Swiss role for olectric taxis
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"WO Swiss tourist resorts, with a general ban on motor Follicles, have recently introduced battery-electric taxis to upplement fleets of horse-drawn cabs.
Saas-Fee and Zermatt, in the Valais region of southern ;witzerland, are now using purpose-built six-passenger forward :ontrol vehicles in which a patented system of stepless thyristor ontrol provides smooth acceleration to a maximum speed of 15km/h (15.5mph).
Independent drive to each ear wheel, by 48V, 4kW raction motors, improves perormance, especially under vinter conditions on slippery Dads. • The vehicles — eight are now use — were built by Pfander .G. of Dubendorf and have Hoy bodywork on a light steel hassis frame. Unladen wetcht
; 1,400kg (3,090Ib) which The Pfander battery-electric taxi. icludes a 700kg battery pack giving a range, between charging, f 60km (37 miles).
The Pfander system of rapid battery replacement utilises uick-release terminals and a manual pallet-type lift truck to remove nd replace units through access doors at the rear of the taxi. A Dmplete exchange cycle only takes three minutes.
For adequate driver and passenger comfort in cold weather pe,ration an Eberspacher petrol-burning heater is fitted. 'Overall length of the Pfander taxi is 3.3m (1 Oft 10in) and overall idth is 1.3m (4ft 31/2in). The wheelbase is 1.63m.