HAMBURG

Hot on the heels of the Coventry-built electric London taxi making its German debut, a deal has been signed to roll it out in Hamburg as part of a new ride sharing service.

The mobility service provider ioki has announced it is the first German customer of the London Electric Vehicle Company's hybrid TX model, which is built at LEVC’s new factory in Ansty Park.

ioki is launching its new, integrated on-demand shuttle service in Hamburg together with the transport operator Verkehrsbetriebe Hamburg-Holstein (VHH).

TX taxis, which combine an electric motor with a small petrol generator, will be used as easily accessible shuttles that can be ordered by app and will use customised routes to get ride-sharers to their destination.

Developed as part of the Smart City partnership with Hamburg City Council, the “ioki Hamburg” shuttle is a new addition to public transport within Germany’s second largest city.

The system will be fully integrated with the city’s public transport network – meaning travel cards or tickets are valid on the shuttle.

Launched last year, ioki is German rail giant Deutsche Bahn’s new on-demand mobility company.

The firm uses the latest technology to make public transport more sustainable and more efficient.

This includes the use of ride sharing and other data-driven solutions to provide demand-responsive transport.

Their aim is to address the issue that many people in two Hamburg suburbs, Lurup and Osdorf, do not use public transport because of a lack of suitable first and last-mile transport.

As such, they work alongside other transport options such as the VHH to provide a seamless offering for customers – in turn boosting use of public transport.
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