ComfortDelGro to test 2 fully-electric taxis that charge for 30 minutes

It aims to bring costs down to a third of the price of diesel.

ComfortDelGro (CDG) Taxi is putting on trial two fully-electric Hyundai Ioniq taxis that will take 30 minutes, instead of hours, to charge. The DC fast charging station, approved by the Energy Market Authority (EMA) for operation, is available round-the-clock at Komoco Motors in Alexandra.

According to an announcement, a fully charged electric Ioniq taxi travels more than 200km, but the cost of charging it fully is only a third of the cost of diesel for the same distance. The flag-down fare of the electric Ioniq taxi is $3.90. All other surcharges apply.

The electric Ioniq comes equipped with smart battery technology that enables the paddleshift regenerative braking system to charge the battery with electric energy during deceleration and braking. CDG added that the battery charges even as the taxi is going downslope.

“It also has the lane keeping assist system as well as autonomous emergency braking, smart cruise control and blind spot detecting technologies – features similar to its hybrid counterpart,” the firm said.

CDG Taxi CEO Ang Wei Neng said, “We have been looking for a reliable, safe and faster charging electric vehicle for quite a while now. We wanted one that would offer our cabbies the shortest or fastest charging time because time is of essence to them.”