Posts by Mark Bursa

The Government is unlikely to meet its target of having six or more rapid or ultra-rapid electric vehicle chargers at every motorway service area in England by the end of 2023, according to new research by the RAC. Only 27 of 119 motorway services reviewed by the RAC (23%) on ZapMap currently have the target…

Take Me Group has made another acquisition, with Crown Cars of Wrexham joining the fast-expanding cab conglomerate. The north Wales-based company was founded in 1983, and has been run from its base in Rhosllannerchrugog by Andy Roberts since 2016. It currently has a fleet of around 20 vehicles, and Roberts said: “Crown Cars is one…

Electric vehicle owners using public chargers overnight are on track to save up to £260 a year, according to new research undertaken by EV charging app Bonnet. Bonnet reviewed the habits of more than 100,000 drivers using its app, looking at where and how they refuel their EVs, and found those taking advantage of smart…

Ford has released a new compact electric MPV called the E‑Tourneo Courier. The five-seat vehicle is the latest fruit of Ford’s alliance with Volkswagen on EVs. Ford has committed to offering 10 EV models in Europe by 2024, as it targets zero emissions for all vehicle sales in the region by 2035. Ford is investing…

Petrol and diesel prices are unnecessarily high, according to the UK competition watchdog. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said oil companies could not blame global factors such as the war in Ukraine for high prices, and accused retailers of taking bigger margins than before the Covid pandemic. The watchdog said it would question the…

The next-generation LEVC London black taxi will be a fully-electric vehicle, the company has announced. LEVC has released images of its next-generation all-electric platform, which will replace the current LEVC series hybrid TX taxi and VN5 van models in the next, which use a “range extender” petrol engine in addition to a battery-electric drivetrain. The…

Hull and Bridgend are the latest locations to receive new Osprey rapid electric vehicle charge points as part of the operator’s ambitious plans to have more than 1,000 rapid chargers in operation by the end of 2023. In Bridgend, the new public charging sites are at two Marston’s Brewery pubs: the Cherry Laurel (two chargers)…

Inverclyde Council has reversed a ban on in-cab CCTV cameras following a series of attacks on drivers in the area. In a landmark decision, councillors voted unanimously to allow operators to have cameras in their cabs, following pressure from local trade bodies and unions. In particular, one attack last August, which left a driver scarred…

Transport for London has awarded electric vehicle infrastructure provider Zest a contract to roll out 39 new EV charging bays by the end of 2024. The charge points will be built on 24 sites in south and south-west London, The 39 new bays will be installed at 24 locations spread across Bromley, Greenwich, Hammersmith and…

Addison Lee doubled its profits in the 2021-22 financial year, despite the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and a chronic shortage of private hire drivers. The business achieved an adjusted EBITDA of £19.1 million, up from £7.9m the previous year, on a turnover of £218.5m, helped by the acquisition in January 2021 of black taxi…

ProDriver magazine is saddened to hear of the death of Edward (Eddie) Townson over the Bank Holiday Weekend. Eddie was a well-known and popular figure in the private hire industry, having served as Chairman of the Private Hire Board. Eddie was instrumental in securing Private Hire Licensing in London in 1998. Alongside his family, he…

Eighteen of the biggest electric vehicle charging companies have joined forces to form a new UK trade association called ChargeUK, with a goal of doubling the size of the charging network by the end of 2023. ChargeUK, backed by major players including BP Pulse, Shell Recharge, Osprey, Ionity and Gridserve, will serve as the representative…

Global taxi and private hire bookings are recovering month-on-month, but are still some way below peak-pre-pandemic 2019 levels, according to a new report from Amsterdam based dispatch systems supplier Taxi Butler. But the Global Taxi Booking Industry Report showed that Q1 2023 experienced a 13.6% decrease in bookings worldwide compared to Q4 2022, and fewer…

Volkswagen has revealed a facelifted version of its ID.3 electric car, and is putting in new production facilities in Germany in order to ease supply restrictions on the car. UK customers can now order the enhanced Volkswagen ID.3 for delivery later in the year, There are just two trim variants – the original Business, Style…

The cost to charge an EV has stabilised over the past few months, following a year of climbing prices, according to new research from EV charging payment specialist Mina. In its latest EV Report, Mina claims the average cost of home charging only increased by 1p in the last quarter, to 31p per kWh, while…

Hackney taxi drivers in the south coast town of Eastbourne will be able to take jobs via the FreeNow app from May 3. The move follows a successful launch of the ride-hailing service in nearby Brighton in 2018. The company registered a 25% growth in demand and a 10% growth in trips in Brighton during…

Ride-hailing app Bolt has added London black cabs as a dedicated booking option on its London’s iconic black cabs available on its platform. Black cabs have previously been available on FreeNow, following its acquisition of dedicated app Hailo, but Bolt is by far the largest platform to add black cabs to an app. The move…

BMW has released images of its electric i5 saloon undergoing final testing in advance of its launch this summer. The car – an all-electric version of the next-generation 5-series range – will compete with the Mercedes-Benz EQE and Genesis G80 as battery-electric executive chauffeur saloons. Much of the technology used in the new i7 will…