Taxi drivers that have already made to the switch to electric models will soon be able to benefit from flexible wireless charging.
It’s the first time the technology has been introduced on UK roads, with taxi drivers in Nottingham being the first to have access to the new way of charging.
As part of a £3.4m government pilot scheme, 10 Nissan and LEVC (London Electric Vehicle Company) taxis will be purchased by Nottingham City Council and will be fitted with wireless charging hardware for six months. These will then be given to taxi drivers rent free.
It means that the drivers will not have to spend time off the road charging their vehicles, but instead that they’ll be able to drive over the top of wireless charging pads installed into the ground. These have an alternating electromagnetic field that enables them to charge battery above it.
The Department for Transport says that if the trial is successful it could lead to more points being installed for the public to use, though currently no EVs in the UK come from the factory with the ability to wirelessly charge.
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said: “Taxi drivers up and down the country are at the vanguard of the electric vehicle revolution, playing a leading role in reducing air pollution in our city centres where people live, shop and work.
“New wireless technology will make using an electric taxi quicker and more convenient, allowing drivers to charge up at taxi ranks before heading off with their next passenger.”
Electric and plug-in taxis being the latter are already proving to be particularly popular, with models exempt from the higher rate of road tax, and with grants of up to £7,500 available off the price of an eligible, purpose-built taxi.
