If you’re used to managing a fleet of petrol or diesel taxis, then the good news is that managing a fleet of electric taxis isn’t too different. All the key aspects of fleet management still apply, including vehicle acquisition, maintenance, budgeting, driver management, risk management, and fleet insurance.
However, there are a few new things you’ll have to consider if you’re making a switch to a fleet of electric taxis. In this post we’ll cover some of the key ways managing an electric taxi fleet differs from managing a petrol or diesel fleet.
If you have any more questions about taxi fleet insurance, call our dedicated team on 0208 290 9099, or email CM@AnthonyJones.com.
Transitioning to an Electric Taxi Fleet
Transitioning from a petrol or diesel taxi fleet to a fleet of electric taxis isn’t something that can happen overnight. You’ll have to devise and implement an EV adoption strategy. To minimise the disruption to your ongoing business operations, you’ll likely have to stagger the process so that you can replace your old vehicles with electric vehicles one by one.
Find our full guide to electrifying your fleet. This guide covers all the factors you’ll have to take into consideration, from determining your mileage needs to reviewing your vehicle acquisition options.
There’s also this step-by-step guide to adopting an electric taxi fleet from the Energy Saving Trust. Please note that this guide is for local authorities who want to liaise with the taxi drivers and firms in their town. But nonetheless, it features lots of useful tips on how to make the transition as smooth as possible.
Charging Your Electric Taxi Fleet
This is where managing an electric taxi fleet differs most from managing a fleet of petrol or diesel taxis. Most drivers can take it for granted that they’ll never be too far from a petrol station. But if you want to run an electric fleet, you’ll need to take steps to implement an effective and sustainable charging infrastructure.
How you do this will depend on how your fleet operates. If you keep all of your taxis in a central garage, then you can install onsite charging points. You’ll then have to devise a charging schedule to ensure that every vehicle in your fleet gets charged without creating too much downtime.
Find our full guide to installing electric charge points for your fleet. This guide covers some of the grants available, along with some of the risks you’ll need to consider.
If your drivers use their own vehicles, or if they take them home at night, then you can assist them in installing charge points at their homes. Find our guide to the key things to consider when it comes to home charging stations.
Driver Training for Electric Cars
Driving an electric car is not too different to driving a petrol or diesel car. But nonetheless, you will need to give your drivers a bit of training if you’re transitioning from a petrol or diesel fleet to an electric fleet.
Ensure that everyone knows how to operate an electric vehicle with maximum safety and efficiency. And most important of all, make sure they understand the charging requirements. They’ll need to learn when their vehicles need charging, where to find charging points, and how to use them safely.
Electric Vehicle Maintenance
The good news is that electric cars generally need less maintenance than petrol or diesel cars, simply because their engines have fewer moving parts. However, as they’re still a relatively new technology, it might be challenging to find the specific expertise you need for maintenance and servicing.
Find a specialist electric vehicle servicing centre in your area. Tell them about the vehicles in your fleet and how they’re used. They should then be able to advise you on a servicing and maintenance schedule that meets your needs.
Some good fleet management software can also help here, as you can get automatic notifications whenever any of your vehicles are due for some maintenance. Get some dedicated software for EVs, and you can even keep tabs on each electric cabs battery status in real time.
Electric Taxi Licensing
Familiarise yourself with your local authorities taxi licensing rules, particularly regarding any requirements they may have in place for electric vehicles.
Your local authority might set criteria for vehicle age limits or accessibility. They may even specify the exact vehicles they’re prepared to license for use as taxis or private hire vehicles.
In any case, take the time to contact your local authority before you start your EV adoption process. And incorporate any criteria they specify as part of your ongoing servicing and maintenance plan.
Insurance For Electric Taxi Fleets
Thanks to the reduced fuel and maintenance costs, electric taxis can cost a lot less to run than petrol or diesel vehicles. Unfortunately, the trade off is that electric vehicles often cost a lot more to insure.
The cost of cover is something you’ll need to factor into your EV adoption strategy. You’ll also have to consider how installing charging points at your dispatch centre could affect your business insurance.
The good news is that help is at hand. We can support you in your transition to an electric taxi fleet through advising on risk management, and on the insurance and compliance implications.
Talk to our friendly team of taxi fleet insurance experts today. Call us on 020 8290 9099 or email us at CM@AnthonyJones.com.
