Less than ONE IN FIVE minicabs in London currently meet new emissions licensing requirements

Less than one in five Private Hire Vehicles (PHV) licensed in the capital are compliant with recent Transport for London (TfL) emissions licensing requirements.

Based on September 2021 PHV fleet licensing information, around 14,000 vehicles of the 78,000 minicabs licensed in the capital are complaint with PHV Zero Emission Capable (ZEC) licensing requirements. Of these, more than 4,700 are pure electric which equates to 6% of the total fleet.

To meet the current PHV ZEC licensing requirement a vehicle must as a minimum, meet the Euro 6 emissions standard if an internal combustion engine is part of the vehicle specification (i.e. hybrid vehicles).

In comparison to the licensed taxi industry, cabbies have been faster in their move to become green. There are 4,631 electric black cabs working in the capital equating to one third of the fleet size now emissions free capable.

From 1 January 2023, all PHVs licensed for the first time must be ZEC.

Until then all PHVs licensed for the first time must meet new emission requirements brought in from January 2020. PHVs under 18 months old must be zero emission capable (ZEC) and meet the Euro 6 emissions standard when licensed for the first time. Alternatively PHVs over 18 months old must have a Euro 6 (petrol or diesel) engine when licensed for the first time.