Blog of RENAULT NISSAN Alliance

The launch of a green taxi initiative in Zurich is proof that the World Economic Forum really does help to put change in motion. The new programme, which will feature a fleet of pure electric Nissan LEAF taxis, was created by a group of the Forum's Global Shapers and announced in Davos on Friday.

Global Shapers are young people nominated by the Forum for their exceptional contribution to their communities, and the Zurich group or Hub is the driving force behind this latest ecological innovation. With an initial fleet of ten Nissan LEAFs, the programme is set for rapid expansion in the near future. By 2015, it is hoped that electric vehicles will represent 15% of all Zurich taxis.

The first fleet of Nissan LEAFs will be powered via a small network of fast chargers using 100 per cent renewable energy. Within the next two years, the city will be equipped with more and more chargers, capable of replenishing a battery from 30 to 80 per cent capacity in just 15 minutes.

Not content to rest on their laurels, the Global Shapers are planning to recreate the scheme in other cities. With Hubs based all over the world, the community has ample potential for boosting zero-emission transportation and helping to make a real impact on urban pollution.

For full details, read the press release.