SMRT Road Holdings has announced that the first batch of 15 electric taxis has been launched in Singapore. The new vehicles are operated by Strides Taxi. The launch is a part of a total of 300 electric vehicles (EV) the are expected to be operational in the country by the end of 2021.
The new EV are called MG5. The vehicles can travel for up to 300 km on a single charge and takes 40 minutes to charge to 80 per cent capacity. Around 140 EV charging points are currently available across 80 locations in Singapore. Strides Taxi is offering free rental on the MG5 vehicle and unlimited charging for the first 30 days to encourage early adopters.
In April 2021, SMRT, the national transport operator, announced its plans to have an entirely electric entire taxi fleet by 2026, reducing its total carbon footprint by an estimated 20,000 tonnes annually.