Forget black cabs, VW’s latest concept proves the future of taxis is green! Called the Milano Taxi Concept and finished in the traditional green and black colours of Milan cabs, this show car made its debut this week at the Hanover Trade Show in Germany.
Intended as a study into the viability of a mass-market, zero-emissions taxi, the Milano uses a large lithium-ion battery pack mounted on the underside of the vehicle. The result is a power output of 84 kW, but thanks to a relatively low kerbweight of 1 500 kg, a top speed of 120 km/h and a range of 300 kilometres is possible on a single charge. The storage battery can readily be recharged to up to 80 percent of its total capacity in just over one hour.
But it’s not just the powertrain that’s forward thinking. Despite being short and narrow, the Milano can comfortably seat two passengers in the back. The front of the car is taken up with the driver’s seat and alongside that a storage area for bags. An LCD display mounted on the back of the drivers seat allows passengers to see an overview of the chosen route, pay the fare, or adjust the climate control functions in the back.
To promote safety, passengers can only enter and leave the vehicle on the curb side. “One door less is all the more for a taxi,” is what Walter de Silva, Head of Design for the Volkswagen Group remarked about the decision to remove the rear driver’s side door. The design team developed a new hinge mechanism for the passenger door allowing it to swing forward creating a wide and tall opening. The glass paneled roof of the vehicle takes inspiration from the Volkswagen Samba Bus of the 1950’s, although the Milano follows VW’s range of efficient Up! concepts. The open roof provides lots of light in the passenger area during the day and allows for panoramic viewing of urban architecture.
VW has confirmed that its first first all-electric vehicle will go on sale in 2013.
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