Bristol City Council's free electric vehicle (EV) hire scheme has been extended to include licenced Hackney Carriage drivers.

In March, the council launched a new scheme offering free trials of EVs to Bristol organisations to encourage them to switch to cleaner ways of travelling ahead of the zone launching on 28 November.

Businesses, charities, sole traders and other organisations have the chance to trial electric vans and cars for up to two months, to get a better understanding of the benefits and how EVs could work for them.

The free EV loan scheme, which is fully funded by National Highways, allows the council’s fleet services team to purchase up to 64 vehicles in batches, with 12 currently on loan and 15 arriving soon. The vehicles will be available to loan to local organisations until March 2024.

From this month, two of London Electric Vehicle Company's (LEVC) purpose-built electric TX taxis will be available to Bristol City Council licensed hackney drivers, for free loans of two to four weeks, as part of this scheme.

-- Advertisement --

Councillor Don Alexander, Cabinet Member for Transport said: "I'm pleased to see our free electric van trial scheme has been hugely popular since its launch only a few months ago.

"More than 60 organisations have tested a van or car so far and had the chance to see what it's like to rely on electric: exploring things like battery range, charging point access and the cost of keeping these vehicles on the road. Many have told us the free loan has made them accelerate their plans to add EVs to their existing fleets.

"Taxis are an important part of our transport infrastructure in Bristol, so we’re pleased to extend the free EV hire scheme to our licensed Hackney Carriage drivers. Getting a sense for the smooth ride and price of charging will present local drivers with a cleaner vehicle choice and the opportunity to help us reduce toxic air pollution which is so harmful to our health.

"We all have a role to play in Bristol getting cleaner air and although some petrol and diesel vehicles will be allowed in the Clean Air Zone, the EV scheme provides a helpful taster step for anyone thinking about switching to electric for their business."

Each taxi is driven exclusively by electricity but features an additional on-board generator (a small 1.5 litre petrol engine), which is known as a range-extender. This increases the number of miles that the taxi driver can travel on one charge from 64 miles to 318 miles, completely eliminating range anxiety. Featuring flexible space for up to six passengers, the TX includes an integrated wheelchair ramp and can accommodate a forward-facing wheelchair.