SOLIHULL taxi drivers were given the chance to take an electric vehicle for a spin as part of plans to help cut carbon emissions.
The licenced drivers were invited to the council’s Moat Lane depot to find out more about converting their old diesel cabs into zero emission electric vehicles.
As part of an information raising event organised by Solihull Council and Clipper Automotive, taxi drivers were also given the chance to test-drive a fully electric cab while discovering how it’s now possible to upgrade their own older polluting vehicles.
Nearly 40 per cent of all carbon emissions in Solihull are currently attributed to road traffic, says Solihull Council.
Clipper Automotive is a UK-based company which specialises in electric taxis.
The company focuses on upgrading the iconic TX4 black cab by swapping out the standard diesel engine for an electric motor and battery so that it can run on electric and be emission-free.
Solihull Council produced its own Electric Vehicle (EV) Strategy in 2020 which seeks to help address some of the current barriers to EV adoption while supporting the widespread transition to electric vehicles across the borough.
Councillor Andy Mackiewicz, whose portfolio holder covers climate change, said: “Helping to remove barriers and encourage wider take up of EVs is the key objective.
“Of course we can’t make this happen by ourselves but there are key actions that we can, and are, taking as a council that can make a real difference, such as facilitating the roll out of EV charging infrastructure, upgrading our own fleet of vehicles and supporting taxis and private hire vehicle owners to do the same. We are also looking how we can help change people’s perceptions of electric vehicles and what support we can give through local planning and regulations.”
Solihull’s EV strategy forms part of the wider West Midlands Combined Authority-funded UK Central investment programme.
