Rotterdam to expand its electric taxi fleet

Rotterdam Taxi Centre (RTC), one of the biggest taxi operators in the Netherlands, is switching to electric taxis and has put into service two BYD e6 models, following successful test operations. According to CEO, Sjaak de Winter, RTC plans to extend its fleet of emissions free pure electric taxis to 25 within the next 18 months.

“Electric taxis like the BYD being put into service by the Rotterdam Taxi Company (RTC) are important for Rotterdam as they help a lot to improve the air quality,” said Alexandra van Huffelen, vice Mayor of Rotterdam. “They will make an important contribution to cleaner traffic in the city.”

Rotterdam will install the 500th charging point in the city, supplied with green electricity from renewable sources. The successful trials of the BYD e6 taxi have demonstrated that the car has sufficient range to cover a typical day’s operating cycle on a single charge and can be recharged quickly during breaks when required. The trials also confirmed that the e6 gives its passengers a quiet and comfortable ride.

“We are delighted that our e6 has been chosen to provide pure electric, emissions free transport for taxi passengers in Rotterdam,” said Isbrand Ho, BYD Managing Director. “The trials indicate that the e6 will perform well in daily service. The e6 has already clocked more than 100 million kilometres of passenger-carrying duties in Shenzhen and Hong Kong.”

The BYD e6 is a spacious, five-passenger, crossover vehicle powered by the BYD Fe battery (lithium-iron phosphate). BYD is the world’s largest manufacturer of rechargeable batteries and the BYD Fe has the highest safety level in the industry and takes just two hours to fully charge the e6. The vehicle can travel for a range of up to 300 kilometres with zero emissions and zero pollution.