Green News: Volkswagen Milano Taxi EV Concept

Volkswagen has announced that it will launch its first production electric vehicles in 2013. Electric cars that are driven emissions-free will revolutionise mobility over the mid-term, especially in urban areas. However, Volkswagen is not just thinking of individual mobility here, but is also considering its possibilities as a vehicle in public transportation.

That is why Volkswagen is now showing – in a world premiere at the Hanover Trade Show – just how a large-scale production taxi driven by an electric motor might look. The “Milano Taxi” concept car that has been created is a city MPV tailored to the needs of taxi drivers and their passengers in its many innovative details such as a swivel-sliding door that opens in a forward direction and customisable taxi touchscreens.

The Milano Taxi, with its top speed of 120 km/h is driven by an electric motor with a peak power of 85 kW (continuous power: 50 kW). The motor is supplied with energy via a lithium-ion battery integrated in the concept car’s underbody. Thanks to the implemented battery storage capacity of 45 Kilowatt-hours (kWh) and the relatively low vehicle weight (1,500 kilograms), despite the battery, it is possible to cover distances of up to 300 kilometres (per NEDC) depending on driving style. The storage battery can readily be recharged to up to 80 percent of its total capacity in just over one hour, the exact time depending on the available recharging infrastructure and battery’s momentary charge state.

Credits: wilswong