The world premiere of the Volkswagen Milano Taxi shows just how a large-scale production taxi driven by an electric motor might look like. The car is a city MPV purpose-built for the needs of taxi drivers and their passengers. The details such as a swivel-sliding door that opens in a forward direction and customizable taxi touchscreens prove that.
The concept car is painted in green and black, a tribute to the fashion metropolis of Milan, where taxis were once painted in precisely this color combination. The styling of the car has similarities to the legendary Volkswagen Samba bus, but the details and the whole aspect are modern.
“One door less is all the more for a taxi”, said Walter de Silva, head of design of the Volkswagen Group, an idea that had crucial impact on the car’s technical and visual concept. The car has only two doors: one for the driver and one for the passengers on the right side. The single swivel-sliding door opens far forward on the passenger’s side, offering a broad entrance. That’s opposed to the compact exterior dimensions of the car, obviously a plus in a crowded city. The Milano Taxi is 1.60 metres tall, 3.73 metres long and 1.66 metres wide.
It is powered by an electric motor with a peak output of 85 kW, giving the car a top speed of 74.5 mph (120 km/h). Energy is supplied from a lithium ion battery integrated in the underbody, giving the taxi a range of up to 300 kilometers. The storage battery can be recharged to up to 80 percent of its total capacity in just over one hour.
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