Nissan and the taxi company Unione Radiotaxi of Rome are making electric vehicle history in Italy.
For the first time in Italy two zero-emission, Nissan LEAF electric vehicles will operate in Rome as part of the Taxi 3570 fleet. The taxis will be supported by a unique mobile quick charging station, developed in conjunction with Nissan to provide ultimate flexibility.
The goal of the partnership between Nissan and Unione Radiotaxi of Italy is to transform the taxi service in Rome, where traffic conditions are tough and the air quality poor, to be cleaner and more sustainable.
The agreement also includes the installation of a static Nissan CHAdeMO quick charging station in the HUB of Taxi 3570 at Fiumicino Airport. The CHAdeMO quick charger is able to recharge vehicles from 0% to 80% in less than 30 minutes.
The taxis are supported by an innovative mobile quick charging system, developed in conjunction with FCS Mobility – converting a Nissan NV400 into a mobile charging station. The unique van-based station has batteries on board to provide clean renewable power to the LEAF taxis in the city when necessary. With 130 lithium-iron-tetraphosphate batteries, holding 100 kWh of renewable solar energy, the CHAdeMO compatible NV400 conversion can charge one of the Taxi 3570’s LEAF from 30% to 80% in just 15 minutes. Recharged using renewable sources, the NV400 conversion gives Taxi 3570 full freedom across Rome, where EV infrastructure is still in the development phase.
Nissan Italy and Taxi 3570 will support and train “eco taxi drivers” in collaboration with LUISS University Master in Eco Mobility. Eco mobility training will improve the quality of life and savings of Taxi 3570 drivers who run overall more than 500,000 km per day on the streets of the Italian capital.
Through the agreement, Nissan supplies:
– Two LEAF for a 12 month trial
– Nissan quick charge station for the Taxi 3570 HUB at Fiumicino Airport
– Nissan NV400 mobile charging station
– 24H service assistance
Nissan LEAF has been in use as taxis across Europe in Lisbon, Amsterdam, Newcastle and Barcelona. Taxi Electric in the Netherlands have already covered over 1.5 million km on its Nissan LEAF fleet, with zero mechanical breakdowns or flat battery situations.
3570 is the largest taxi organization in Europe, with over 3,700 members, 10 million taxi services per year and for a long time stands out for its investments in innovation and technology.
URI (Union of Italian Radio Taxi, of which 3570 is part) since 2012 invested in studies and projects aimed at the analysis of electric mobility and related systems and charging nets for taxi public transport.
These studies confirm that electric vehicles such as the Nissan LEAF support taxi urban mobility and that systems adopted over the years by taxis will help identify the best location of the EV infrastructure.
The objectives of this initiative include a test of Nissan LEAF, already operating in several cities of the world as a taxi, and set out the guidelines for an effective and economically sustainable smart grid for electric charging in Italian cities.[wzslider height=”400″ lightbox=”true”]
