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New Electric Taxi Available October 2008
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Author:  Brummie Cabbie [ Tue Jul 15, 2008 5:55 pm ]
Post subject:  New Electric Taxi Available October 2008
UK's Very First Electric Taxi Makes Debut At The 2008 British International Motor Show

Here's the link;

http://www.theautochannel.com/news/2008 ... 93088.html
Author:  cabbyman [ Tue Jul 15, 2008 6:10 pm ]
Post subject: 
A range of 100 miles isn't a lot of good.

I did 109 miles on a quiet day, today and an airport run is about 150 miles.

They'll need to improve that range to be a serious proposition.
Author:  Sussex [ Tue Jul 15, 2008 6:38 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: New Electric Taxi Available October 2008
Brummie Cabbie wrote:
http://www.theautochannel.com/news/2008 ... 93088.html

It's a start, and if they can get the battery to do up to 250 miles, then they will make millions.

Or if a quick re-charge/exchange facility was readily available. :-k
Author:  Brummie Cabbie [ Tue Jul 15, 2008 7:29 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: New Electric Taxi Available October 2008
Sussex wrote:
It's a start, and if they can get the battery to do up to 250 miles, then they will make millions.

Or if a quick re-charge/exchange facility was readily available. :-k


The problems that I foresee, especially with the mileages that we do in this trade, is the life of the batteries, which will cost a colossal amount of money to replace. Two electric cars which had been produced in the USA were featured on a motoring programme on the TV about 3-6 months ago. One of them had 13,000 Lithium batteries in the vehicle, in several banks. That car cost $99,000 to produce, with the main cost being the batteries.

It's OK for the manufacturers to give a six-year warranty on these cutting edge Lithium-ion batteries, but I would strongly suspect that in the warranty (somewhere tucked away in the small print in legalistic jargon) it will state a set amount of miles per year, which will have little or no relationship to the mileage that the likes of me & you do each & every year.

With the price of the vehicle quoted in the report at a whisker under £40K, & comparing that with what one of these currently costs in the diesel version, it gives IMO an estimated price for replacing the cutting edge Lithium-ion batteries at something between £5K to perhaps as much as £12K, even allowing for the cost of extra & replacement mechanics involved in transforming the vehicle to run on electric.

So, anyone buying one of these electric cabs will have a very hefty bill for replacement batteries, once they have become depleted, or they will have a vehicle without any resale value.

But, as you say, at least it is a start.
Author:  Sussex [ Tue Jul 15, 2008 9:48 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: New Electric Taxi Available October 2008
Brummie Cabbie wrote:
So, anyone buying one of these electric cabs will have a very hefty bill for replacement batteries, once they have become depleted, or they will have a vehicle without any resale value.

That said I can remember 17/18 years ago seeing a mobile phone with it's own suitcase as a battery.

Now they weigh next to nothing and last 10/20/30 times longer. :-s
Author:  JD [ Wed Jul 16, 2008 3:11 am ]
Post subject: 
As has already been said, it's a start, however I doubt there will be many takers even though there must be a huge saving on running costs. Five thousand a year on fuel alone but what are the costs associated with recharging the battery? Speed as well as battery life is also a drawback but perhaps time will cure these problems.

Regards

JD
Author:  wannabeeahack [ Wed Jul 16, 2008 4:29 pm ]
Post subject: 
how green was my valley....

no-one yet knows how to dispose of the batteries, so its one step forward, two back

LPG everytime i think...
Author:  Brummie Cabbie [ Wed Jul 16, 2008 10:05 pm ]
Post subject: 
JD wrote:
As has already been said, it's a start, however I doubt there will be many takers even though there must be a huge saving on running costs. Five thousand a year on fuel alone but what are the costs associated with recharging the battery? Speed as well as battery life is also a drawback but perhaps time will cure these problems.


Perhaps the fastest way forward on this issue is for the manufacturer to 'donate' one electric cab to one council & then use that cab with all the licensed drivers in that LA who want to trial it on a 24/7/365 basis, so as to fully test it out.

If the manufacturer has confidence in the product, then such a scheme, if successful, could be worth its weight in gold to them.

At the moment though it's a new thing & everyone will be rightly wary.
Author:  marky v [ Thu Jul 17, 2008 2:06 pm ]
Post subject: 
fully electric is fantastic, but why, oh why are they going the full mile with just electric powered??? a better proposition for us, due to the miles most of us do, as was mentioned above, why don't they go the hybrid route??? the prius and lexus are a good example, smaller engine with banks of batteries. This allows for electric running round town, when the batteries get low, the engine kicks in to charge, and when you need the extra thump for motorways etc the engine can get you there and charge the batteries at the same time, allowing for just electric at destination?? a better proposition or not, do you reckon??
Author:  Boggins [ Sat Jul 19, 2008 12:23 am ]
Post subject: 
And Where Pray is all The Electricity going to come from to power/recharge such Vehicles??? We will will be lucky if we have enough electricty to keep the lights on at home due to EU rules on Dirty powerstations...new Generation Coal Power stations are a while away yet and our new Generation Nuclear power stations not even a Glint in the Politicians eyes yet....Maybe better to Skip the the Middle stage of turning coal into Electicity and just Build a good robust steam Taxi .....which in turn would require a Stoker so it would create extra employment to...simple huh!!
Author:  wannabeeahack [ Sat Jul 19, 2008 8:28 am ]
Post subject: 
cabbyman wrote:
A range of 100 miles isn't a lot of good.

I did 109 miles on a quiet day, today and an airport run is about 150 miles.

They'll need to improve that range to be a serious proposition.


christ, where do you get a 100 mile extension lead?...
Author:  grandad [ Sat Jul 19, 2008 10:24 am ]
Post subject: 
No need for recharging these electric cars. Just build a network of overhead power lines like the ones for trains and trams or make every road like a dodgem ride, some city centres seem to be like the dodgems anyway. :mrgreen:
Author:  thomasthetaxi [ Sat Jul 19, 2008 2:34 pm ]
Post subject: 
when you purchase this vehicle, you have to rent the battery at £480 a month.
You didnt think the gov would let you stop paying fuel tax did you?
Author:  Brummie Cabbie [ Sat Jul 19, 2008 5:10 pm ]
Post subject: 
thomasthetaxi wrote:
when you purchase this vehicle, you have to rent the battery at £480 a month.
You didnt think the gov would let you stop paying fuel tax did you?


Is that a wind up? Where did you get that info from?
Author:  thomasthetaxi [ Sat Jul 19, 2008 5:53 pm ]
Post subject: 
they were talking about it down the royal oak last night.
I think it was in one of the trade papers.
I will see if I can find the article to night and post what it says
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