Rapid charger hub launched for Dundee's electric taxis

Dundee City Council has installed a set of rapid charging units to promote electric taxi use.

The council appointed eVolt to supply four Raption 50kW Rapid Chargers and three 22kW eVolve chargers at the new electric vehicle hub at Aimer Square. The Rapid Chargers are capable of charging two vehicles simultaneously at full power in approximately 30 minutes.

Aimer Square is the first of three rapid charging hubs to be introduced in Dundee in 2018 through the Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV) Go Ultra Low programme. 

Dundee selected the hub locations based on commuter routes and used a questionnaire sent to the city’s taxi drivers to get their opinions on where the hubs should be sited.

Fraser Crichton, transport officer at Dundee City Council, said: “The rapid chargers have been in use at Aimer Square since the beginning of April. They have were used over 700 times in the 10 days since opening, including over 100 different users. There are currently 94 pure electric taxis in use in Dundee and we hope to see more drivers make the transition.”

A further two rapid chargers will be installed at Aimer Square later this year. The other two hubs will also be completed this year, with four rapid chargers and two eVolve chargers being installed at Queen Street car park, and six rapid chargers and three eVolve chargers being installed on Prince’s Street in the city centre.