Licence to print money: Taxi firm saves over €79,000 by switching to Nissan electric
- Nissan electric cars cut the taxi firm's overheads by more than €79,000* per year
- €11,374* fuel saving per car, per year
- UK firm one of the first customers for the all-new electric e-NV200 people carrier
LONDON, UK, 16th March 2015: Nissan has today revealed how embracing electric has helped an almost 30 year old family taxi company in rural South West England save more than €11,000* per 100 percent electric Nissan taxi.
Just over 18 months ago, the St. Austell-based taxi company purchased its first Nissan LEAF to see how an electric car would cope with the high-mileage demands of private hire work. Nissan has released a video on its e4Business website showing how, just a year and a half on, the cost savings have been so dramatic that the firm has purchased five more Nissan LEAF electric cars and has just taken delivery of its first Nissan e-NV200 Combi, an electric people carrier.
C&C Taxis is a member of the innovative Nissan e4Business programme, which helps small and medium size businesses across Europe to maximise their potential and keep their costs as low as possible, introducing them to the benefits of incorporating Nissan EVs into their company fleets and business models.
The video of C&C's experiences with the Nissan e-NV200 can be found at: https://youtu.be/GbneKViYo-Q
The pioneering taxi company has installed two quick chargers in the town, one at its office and one in an industrial estate to allow the drivers to maximise their driving time. The specially designed chargers replenish the battery from zero to 80 percent in just 30 minutes. The quick charging capability has meant that one of the Nissan LEAF taxis on the fleet has clocked up over 77,000 miles (123,000 km) in just 12 months.
Nissan's Director of Electric Vehicles, Jean Pierre Diernaz explains the significance of C&C's experience, commenting: "C&C Taxis proves once again that Nissan electric vehicles work extremely well as taxis with huge cost savings for the business and big benefits to CO₂ emissions and air quality. These cars work hard, averaging 40 taxi fares and 240 km (150 miles) per day with zero reliability issues. It just works!"
C&C calculate each Nissan LEAF or e-NV200 it adds to its fleet saves the company €11,374 (£8,500)* per year, per car on fuel alone. After the positive experience with the Nissan LEAF, C&C was anxious to add the new all-electric Nissan e-NV200 Combi to its fleet as soon as it was released, with Fleet Manager Mark Richards commenting: "We have had such a positive experience with our Nissan LEAF fleet, even the drivers, who were anxious to start with are now very happy to drive a 100 percent electric car. They tell us a 10 hour shift is less tiring with an EV and the e-NV200 we have now means we can extend that experience to the drivers who were previously in diesel minibuses."
He added: "People often say that electric cars are just for cities, but we are in one of the most beautiful and rural counties of England with no cities or even motorways and they are working amazingly well for us. We are a family owned business and this is not a vanity project, this is something that is that is saving us money and getting us extra business."
C&C Taxis is one of a growing number of businesses across Europe that is embracing the benefits of using Nissan EVs in its company fleet. Taxi Electric in Amsterdam was the first private taxi service to switch to a fleet of 100 percent electric taxis in November 2011. Since then, others from across Europe have joined the EV revolution, with the Nissan LEAF and e-NV200 now being used by taxi businesses in Lisbon, Amsterdam, Newcastle, Barcelona, Madrid and Rome.
*Correct as per conversion rate on 26.01.15
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NOTES TO EDITORS:
About Nissan in Europe
Nissan has one of the most comprehensive European presences of any overseas manufacturer, employing more than 17,600 staff across locally-based design, research & development, manufacturing, logistics and sales & marketing operations. Last financial year Nissan plants in the UK, Spain and Russia produced more than 675,000 vehicles including award-winning crossovers, small cars, SUVs, commercial vehicles and electric vehicles, including the Nissan LEAF, the world's most popular electric vehicle with 96% of customers willing to recommend the car to friends. Nissan now offers a strong line-up of 23 diverse and innovative models in Europe under the Nissan and Datsun brands.
About Nissan Motor Co.
Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., Japan's second-largest automotive company, is headquartered in Yokohama, Japan, and is part of the Renault-Nissan Alliance. Operating with more than 244,500 employees globally, Nissan sold almost 5.2 million vehicles and generated revenue of 10.5 trillion yen (USD 105 billion) in fiscal 2013. Nissan delivers a comprehensive range of more than 60 models under the Nissan, Infiniti and Datsun brands. In 2010, Nissan introduced the Nissan LEAF, and continues to lead in zero-emission mobility. The LEAF, the first mass-market, pure-electric vehicle launched globally, is now the best-selling EV in history with almost 50% share of the zero-emission vehicle segment.
For more information on our products, services and commitment to sustainable mobility, visit our website at http://www.nissan-global.com/EN/
