Jaguar to launch Germanys first all-electric taxi fleet in Munich

In the presence of Munich’s mayor Josef Schmid (CSU) and Dr Gerd Ennser (chairman of ADAC Südbayern), the I-PACE fleet lined-up in front of the Munich Opera House. This historic announcement marks the beginning of a new chapter for the German taxi industry.

The electric Jaguars provide taxi customers in Munich with a new and sustainable mode of transport: silent, comfortable and with zero emissions. At the handover ceremony, prof Dr Speth, said, “Its generous spaciousness, sturdiness and efficient powertrain make the I-PACE an ideal vehicle for the taxi business. It is a new type of vehicle for a new type of mobility and at Jaguar Land Rover, we are delighted to join with the city of Munich and ADAC in the ‘E-Taxi Project’ to launch the first all-electric taxi fleet in Germany.” From August, the new Jaguar taxis will be available for customers to hail on the streets of Munich. Wearing their full traditional taxi livery, the Jaguar I-PACEs will be driven by specially trained drivers, who are hugely excited at the prospect of switching to electric.

Gregor Beiner said, “Our drivers received special training for the electric drive and specific Jaguar features. We are especially looking forward to the comfort of the 'one-pedal operation' and the silent driving, as well as the instant acceleration of an EV car.”

The Jaguar I-PACE has been designed to decelerate in most situations without the use of the brake pedal, while at the same time feeding energy back into the battery.

Used on 24-hours shifts, the I-PACEs will be charged at five fast-charging stations installed at the depot of the Munich Taxi Centre. “We will implement a schedule with five cars in service and the other five being charged“, explains Beiner, who also expects a cost advantage from his new EV fleet through the low service and running costs.

Thanks to competitive resale values and running costs over the entire life cycle, the I-PACE - which is offered to private customers for prices starting from €77,850 - is an attractive alternative both for private and business customers, as well as for companies wishing to lower their CO2 footprint and fleet costs. In Germany, newly registered EVs will also benefit from a ten-year vehicle tax exemption.

Jaguar designers have taken full advantage of the car’s compact electric drive unit and new levels of space afforded. In the rear, three taxi customers can enjoy 890 mm of legroom, with the 656l boot being spacious enough for large amounts of luggage.

The 90kWh Lithium-Ion battery, for which Jaguar gives an eight-year warranty, allows a range of 470 km (in the WLTP cycle). On a 100kW DC quick-charging station, it takes 40 minutes for the battery to receive an 80 per cent charge. Jaguar’s heritage of elegant design and breathtaking performance has excited and delighted the world for more than 80 years. Today’s world-class Jaguar family embodies the Art of Performance and will grow again in 2018 with the all-electric I-PACE performance SUV, joining the XE, XF and XJ saloons, F-TYPE sports car, the F-PACE performance crossover, etc.