Second electric taxi takes to the roads of Brighton and Hove

Local driver Tony Turner will pick up passengers in his new TX Electric Taxi, the second of its kind registered in the city.

Passengers can be confident that they will reach their destination as the taxi has a range of 60-80 miles with a fully charged battery or up to 377 miles when using a petrol-fuelled generator.

“I’d had a lot of trouble with my old cab and was due a change, so I decided to bite the bullet and go electric,” Tony said.

“It’s fantastic and funny because you’re driving it and you can hardly hear the engine.

“I’ve got a home charger and to fully charge the battery costs me about £3. I’m probably saving between £150 - £180 a week.

“I’ve always been for helping the environment and improving air quality and really this was the only way to go.”

Tony will be able to charge his battery in more places soon as Brighton and Hove City Council will soon install four rapid charging hubs for taxis and more than 200 on-street chargers.

Parking in the city is cheaper for low-emission vehicles with the council offering a 50 per cent discount on permits.

Chairwoman of the Environment, Transport and Sustainability Committee, Anne Pissaridou, said: “I’m pleased to see another low emissions taxi on the streets of Brighton & Hove.

“The council has set an ambitious target to be carbon neutral by 2030 and the more electric vehicles we have on our roads, the better.

“I hope this will encourage more taxi drivers in the city to consider purchasing a low-emissions vehicle in the future.

“Electric vehicle use is growing and we will continue to support owners where we can.”