Hamburg offers 10,000 euros to taxi companies to turn electric

The city marked the 250th e-taxi license, issued by local traffic authorities

Last Sunday, authorities in Hamburg announced the 250^th electric taxi in the city, purchased through the municipal e-taxi aid scheme. Currently, the Free Hanseatic City has 2,700 operating taxis and local authorities want to incentivise companies and operators to slowly shift to more sustainable mobility.

The Future Taxi project (Zukunftstaxi) offers operators up to 10,000 euros to change their vehicle for an electric one. In the first and second funding rounds, the city has given out funding for more than 400 electric taxis.

This includes the 250 that are already licensed and operating on the streets and an additional 200, as well as 60 so-called e-inclusion taxis, electric taxis that are suitable for people with disabilities.

Hamburg’s mobility turnaround

The push is part of local authorities’ drive to decarbonise the mobility sector. According to an official statement, changing the taxi vehicle fleet will help to popularise and normalise electric cars in the city, while also fostering a healthy demand for charging stations from private providers.

Electric taxis provide additional benefits to being emissions-free – they produce a lot less noise, helping with noise pollution and increasing the quality of life for residents.

Anjes Tjarks, Senator for Transport and Mobility Transition, was quoted in an official statement explaining that reducing CO2 emissions is extremely important for traffic. He also pointed out that despite the difficult financial conditions of 2022, the taxi shift to sustainable mobility is still progressing at a rapid pace.

He continued: “Here, a tried and tested, reliable mobility offer is even being improved by making the taxis quieter and emission-free in the future, and also inclusive. As a city with this taxi trade, we can be very proud of what we have achieved together. We will continue on this path together and the taxi trade, as an important mobility provider, will really do justice to its function and responsibility for a modern city.”