Electric taxis at Schiphol Airport by autumn 2014

By autumn 2014, the Dutch taxi companies Zorgvervoer Centrale Nederland BV (ZCN), Willemsen-de Koning BV and Bergisch, Boekhoff & Frissen BV (BBF) will introduce more than 100 electric taxis at Schiphol Airport in the Netherlands. Schiphol's recent tender for taxis included provisions for clean transport. This leads to the greening of passenger transport to and from the airport, improved air quality, and is moreover a stimulus to Dutch industries for green growth. The Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO), Metropolitan Region Amsterdam Electric (MRA-E, i.e. the cooperating administrations in the provinces of North Holland, Flevoland and Utrecht), and Amsterdam Electric encouraged Schiphol and the taxi companies to take this step. The deployment of clean transport was significantly stimulated in the new taxi concession for Schiphol. This means that more than 100 fully electric taxis will service Schiphol Airport from autumn 2014 onwards. At the request of RVO, the Formula E-team and MRA-Electric, Decisio and APPM Management Consultants encouraged Schiphol by providing it with the knowledge required to reward green mobility in the tender.

Green taxis are seen as one of the most promising market segments for electric vehicles. Normally, taxis travel many kilometres with polluting diesel engines. Using electric taxis will be a relatively large contribution to cleaner air. RVO, MRA-E and Amsterdam Electric are promoting cleaner taxi transport. Around 2100 taxis travel between Amsterdam and Schiphol Airport every day, amounting to 80% of the total number of taxis departing from Schiphol. Taxi companies in the Amsterdam region can make use of a subsidy of €10,000 for an electric taxi (€5000 from the City of Amsterdam and €5000 from the Ministry of Infrastructure and Environment's subsidy for low-emission taxis and vans).

· For more information about the benefits that electric vehicles can provide, MRA-E and RVO have published the Dutch-language brochure "Elektrische taxi; kansen van elektrisch rijden voor taxi-bedrijven" ("Electric taxis; benefits of electric vehicles for taxi companies"). This can be downloaded at:
http://www.rvo.nl/sites/default/files/2014/03/140108%20%20v2%20Brochure%20elektrisch%20taxivervoer.pdf.

· Further information about Amsterdam Electric subsidies for taxis is available at: www.amsterdam.nl/zakelijkeveelrijder

· For more information about the RVO's low-emission taxi scheme, see: http://www.rvo.nl/subsidies-regelingen/subsidieregeling-emissiearme-taxis-en-bestelautos.