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Our Drive to Extend Our EV Network
I am delighted to reveal our ambitious plans to extend the electric vehicle (EV) network in the North East and add a further 50 electric cars to our fleet.
The addition will boost the Phoenix’s turnover by half a million pounds and create 100 jobs in the next two years – as well as cementing our place as the country’s largest green taxi firm.
A key part of the expansion plans will feature further installation of charger points, which can charge vehicles within half an hour, around the North East.
Following the successful installation of a quick and a rapid charger point at Newcastle University, we are now seeking to partner up with at least five more hosts in the region.
The idea is that as well as extending the EV network so our drivers can re-charge further afield, we can also offer a priority service for the host organisations and we will open up the use of the charge points for their staff as well.
This is also a fantastic way for us to support businesses wishing to reduce carbon emissions and helping them achieve Carbon Management Plan and Travel Plan targets.
In our business, being green isn’t something that is mandatory, but it is something that we feel passionately about and is important to us. Being green is about improving the environment, rather than purely business needs. This is just the start for us – we want to be totally electric by 2018.
If you’re interested contact me directly to discuss details further on 01670 540222 or email contact@phoenixtaxis.net.
Alex Hurst
February 2017
‘An Unlikely Eco Warrior’
Concern over climate change and the environment have never been more prevalent than in today’s world.
The taxi and private hire industry in many ways has been slow to keep up. The benefits to the company/driver of running their vehicle from diesel petroleum, giving them more miles per gallon (and therefore more profit) despite the known increase in air pollution is trade off that can be hard to resist.
Northumberland has a wealth of forward thinking, renewable energy sites and companies within its borders including Catapult Offshore renewable Energy, NAREC and RWE Innogy but with the vast majority of the county being rural, the concept of having a taxi/private hire company using electric vehicles might have seemed like a pipe dream to some people – the kind of thing you would expect to find in Tokyo, San Francisco or London, but certainly not here.
However, being fortunate enough to live and operate out of somewhere as picturesque as Northumberland, maintaining the environment is something we were deeply passionate about. In 1997 we began the journey of becoming an industry leader in green transportation. We converted the majority of our vehicles to run on liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and invested in hybrid vehicles including the Toyota Prius – a vehicle that received a large amount of press around its release and became a favourite with celebrities worldwide. In 2011, we became the first UK company to use Nissan’s 100% electric LEAF as a taxi. The area had little to offer in regards to EV infrastructure – so we installed charge points at our offices in Blyth. The LEAF proved hugely popular with customers – so we purchased more – and by September 2013, we were proud to announce that we had cut our carbon footprint by a third (compared with 2010). In 2014 we were awarded the coveted Pro Driver Magazine “QSi Silver” award for our environmental efforts. We then began installing charge points around Northumberland, including one at Newcastle University.
Following the success of the LEAF, we purchased the 100% electric Tesla Model S in 2015. This incredible feat of technology not only produces zero carbon emissions but turns heads everywhere it goes, providing a dream combination of being both environmentally-friendly and luxurious to travel in. The Model S is very popular, not only with our corporate clients but also for weddings and people who want to travel in style.
Our monthly carbon reports to our corporate clients prove the difference our green vehicles make.
A total of 1404.87kg of carbon emissions were saved in October compared
to the performance of a standard diesel fleet. This is the equivalent to the
amount of CO2 produced in 3,345 miles driven by an average passenger vehicle
Plans for immediate expansion include the acquisition of another Model S and upgrading our LEAFs batteries to allow further range, with the longer term plan of being the UKs first 100% electric fleet – demonstrating to people of any industry that with a goal and determination, you really can make diamonds from coal.
Pete McDonald
November 2015
‘The Award Winning Phoenix Taxis’
November has been a successful month at Phoenix Taxis. The number of customers we collect on a weekly basis has topped 50,000 for the first time and we’ve been honoured at two separate events for our commitment to quality and innovation.
Linden Hall hosted the annual ‘Northumberland Business Awards’ on Thursday November 12th where a range of businesses from across our great county came together to celebrate all that is positive about business in Northumberland. Phoenix Taxis was nominated for both the ‘Innovation’ award and the ‘Best Green’ award. The strength of business in Northumberland and the sheer range of services that we offer as a county meant that to be simply nominated by the judges was a huge honour. We won ‘Best Green’ business on the night.
Our commitment to our environment is well known. We are known across the moto industry as ‘pioneers’ in our field for being the first ever United Kingdom Based taxi firm to run an Electric Vehicle as a taxi. Our fame has spread across the world with taxi firms in Amsterdam, Belfast, London, Perth Australia and beyond have been in touch to tap into our ‘green knowledge’. Nissan headquarters in Japan even got in touch to ask ‘how do you do it?’ as the release of Nissan’s LEAF taxi had been met with suspicion from the taxi industry the world over.
The truth is that we didn’t have to do much. Northumberland is one of the United Kingdom’s most naturally beautiful counties and the people of Northumberland, our customers, bought into our low carbon straight away. The LEAF remains our most popular car amongst drivers and customers alike and since we started we’ve saved enough carbon to fly to New York and back from London 200 times.
We returned to London for the annual QSI awards which judges taxi and private hire firms from across the United Kingdom. Nominated in the ‘Environmental’ category (which we received silver for in 2014), we were also nominated for the ‘Best Large Operator (80+ cars)’ award – for which we won Gold in 2014. To be nominated again as THE best taxi firm in the country was a tremendous honour and fingers were crossed that lightening could strike twice.
The United Kingdom has over 3,000 registered taxi and private hire firms, so to come out on top of that list is humbling. The other finalists included taxi industry giant, Addison Lee, who were the stand out nomination in an incredibly talented field of finalists. In such a crowded market place, it takes an incredible level of commitment, innovation and customer service delivery to even stand out. We’re delighted to say Phoenix Taxis again won Gold in the category for ‘Best Large Operator (80+ cars).’
To win the award again caps off another incredible year for the company. We remain the leading ‘green’ taxi firm in the UK with over 30 Electric vehicles on the road. Our extensive customer base has continued to grow at pace and we’ve invested over £100,000 already in our new taxi dispatch platform (launches early 2016) which will revolutionise the taxi booking experience for customers across the North East.
To win the support of our peers in Northumberland and the support of our peers in our industry is something we’re hugely grateful for. We couldn’t have done it without our committed team of staff and drivers and our loyal customers based in Northumberland and beyond.
Thank you.
Alex Hurst
November 2015