If you’re used to taking taxis, you’ve no doubt noticed that drivers regularly drive Toyota models, whether it’s a Prius, Camry or even a RAV4. When communicating with drivers, they do not stop praising the quality of their working tool, especially in terms of reliability and consumption.
And the love affair between taxis and Toyota will obviously continue for a few more years. Indeed, on Tuesday, October 10, 2023, taxi company G7 announced, strategic partnership with Japanese firm to integrate 2,500 new 100% electric vehicles by 2030.
From 3 to 30% of electric cars in the G7 fleet
The majority of G7 taxis are currently hybrids, but the company plans to have 30% fully electric vehicles in its fleet by 2030, up from 3% today.
A better model is the bZ4X, an all-electric vehicle already on the market, a model that didn’t get a fair amount of press at launch, between disappointing range and a difficult commercial launch due to significant technical issues (now resolved).
However, as G7 CEO Nicolas Roussele notes, “Taxis travel an average of 250 to 300 kilometers per day”. Toyota bZ4X is announced with range from 461 to 513 kilometers depending on the version, recharging them can be enough for a whole day or even a little longer, since the autonomy is even greater on city routes. It remains to be seen how it will look in real life.
Toyota will not have exclusivity
This is not the first time that G7 and Toyota have collaborated. In 2007, the two companies already entered into a partnership focused on hybrid cars. As part of this new deal, Toyota commits to producing 500 G7 vehicles by 2025.
G7, which has around 10,000 taxis linked to its platform in Paris, or nearly half of Paris’ taxis, as well as 4,500 taxi-partners in the provinces, wants the alliance to be non-exclusive. If other automakers, including French ones, make attractive offers, G7 is open to diversifying its fleet.
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Source: Auto Plus
Robert is an experienced journalist who has been covering the automobile industry for over a decade. He has a deep understanding of the latest technologies and trends in the industry and is known for his thorough and in-depth reporting.