London's largest taxi firm to switch to all-electric fleet by 2023
Addison Lee will invest £160 million into switch, targeting 20,000 zero-emissions journeys each day in London
The UK's biggest private vehicle hire firm will move to a fully electric fleet through a £160 million investment and a partnership with Volkswagen.
Addison Lee will target an all-electric fleet by 2023, which it says is two years ahead of any other private hire vehicle operator in London. It will begin the switch by moving to the new Volkswagen ID 4 SUV.
The move will lead to 20,000 zero-emissions journeys each day in London, according to Addison Lee, in what will be the largest UK purchase of EVs by a private hire provider.
“With the government’s pledge to be a net-zero economy by 2050, COP26 a matter of weeks away and more cars on the road as we start the economic recovery from over a year of lockdown, the need for London’s taxi and private hire industry to recognise its responsibility to London’s environment has never been clearer,” said Addison Lee CEO Liam Griffin. "Key to this is the rapid introduction of zero-emissions vehicles.
"As a business that has proudly been serving the capital for over 45 years and which is part of London’s transport network, Addison Lee has a particular responsibility towards the city’s people and its’ environment.”
Addison Lee will also launch the Future of Mobility fund to support the move to EVs, with a £3.5m investment into charging infrastructure for drivers.
“The fund will be used to invest in charging infrastructure and our fleet, support drivers with the cost of the Congestion Charge and pay for projects that improve the environment in London, such as our Green Screens initiative, where we install pollution-absorbing plant walls in primary schools,” the company said.
Addison Lee began its switch to electric earlier this year, when it purchased London taxi fleet operator Comcab, with its 650 electrified black cabs.
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