-60) to 100%, but the waiting time is about half an hour compared to a few minutes for diesel or hybrid gasoline engines.
The year 2021 marks the turning point of the global market and the Israeli car market in everything that involves the electric vehicle with a leap in dedication and greater openness to environmentally friendly propulsion. But will it also herald the intrusion of the electric taxi into our lives?