Kiev’s Electric Taxis Bolster National Security

In addition to providing clear economic and environmental benefits, fleet electrification has clear national security implications as well. Nowhere is this situation more apparent than in Ukraine, which is currently fighting a war against Russian invaders who have annexed part of their country and are supporting a bloody insurgency in along the Russian-Ukrainian border. Electrifying Ukraine’s taxi fleet will help the country reduce its traditional dependence on Russian energy imports while also cutting the level of corruption in the economy.

The Oxygen Group has launched a new electric taxi service in Kiev (or "Kyiv") in the summer of 2016 and hopes to have 50 electric vehicles in its fleet by the fall. By June 1, there were 1,727 electric vehicles in Ukraine and the number of imports is growing quickly. Currently all the vehicles are Nissan Leafs. “Each vehicle offers free Wi-Fi, the use of a tablet, payment terminals for paying fares, and even the use of an umbrella from the vehicle to the client’s door, if it’s raining,” according to the Kyiv Post.

The company has installed high power chargers in the city and is about to install three more in the suburbs. These stations can charge the cars in a matter of minutes. The taxis will have to recharge two to three times a day if they are in constant use, but drivers will not have to spend more than an hour a day charging.

The company plans to pay all taxes, which will distinguish it from most cab services in Ukraine, where 95 percent of the taxi industry operates in the shadow economy, according to the Kyiv Post. The taxes will make prices slightly higher than conventional taxis, but the entrepreneurs hope that customers will be willing to pay more for clean fuel and legal service.