The maker of this tiny electric taxi says it could cut traffic in half in 5 years

Brittany ChangNov 7, 2020, 20:02 IST

The EAV Taxi.Electric Assisted Vehicles

Electric Assisted Vehicles has unveiled a zero-emissions taxi that the company says can cut city traffic congestion in half in the next five years.
The tiny taxi is in part an upgraded electric bicycle, which means it'll be allowed to travel in both car and bike lanes.
According to EAV's chairman Nigel Gordon-Stewart in a statement, replacing a hybrid rideshare vehicle with an EAV Taxi could prevent about 10.14 tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually.

Electric Assisted Vehicles (EAV) has unveiled a tiny zero-emissions taxi that it says can cut city traffic congestion in half in the next five years.

The EAV Taxi isn't your typical New York City yellow cab. Instead, it's tiny, lightweight, and is in part an upgraded electric bicycle, which means the vehicle will be allowed to travel in both car and bike lanes, according to EAV's website.

The UK-based company that's developing this eco friendly taxi specializes in making micro-mobility cargo delivery units that are "engineered down from a van, not up from a bicycle."

This includes the EAV 2cubed, a last-mile electric cargo delivery vehicle that also serves as the base for the new EAV Taxi. Like the EAV 2cubed, the EAV Taxi has its maker's proprietary Cloudframe chassis with a front cab and a rear "pod" or "box," in this instance for human passengers.

According to EAV, about 65% of all taxis and "private hire vehicles" in the UK are hailed for one passenger traveling under five miles.

The EAV Taxi. Electric Assisted Vehicles

The introduction of the EAV Taxi could alleviate traffic congestion as the rideshare market continues to grow, in part because the new taxi is more efficient than traditional vans and cars, according to Barmby.

The EAV Taxi with its front cab lights on. Electric Assisted Vehicles

The introduction of the EAV Taxi could alleviate traffic congestion as the rideshare market continues to grow, in part because the new taxi is more efficient than traditional vans and cars, according to Barmby.

EAV has temporarily named its taxi "EAVGo!"

The EAV Taxi. Electric Assisted Vehicles

The unit has a gross vehicle mass of about 837.8 pounds and is about 9 feet long, 3.4 feet wide, and 6.4 feet tall.

The EAV Taxi. Electric Assisted Vehicles

The vehicle can carry up to two people in the suspension-equipped rear passenger area, which is lined with memory foam seats and cushions.

The EAV Taxi. Electric Assisted Vehicles

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The maker of this tiny electric taxi says it could cut traffic in half in 5 years

According to EAV, about 65% of all taxis and "private hire vehicles" in the UK are hailed for one passenger traveling under five miles.

The introduction of the EAV Taxi could alleviate traffic congestion as the rideshare market continues to grow, in part because the new taxi is more efficient than traditional vans and cars, according to Barmby.

EAV has temporarily named its taxi "EAVGo!"

The unit has a gross vehicle mass of about 837.8 pounds and is about 9 feet long, 3.4 feet wide, and 6.4 feet tall.

The vehicle can carry up to two people in the suspension-equipped rear passenger area, which is lined with memory foam seats and cushions.