London based, zero-emissions taxi firm eConnect Cars, has launched a crowdfunding campaign to finance the next phase of its growth ahead of the introduction of the Ultra-Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) in London.
From January 2020, as part of London’s ULEZ plans, all private hire cars (taxis) less than 18 months old must be zero emissions capable in order to get a license. This means they will need to be able to have a range of at least 30 miles in zero emission mode.
eConnect cars goes one step further by having a fleet consisting entirely of 100 per cent electric vehicles – the Nissan Leaf and Tesla Model S. The company has already raised over 20 per cent of its £400,000 crowdfunding target with significant levels of interest in the campaign.
Managing Director, Alistair Clarke said: “There is tremendous pressure on London and other large cities when it comes to urban mobility. With population growth, congestion and air pollution increasingly challenging the status quo, innovative companies like eConnect cars are forging a new integrated multi-modal transport solution.
“With new legislation coming into place [from 2018], running ultra-low emission fleets will become the only viable option. While many competitors seek to stall these changes, eConnect is not only embracing change but is also innovating in the market and showing what positive steps can be done today for a cleaner future.”
With the aid of an Innovate UK grant, eConnect Cars is pioneering the unique software and logistics required to run an electric fleet on a large scale. Such software can be applied not only to other companies within the industry but also logistics companies globally.
“With crowdfunding we’re looking to double the size of our fleet and accelerate the development of our software. Within five years we want to be the leading zero emissions urban mobility provider in the UK”, said Clarke.
Visit eConnect Cars’ crowdfunding page to find out more.
