London minicab company Openstart has ordered 80 Toyota Prius Plug-in cars, making the rechargeable hatchbacks available to private hire operators – which operate under a different set of rules to the traditional London hackney cabs – for the first time through the Public Carriage Office (PCO).
Openstart said the PHEV has the potential to offer “hours of emissions-free driving around the capital”, thanks to all-electric driving range – according to conditions, around 15 miles can be achieved in EV mode, with zero petrol consumption. The lithium-ion battery means a full recharge can be achieved in just an hour and a half after connecting the car to a power supply.
Go deeper with GlobalData
Discover B2B Marketing That Performs
Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.
Hamid Tehrani, Openstart’s owner and managing director, said: “We have always been pioneers of new technology in the PCO, right from when we first introduced automatic transmission to our fleet, something that’s gone on to become a default feature.”
“We are delighted now to be including Prius Plug-in, introducing our customers to the great benefits of Toyota’s simple, reliable, low emissions plug-in hybrid system.”
Stuart Ferma, Toyota GB’s national fleet sales manager, said: “Our hybrid Prius and seven-seat Prius+ are proven favourites as private hire vehicles and we’re delighted that we are able to help Openstart develop the potential of Prius Plug-in as another strong proposition through the PCO.
“Prius Plug-in can deliver lower running costs, lower emissions and ease of use in the urban environment. And unlike all-electric vehicles it’s a ‘best-of-both-worlds’ proposition, as the hybrid petrol engine is automatically engaged should energy levels be depleted, or extra power be needed.”
Openstart has already taken delivery of 50 of the PHEVs, joining a fleet that has already added more than 60 standard hybrid Prius and Prius+ cars this year. All of its new Toyotas are being supplied with a charging cable that will allow connection to public charging points across the capital.
