Behind the specially designed electric vehicles, according to the consultants , there is a “considerable potential” for car manufacturers. Especially because they combine two current megatrends in the industry: Electro-mobility and the increasing use of carpooling services.

The fact that the cars are planned from the outset for use as a taxi has several advantages for the manufacturers. According to the study, they can be produced for half the cost of an ordinary car because of their lower degree of complexity. In addition, car makers could better achieve the CO₂ goals of their fleets by using e-models. Passengers, in turn, should benefit from more comfort and lower costs. Specifically, Roland Berger calculates mileage costs between 50 and 80 cents. In perspective, they could even sink to below 30 cents when the cars are underway in the future as driverless robotic taxis.

That it’s not a distant future vision is shown by other car makers including but not limited to General Motors. The US automotive group has already applied for the registration of such taxis without a steering wheel and an accelerator pedal. A production-ready vehicle is supposedly already available. As reported by the Welt , GM plans to bring about 2,500 self-driven versions of the Chevrolet Bolt electric car on the road in the coming year. The company wants to first stir up the market for car-sharing services, reports automobil-produktion.de.