Electrify Oxford  is an exciting new campaign bringing the clean air benefits of electric vehicles (EVs) to your local community.

During the current time, our taxi project providing EV trials and drop in sessions has been paused in line with government advice. We look forward to re-starting this project as soon as it’s considered safe to do so.

Scroll down to find out more or jump ahead to get involved.

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How it works

We only have one chance to drive clean air for the next generation – how can we make a difference in the way that we travel?  Our reliance on fossil fuels as a society is mirrored in our current transport options. We believe that taxis and taxi drivers can be the catalysts for change, as they are highly visible and highly accessible. Whilst taxi drivers are facing greater pressures from increasingly ‘green’ government mandates, we want to work alongside them, in partnership, demonstrating how EVs are feasible for their regular driving needs, and highlight how they can act as EV champions.

Electric Vehicles – Benefiting Your Health Road transport is a serious contributor to air pollution – which is one of the biggest threats to public health. Many of us, especially those within urban centres or close to major transport routes, face long-term exposure to harmful pollutants. By driving the uptake of EVs, we can help to tackle this serious pollution problem, creating healthier environments for healthier lives. In fact, a study conducted in 2006 found that by reducing particulate matter (one of the key air pollutants from tailpipe emissions) by 10 µg/m3*, the lifespan in the UK would be extended by 5 times more than by eliminating casualties on our roads, or 3 times more than by eliminating passive smoking**

 

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Working together

We are working with Oxford City Council on their initiative to electrify the region’s taxi fleet in a bid to drastically improve air quality in the local area.  By accelerating the electrification of taxis, Oxford City Council is carving a pathway for others to follow in their own transition to zero-emission transport, because the infrastructure for charging and supply will already be in place.  We invite all local businesses and organisations to join the movement.

Together, we can improve air quality and public health – let’s electrify Oxford!  We are raising awareness of the benefits of EVs across business and residential communities and, by encouraging local support, we are promoting the demand for EVs to be available and accessible, right on your doorstep. Given the choice between petrol/diesel or electric, which would you choose?

Electrify Oxford is backed by:

Interested? - join the revolution today

Act Now

Ready to join the revolution? Here’s how you can support Electrify Oxford for free:

Local businesses

Will you lead your community by example? Will you strive to use electric taxis, or companies with electric delivery vehicles, to and from your workplace? With the advancement of EVs in the UK, and the growth of the EV market in Oxford, your business can join the electric rEVolution, and aspire to raise the profile of environmentally-friendly choices. Add our logo to your website and prove your environmental credentials! ‘Act Now’ to demonstrate your commitment to cleaner air for your area!

Local residents

All we ask of you, as passengers and customers, is to join the movement by choosing zero emission where possible. Can you choose an electric taxi on your next journey or a company that delivers with EVs?

If you are in favour of cleaner air in your local community, use #ElectricRevolution to join the conversation, and tell us how you are engaging with this campaign.

Trailblazers

Do you have an EV charger at your workplace,  site offices or car park?  Have you got zero-emission vehicles in your fleet?  Are you driving a zero-emission vehicle?

We want to hear from you and make sure that people in you area know that they can choose clean air, by choosing your business!

Electrify Activities in your area

Oxford City Council is doing many things to promote cleaner air and reduce congestion and noise pollution around the city.

During the current time, our taxi project providing EV trials and drop in sessions has been paused in line with government advice. We look forward to re-starting this project as soon as it’s considered safe to do so.

This is all about the air you breathe and Oxford City Council has adopted plans for a Zero-Emission Zone (ZEZ).  You can find out about it through the hashtag #ZEZ

Upcoming events:

The EV Summit 2020 – December 15th 2020 : brought to you by Green.TV

EV Driver Trials throughout 2020:

WOWZEZ! This is a brilliant opportunity to get involved! Calling all taxi drivers.  We invite you to participate in a 2 or 4 week e-Taxi trial. Fully licensed and insured, with accessible vehicles available. Taxi drivers engaging with the trial in the Oxford region are granted 24 hour support and a range of activities (including training events and face-to-face drop-ins) to enable a better understanding of transitioning to an EV.

You can register via our ONLINE BOOKING FORM

Whats the air pollution picture in the area?

The city of Oxford, in common with many urban areas throughout the United Kingdom, is
subject to poor air quality, particularly in areas with high levels of road traffic. In the city,
nitrogen dioxide (NO2) continues to be the pollutant of most concern, and transport is the most significant source of emissions of oxides of nitrogen (NO+NO2), commonly called NOX. Traffic accounts for 17% of emissions. The process of review and assessment of air quality in Oxford has been taking place since 1999. There have been significant improvements in pollutant levels, with more still to be done.   (Full details can be found here.)

In 2010, the whole of the city of Oxford was declared as an Air Quality Management Area
(AQMA) and an Air Quality Action Plan (AQAP) was adopted by the Council in 2013.  The current average pollution level is measured here.

Oxford's Air Quality Plans

Did you know...?

By converting to EVs, we will dramatically reduce the damage caused by harmful emissions from vehicles. Current petrol and diesel vehicles produce pollutants which negatively impact both the environment, and our health. We are raising awareness with an EV solution, and by working together, we can improve air quality in our community – benefiting everyone, including you!

