Are Taxi and Private Hire Drivers Being Left Behind in the UK’s EV Transition?
If you follow national policy announcements, you'd be forgiven for thinking the UK’s electric vehicle transition is already well underway. Government grants, net zero commitments and local licensing targets have put electric taxis firmly on the roadmap especially in cities like London, Birmingham and Glasgow.
But if you ask the drivers themselves, the picture looks very different.
The latest National Taxi and Private Hire Driver Survey reveals that, outside of a few urban centres, EV uptake among taxi professionals is still remarkably low. And it's not for lack of awareness - drivers know where the industry is headed. The real issue is that many simply don’t see how they can afford to get there.
Rising vehicle costs, insufficient charging infrastructure, and limited support for self-employed drivers are just some of the barriers keeping the trade in diesel for longer. As policy moves in one direction, driver sentiment is holding steady in another and the result is a growing disconnect between ambition and reality.
Why Drivers Are Holding Back
Most drivers we speak to understand that the future is electric. But when your livelihood depends on staying on the road and margins are already tight, switching to a vehicle that’s more expensive, harder to refuel, and often ill-suited to longer or rural jobs just doesn’t stack up.
The average cost of an electric taxi is still significantly higher than its diesel counterpart, even with grants. Factor in the cost of a home charger, which many drivers can’t install due to lack of off-street parking, and the sums start to fall apart.
And then there’s infrastructure. While urban centres like London have made strides in public charging provision, regional inequality remains stark. For drivers operating in Yorkshire, the South West or Wales, finding a reliable charge point can mean long detours or wasted hours, luxuries self-employed drivers can’t afford.
Local licensing policies add another layer of inconsistency. Some councils are mandating electric vehicles as part of clean air strategies, while others haven’t updated their standards in years. The result? Confusion, fragmentation and frustration.
Without a joined-up, realistic approach that reflects the day-to-day reality of life behind the wheel, the transition risks leaving thousands of drivers behind.
What the National Picture Tells Us
At face value, the EV transition seems to be gaining traction across the industry. According to the National Taxi and Private Hire Driver Survey, just over a quarter of drivers (26.6%) have already made the switch to an electric vehicle — with a further 40.2% planning to follow within the next 12 months.
When asked how they planned to fund the change, drivers were fairly evenly split between buying outright (39.2%), leasing (33.5%) and renting (23.5%). It’s clear that despite significant cost hurdles, many in the industry are actively preparing for the future.
That said, it’s not a done deal. Roughly a third of drivers (33.3%) have no intention to transition within the next year and their reasons tell a familiar story: poor access to charging, high upfront costs, limited range, and uncertainty about EVs’ true environmental impact. While most drivers recognise that EVs produce fewer pollutants on the road, some remain unconvinced about their full lifecycle impact — particularly around battery production and disposal.
The Regional Reality Check
Zoom in, and that national momentum doesn’t look quite so even.
Access to home charging varies massively across the UK. In Yorkshire & the Humber, just 2.3/10 drivers said they could charge their vehicle at home — the lowest score of any region. The South East and North West didn’t fare much better, while Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales reported far higher levels of home charging access.
This disparity helps explain why enthusiasm for EVs is strongest in urban areas with better infrastructure, and far more cautious in regions that are being left behind. It also makes clear that “range anxiety” isn’t just a consumer problem — it’s a daily operational concern for professional drivers who can’t afford downtime.
With almost 50% of UK homes classed as either terraced or flats, the public charging network is a lifeline for many drivers. But right now, the survey’s average rating for that network is just 5.1/10!
Until that’s addressed, expecting uniform progress across the country simply isn’t realistic.
What Needs to Change
The industry isn’t resistant to change — it’s asking for a fairer shot at making it work.
If we want taxi and private hire drivers to be part of the EV transition, we need to close the gap between policy ambition and operational reality. That means moving beyond blanket targets and addressing the real-world challenges drivers face.
1. Level up charging infrastructure
Investment in public charging can’t just be focused on city centres. Regional rollouts — particularly in suburbs and rural areas — need to accelerate. And the infrastructure needs to be designed with taxi drivers in mind: fast, reliable, and located where work actually happens.
2. Offer tailored support for drivers
Grants and schemes often target fleet operators or those with off-street parking. But the trade is full of self-employed drivers working long hours and living in flats or terraced housing. Future schemes need to reflect that reality — whether through portable charger access, designated taxi-only bays, or enhanced leasing options.
3. Create consistent local licensing policy
Right now, a driver’s experience of the EV transition depends entirely on where they’re licensed. A more consistent national framework, backed by local investment and realistic timelines, would go a long way toward restoring trust and creating momentum.
The will is there. The infrastructure, policy clarity and support still aren’t. Until those pieces fall into place, the risk isn’t that drivers won’t switch. It’s that they’ll be expected to without the tools to do so safely or sustainably.