Oxford’s City Council is offering taxi drivers a new £5,000 grant if they switch to an electric vehicle.
The new grant is available now as a contribution towards the cost of purchasing a new Ultra Low Emission Hackney Carriage.
The grant is funded by the Energy Superhub Oxford project and will provide funding for up to 17 Hackney Carriage taxis to move to electric power.
“The newest UN climate report is sounding a ‘code red’ for the planet,” says Councillor Tom Hayes, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Green Transport and Zero Carbon Oxford.
“With this grant funding of £5000 per taxi, we’re helping drivers to do what they all want to do—keep the city moving, but doing so without polluting our lungs or the planet. By switching to electric, local taxi drivers will make big financial and carbon savings.”
The £5,000 grant funding, combined with a contribution grant from LEVC, and the Government Plug-in-Grant, means that taxi drivers can save around £12,200 (22%) on the cost of a new TX electric taxi costing £55,600, or an all-electric Nissan Dynamo costing £55,495.
At the moment, there are seven electric taxis in Oxford – five Hackney Carriage and two private hire. The council is also offering reduced costs on its Try Before You Buy scheme. Previously, this stood at £150 per week but is now free.
The scheme will provide support to the first 10 adopters of zero-emissions taxis in the city and will waive licence fees and compliance tets fees up to 31 March 2024.
The scheme should encourage taxi drivers to try out an all-electric Dynamo taxi or an LEVC TX for between two and four weeks.
Keyword: Oxford Council is Offering £5,000 to Help Taxi Drivers Switch to Electric