£20bn a year

The adverse impact on public health caused by pollution costs the UK economy more than £20 billion a year.

40,000

40,000 deaths are attributable to exposure to outdoor air pollution, according to a 2016 report. The World Health Organisation estimates this figure could be 7 million across the world each year.

One fifth

Greenhouse gas emissions from road transport make up around a fifth of UK greenhouse gas emission and affects air quality at the roadside.

Red Zone

Oxford City Council and Oxfordshire County Council are proposing to introduce a zero emission zone (ZEZ) in Oxford city centre, including a ‘Red Zone’ with a road user charging scheme.

About Electric Blue

Electric Blue is powering positive change, through supporting the electrification of all vehicles in the UK. Primarily, our aim is to provide analysis-led information and advice to businesses across all sectors, for converting specific vehicle fleets (such as taxis) to EVs. We are also a key developer in the building and management of EV Charging Networks within the UK.  With the goal being clean air, all of our chargers are powered by 100% renewable energy.  As a Go Ultra Low Fleet ourselves, we are champions of fleet electrification and advocate for a cleaner air society across the UK.

Electric Blue

Any questions?

Here we answer some frequently asked questions to help you take the next step towards Electrify Oxford.

Don’t worry – there is no cost for your business to appear on our website.  All we ask for is your permission to use your company logo on our website.

Keep an eye on this Electrify Oxford campaign page to see who is using electric vehicles.  You can also find out more about how the #ElectricRevolution is gaining support around the country through social media channels.

For further information about services in your area, you can also visit Oxford City Council’s facebook page.  For a comprehensive network of low carbon and cleantech businesses in Oxfordshire, visit: OxfordshireGreenTech

We are particularly keen to speak to taxi firms and their drivers (including self-employed and private hire vehicles) and are working with the regional transport team to engage directly with these key players. We are proud to have worked alongside some drivers who were ‘early adopters’ of EVs over the last few years and are excited to continue our relationship with them throughout the Electrify movement.  We are also interested to engage with small and medium businesses who use road vehicles for commercial purposes.

If you – or anyone you know – would be interested to speak about the opportunities provided by ‘going electric’, please do drop us an email with contact details below and we’ll take it from there!

Concerns around the battery power in EVs are common and justified. However, the vehicles that we work with and will be supporting fleets to adopt, are all capable of doing more than 100 miles on a single charge. This is the typical mileage for a day’s work, and allows enough distance to cover most out of city journeys, including – for example – airport runs.

Sometimes an EV needs to be charged during a journey. In light of this, we are supporting the installation of a rapid charger network – in which batteries charge in 20 minutes or less – the proportion of which is located within the vicinity of major transport links, motorways and airports. The support package offer from Electrify will equip drivers to understand the most efficient use of their EV, from driving and charging techniques through to maintenance so that they can be sure, where possible, charging does not interfere with customer-time.

The campaign is a no-obligation movement, intended to encourage local support of wider EV usage, with the overall goal of improving air quality. By showcasing local businesses who have already joined the EV movement, we are offering your customers the choice of EV, when and where possible. We are confident that customers will only have positive experiences from choosing and using EVs. Electric Blue will be on hand to support you with how to explain and provide information on EVs to your staff and customers.

Through the campaign, Electric Blue is contacting and enabling local businesses to support the movement toward cleaner air.  This will be conducted by phone calls and network sessions – through various channels such as Chamber of Commerce, BID (Business Improvement District).  We simply ask the question: Are businesses willing to switch their bookings to Electric Taxis? If so, we ask for their support by allowing us to use their logo on our Electrify web pages, social media and digital and printed literature about the campaign.

Businesses can expect free advertisement of their logo on the website, joint marketing forces via social media, and they can be part of the #ElectricRevolution which is beneficial in showcasing their green agenda and marketing.

The Public can expect to see hear more about #ElectricTaxis and hopefully make the decision to change their next booking to a zero-emission #taxidriver.  They will know that their small change actions are helping to improve the air quality in their community. We encourage passengers to share their experience in an EV by tweeting or posting on Facebook  with #ElectricRevolution or #ZEZ or via our website.

Our objective is to gain 25+ company logos – and, with the help of Oxford City Council, we would then like to engage with the local taxi companies to show the demand for cleaner air and cleaner taxis gathered from the campaign.

We are currently supporting the transition to electric vehicles for the Hackney Carriage taxi trade in Oxford, providing free EVolve reports based on actual vehicle activity, giving operators the data they need to compare their current running costs to that of an EV.  Drivers will also be able to experience using a Hackney EV during 2020 via the ‘Try Before You Buy’ subsidised driver trials, supporting #taxidrivers to try a zero-emissions vehicle for themselves. If you are a Hackney operator interested in trialling an EV drop us an email below.

* µg/m3 = the concentration of an air pollutant, given in micrograms per cubic metre of air.
** https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/health-matters-air-pollution/health-matters-air-pollution

Still have a burning question about Electrify? Get in touch today and one of the Electric Blue team will gladly answer your questions.

Act Now - Join the Electric Revolution Today

If you or your business would like to support the #ElectricRevolution please send us your ideas and/or company logo. Alternatively, if you’ve any questions about the campaign, please do get in touch.
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