More charging stations for electric taxis in Brussels

Taxi drivers in Brussels who make an effort to go green with an electric vehicle will see more charging stations for their cars, due to a partnership with French charging station operator Electra.

Electra will open new fast charging stations in and around Brussels in the coming months and give taxi drivers preferential rates to use them, Bruzz reports.

There is currently just one Electra charging station in the city - in Uccle - but it is planning for a total of 18 in the Brussels region.

Some should open in the next six months in Anderlecht, Jette, Berchem-Sainte-Agathe and Schaerbeek, while others will be located near the ring road. Each charging station will have four to six charging points.

“Taxi drivers need an extra push to switch to electric driving,” said Victor Van Eeckhoudt of Electra.

“Our intention is to show that electric driving is advantageous, that it can be fast and can be pleasant.”

Of the 1,000 or so taxi drivers with Taxis Verts, only about 30 are driving fully electric today, Van Eeckhoudt said, but by 2025 all new taxis in Brussels must be emission-free.

Most of Electra's charging stations will be located near supermarkets or residential projects, such as at the Nautilus project in Anderlecht and in car parks of Delhaize shops. There, drivers can do their shopping while charging, said Van Eeckhoudt.

“We also make administration simple: drivers can download their invoices monthly and reserve a charging point in advance,” Van Eeckhoudt said.

At Elecrta’s fast charging stations, a taxi can charge in 15 minutes to half an hour.

Taxis Verts is the largest operator of street taxis in Brussels and owned by car distributor D'Ieteren. Electra and D'Ieteren had already invested together in the promised fast charging points at Delhaize, though Electra said it was open to cooperation with other taxi companies, as well.

By 2030, the company wants to open 250 fast charging stations across all of Belgium.