Rapid electric taxi charging points may now be in use across the Capital, but what’s the best solution for full overnight charging if you live in an apartment block?
Back in May the City of London installed its first rapid electric taxi charging point, to be used by the ever-expanding group of licensed ZEC taxis operating on the Capital’s roads. The rapid charging network allows faster and more efficient charging of your electric licensed taxi, so you can charge whilst on the move. But, as most cabbies plug in for a full 7-8 hour charge overnight at home, what happens when home is a block of flats and your cab is overnighting in a carpark?
Up until now many of the flat-dwelling licensed London taxi drivers we advise on accountancy and tax had thought they were locked out of the EV transport revolution – because they were unable to install a home-based electric charging point.
As there are so many financial benefits to our clients when they choose to make the switch to a zero-emission capable taxi, including tax incentives and grants, we decided to dig a little deeper.
New builds are increasing coming with electric vehicle charging as standard. But existing apartment blocks and flats will require electric charging points that can be installed into the existing infrastructure.
We discovered a simple system from Future Fuel, designed for landlords/communal apartments, and asked director Jamie Willsdon whether this could be the answer for flat-dwelling licensed London taxi drivers frustrated by their inability to charge at home.
He said, “London cabbies are leading the way when it comes to electric vehicle adoption. With so many central London residents living in apartments and communal residences the issue of home-based charging is one which we must get right. Through Future Fuel the existing landlord/communal area supply service distribution equipment can be extended, and a dedicated distribution board installed to feed the new charging points. It should also be possible for all wiring to charge point locations to be run using the building’s existing wiring containment system, ensuring the installation is as discrete as possible”.
“As the biggest issue on most installations is the lease we also partner with PM Legal Services to provide a route for clients through the minefield of leasehold covenants and clauses which can put hurdles in the way of improvement projects – and electric charging points are no exception”.
If you are a licensed London taxi driver living in a block of flats, and you’d like to approach your landlord to request electric charging points are installed, consider the following:
- Who are the parties to the lease?
- How owns the area where the charging point will be installed?
- How will the supply for the charging point be catered for?
- How are the costs going to be met for both installation, ongoing maintenance and the electricity supply itself?
At Oscar Fairchild we’re excited to be supporting licensed London taxi drivers as they lead the adoption of EV vehicles across the Capital and come ever closer to the Mayor of London’s goal of making the city’s black cab taxi fleet the greenest in the world.
Kim Redwood-Lee advises: “There are plenty of business, finance and lifestyle reasons why you might want to consider investing in the switch to an electric taxi. We’ve noticed a significant uplift in the number licensed cabbie clients calling to chat through the costs and potential savings. Evaluating the pros and cons is not something to do alone, and the team here at Oscar Fairchild is on hand to help licensed black taxi drivers decide the best way forward for them.”
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*Transport for London – https://tfl.gov.uk/modes/driving/electric-vehicles-and-rapid-charging
About Oscar Fairchild
Oscar Fairchild is an experienced accountancy and bookkeeping practice based in Billericay, Essex. We offer a comprehensive range of services including Self-Assessment, Annual Returns, VAT Returns, Credit Control, Payroll, Auto Enrolment Pensions, and Management Accounts. We work with SMEs, businesses in the construction sector, and a wide range of industries in between – including licensed London taxi drivers – across London, Essex, and Hertfordshire.
Contact us today to learn how our flexible, outsourced accountancy and bookkeeping services can provide reliable, expert support for your business.
