VM Visit: First Ioniq 5 Taxi at Huber in Pocking aims to set a precedent

According to their own statements, the first electric taxi of the type Hyundai Ioniq 5 has been put into service by the Hyundai dealer Gustav Huber from Pocking. As he reported to taxi heute, he "drilled" for a long time at the Hyundai headquarters to have them develop a taxi package for the new battery-electric model at INTAX in Oldenburg. Just recently, the development and conversion partner had announced the model as a taxi.

The Huber dealership has opted for a model with a large battery but without all-wheel drive. In return, the rear-wheel-drive vehicle has a commendably deep and useful storage space under the front hood, which can definitely accommodate the charging cable for occasional charging at AC charging stations and wall boxes. This was demonstrated by salesman Christian Putz, who showcased the new taxi to taxi heute.

Manual Passenger Seat Adequate, Plenty of Legroom in the Rear

The front passenger seat of the demo taxi is manually adjustable, which is certainly adequate for the taxi industry. As a first seat test showed, you can stretch your feet under the front seat in the Ioniq 5, something that's not possible in the sister model Kia EV6 with electrically adjustable front seats. Due to its less sleekly designed roofline, the Ioniq 5 offers more headroom for passengers in the rear.

The interior and the trunk are probably otherwise completely identical, as both types share the same platform and the same long wheelbase. The trunk operation and the folding of the rear seatbacks from the trunk are also completely identical. The cockpit of the Hyundai Ioniq 5 differs significantly from that of the Kia EV6, but the basic functions with the three driving modes Eco, Normal, and Sport are the same. They are only switched using different buttons.

On-Site Visit

The visit from taxi today to the Huber dealership was accompanied by taxi operator Kevin Hedtke, who had already looked at and test-driven the new model. He finds the space to be adequate. The middle seat in the rear, which you can easily slide into, is rarely needed in his region. Hedtke took over his father's taxi business at the turn of the year. His contact with the Huber dealership came about via the Opel brand. He uses three Combo wheelchair taxis, a Zafira Life minibus, and an Insignia. The fleet also includes two Caddy Maxi wheelchair taxis and a Vito.

Since his vehicles are still relatively new, he currently doesn't need an electric taxi in the Ioniq 5 category, reported the 32-year-old taxi and rental car operator. However, he has already ordered two Opel Combo-e Lifes, which he will have converted into wheelchair taxis by MobiTEC in Berkheim. They are typically in service from 6 a.m. to 8 a.m., then again between 10:30 a.m. and 1:00 p.m., and then only in the evening. So there is time to charge in between.

"It would be crucial for me if we could charge at hospitals and dialysis centers in between. With 3 x 15 minutes, we could get through the day well," he says. "Unfortunately, charging stations are still rare in our county."

The dealership of Gustav Huber ordered 50 Ioniq 5s at once in 2021 to also have some converted into taxis. Despite general delivery difficulties, Huber wants to offer Ioniq-5 taxis nationwide.