Taxi Driver Online

This seems more like council PR than anything else - makes it look like the council doing everyone a huge favour by actually plating an EV

A wee bit of an advertorial flavour for the firm as well


First all-electric private hire licence issued in North Devon

https://www.devonlive.com/news/devon-ne ... ce-7586372

South Molton Taxi Service have been given the honour


Image: Devon Live/South Molton Taxi Service

The first private hire licence for an all-electric vehicle has been issued in North Devon. On Thursday, August 18, North Devon Council's licensing team awarded the new licence to South Molton Taxi Service. The hackney carriage and Private Hire Operator acquired the Ford Mustang Mach E vehicle in August to use as an executive private hire vehicle.

Lead member for climate change at North Devon Council, Councillor Graham Lofthouse said: "As we address the climate emergency, we all need to reject the fossil fuels of the past and embrace a carbon-free future. Licensing our first all-electric vehicle is a step in the right direction and I hope this is the first of many. I wish the team at South Molton Taxi Service the very best with their new investment and for the future."

Public protection manager at North Devon Council, Katy Nicholls added: “I welcome the new addition and feel it’s great timing as we have proposed amendments to the council’s Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Licensing Policy.

“If approved, the new, amended policy will require newly licensed vehicles to be in line with Euro 6 emission standards and existing licensed vehicles by January 1, 2026. These emission standards set out the most current criteria for vehicle manufacturers in terms of exhaust emissions."

Managing director at South Molton Taxi Service, George Hyde says: “We are proud to have the first fully electric private hire vehicle in North Devon, helping us to reduce emissions locally and supporting our customers to achieve their corporate responsibility goals."

The taxi firm has plans on purchasing more fully electric vehicles in the future, with another one currently being on order.

For a minute thought this motor was only two-door, but it's one of those with hidden door handles. In fact, they're not hidden, it's a button rather than handles, although there are handles of sorts on the front doors, but no handles at all on the back doors

The door handles for exiting the car don't look much better either

In fact took me a good ten minutes of searching around and a couple of YouTube videos to work it all out. So, apart from everything else, totally useless as a rank car, or a workaday PHV - can you imagine the palaver with punters trying to get in and out, even when they're sober?

The article says they intend using it as an executive PHV, but even if I was buying a car for that market think I'd dismiss this one on the basis of the doors alone, quite apart from the minimum £50k price tag

Have a look at this video segment here, which doesn't even cover getting back out again. Not quite as bad as getting in, but I think the drunks etc would have trouble with the interior handles as well

https://youtu.be/c4n5iPqxpaw?t=215

(I'm assuming the vehicle in the video is the same as a UK-specced car, but didn't want to go any further down this particular rabbit hole )

I think people will have the same problem with the Hyundai Ioniq, which is being aimed at the ‘taxi’ market.
https://youtu.be/Lv6wwn8m-8U

This vehicle being sold around here and several have been plated by neighbouring councils that don’t require WAV’s, apparently they are working on a ‘wedge’ that will keep the handle out permanently.
https://youtu.be/GrMqwy9SBoU

Yes, my immediate thought with the Ioniq would be how the punters would get on with opening the doors

And think I'd immediately dismiss it as a cab on that basis

Funny the way they have PULL lettering on the inside of the doors for shutting and opening them, while the pulls and handle there look reasonably intuitive. So ideally they'd really need text and diagrams on the outside of the door with instructions on how to open them

https://youtu.be/GrMqwy9SBoU?t=75

There's also some kind of retro-fit rear door handle available for the Mustang, but that would still leave the problem of punters knowing how to press the button

I am really not sure these are practical for use as PH or taxi

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lack of modern legislation is the iceberg sinking the titanic of the transport sector

But they make good PR adverts.

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IDFIMH