Hamburg tests combustion engine phase-out: New taxis only emission-free
With the start of the new year, only emission-free taxis will be allowed in Hamburg. A corresponding regulation in the Hamburg Climate Protection Act comes into force. For large-capacity taxis with eight or nine seats, the ban on combustion engines will apply from 2027. Thanks to public funding, according to the Transport and Mobility Change Authority, almost 700 of Hamburg's approximately 3,000 taxis are already electric vehicles. Additionally, there are about 30 vehicles powered by hydrogen.
New combustion engines by the end of the year
Some entrepreneurs have acquired combustion engine vehicles before the year's end because, according to the cooperative Hansa Funktaxi, they are not completely convinced by electric cars.
“This is primarily because there is no long-term experience with electric cars and because there is no functioning resale market yet,” explains board member Jan Weber.
Few charging stations in the surrounding area
According to him, the transition is mostly running smoothly. The range of electric cars has now significantly improved. The charging infrastructure in Hamburg is almost sufficient. However, if passengers want to travel to the surrounding areas, it becomes difficult.
“In the countryside, the charging infrastructure is a disaster,” says Weber.
The running costs of electric vehicles are significantly lower than those of combustion engines. There are virtually no repairs.
“With e-taxis, the brakes last a very long time, and the costs for inspections are negligible,” enthuses the Hansa-Taxi board member.
The cooperative reportedly has a total of over 700 vehicles. It is participating in the "Future Taxi" project led by Senator Anjes Tjarks (Green Party) from the transport authority.
Conversion supported with four million euros
For the conversion of Hamburg's taxi fleet to emission-free drives, the city has so far spent over 4.2 million euros, as explained by the spokesman for the traffic authority, Dennis Krämer. Since 2021, the purchase of electric vehicles has been subsidized in three funding stages as part of the "Future Taxi" project.
In the first nine months of this year, according to the Senate, 110 e-taxis and 362 vehicles with combustion engines were newly registered. The funding was originally supposed to expire at the end of the year. However, at the request of the taxi industry, there will now still be a subsidy of up to 5,000 euros if a combustion vehicle is replaced by an e-car, says Krämer.
Rides become more expensive
The city financed the construction of six charging stations at taxi stands with 225,000 euros. The traffic authority wants to arrange with the private sector and retail to create further exclusive charging points for taxis in Hamburg next year.
As of February 1, taxi rides in the Hanseatic city will become an average of 4.8 percent more expensive. The possibility to agree on a fixed price for a ride in advance will be newly introduced. However, this will only be possible when ordering through a taxi dispatch service, not directly at the start of the ride.
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