WeFlex, which supplies cars to private hire drivers on a rent-to-buy basis, has switched to supplying only battery-electric cars. The company has announced a rebrand to coincide with the change in strategy, with a new green ‘lightning bolt’ logo. WeFlex was founded by former…

Mercedes-Benz has released details of its much-anticipated EQS model – the first all-electric luxury chauffeur car to hit the market. The EQS goes on sale in late summer, and at that time, UK pricing and specification will be announced, ahead of first UK deliveries,…

Hyundai Motor formed a strategic partnership with Uber in Europe that will offer Uber drivers discounted prices on its Ioniq Electric and Kona Electric (pictured), as well as future Hyundai electric vehicles. The agreement is another step in Uber’s plan to become a zero-emission…

Nottingham’s DG Cars, one of the strongest-performing private hire fleets over the past 12 months thanks to its strong diversification into the delivery market, has made a major acquisition in Lichfield, in partnership with another major fleet, 247 Cars of Walsall. The two companies…

Manchester’s largest private hire operator, StreetCars, has acquired local competitor ScottsCars, based in Hale, adding a further 200 cars to its fleet. The move, the latest sign of consolidation in the private hire sector as it starts to recover from the Covid-19 crisis, increases…

Ride-hailing operator Bolt has launched operations in Peterborough. London’s second-largest ride hailing app, behind Uber, Bolt said its plan was to bring greener transport to the city. So far almost 200 drivers have signed up in Peterborough, and the firm hopes the number will…

Electric car infrastructure provider Swarco eVolt has won a contract from Cardiff Capital Region (CCR) to install rapid chargers dedicated to taxi users at 31 locations across 10 local authorities in south-east Wales. The deal will also help the Welsh Government meet its target…

Taxi and private hire licence holders in Bolton will each receive a £700 Covid-19 support scheme after the local borough council approved a support scheme for those hit hardest by the pandemic. The council confirmed that the scheme will provide licence-holders with a payment…

Mercedes-Benz has released images of the interior of its forthcoming EQS battery-electric chauffeur saloon, which will go on sale in August. The EQS is produced alongside the new S-Class and the Mercedes-Maybach S-Class in Mercedes’ new carbon-neutral ‘Factory 56’ at Sindelfingen, Stuttgart, the company’s…

In a landmark ruling, the Competition and Markets Authority has cleared Uber’s acquisition of Autocab following a Phase 1 merger investigation, stating that it found “no competition concerns” with the deal. The takeover allows Uber to grow its UK presence through the Autocab iGo…

Uber customers in central London can request an all-electric vehicle instead of a regular petrol, diesel or hybrid car. The ride-hailing giant has launched a new service called Uber Green, operating initially in London’s Zone 1 travelcard area.  It is the next step in…

Car hire giant Europcar has ended its venture into the UK executive chauffeur and private hire market by selling its Brunel operations to the Travelhire Group for an undisclosed sum. It is the second major acquisition for Travelhire, which bought Green Tomato Cars in…

Blacklane has raised $26 million in new funding to help it expand its global chauffeur service. The Berlin-based company has recently launched an app-based ride-hailing service add-on, and in February 2021 it bought London-based Havn, an electric chauffeur service developed by Jaguar Land Rover.…

A series of focused, free Professional Driver webinars to help operators rebuild after Covid-19 Professional Driver is running a series of practical, focused online seminars where operators will be able to learn how the brightest companies have survived, and ask them how they did…

Uber’s decision to change its business model and give benefits such as minimum wage, holiday pay and pensions to its drivers appears to have given the ride-hailing giant a first-mover advantage in the sector. And the decision to change its employment terms means Uber…

Our first ProDriver Congress Online Webinar is now available on demand. “Beyond the Passenger”, held on Thursday, March 11, took a deep dive into how moving into the delivery market has been a life-saver for taxi and private hire operators. With superb input from…

Fast-growing taxi group Take Me has made another acquisition, adding Cambridgeshire-based 4X Ltd, trading as Steve’s Taxis, to its growing portfolio. The acquisition is backed by investment holding company MBH Corporation, which has made 25 acquisitions around the world in a range of industries,…

Newport entrepreneur Carl Harris is looking beyond the Covid-19 pandemic by launching a new chauffeur business called Luxstar, with the backing of a £24,000 micro loan from the Development Bank of Wales, and support from Business Wales, Newport Council and UKSE. Harris was faced…