Jaguar I-Pace takes the FIGHT to Mercedes taxis in Munich

Jaguar has delivered 10 I-Pace electric SUVs to Munich’s largest taxi firm as it starts to take on Mercedes’ dominance of the German taxi market.

If you’ve ever been to Germany and used a taxi, there’s a better than even chance that taxi was a Mercedes, because Mercedes models – especially the E-Class – have been the default German taxi for as long as we can remember.

But if you go to Munich now (well, from August), you’ll actually find that not every taxi is a Mercedes, even if it looks like it, because Jaguar has now delivered 10 I-Pace electric SUVs to the largest taxi firm in Munich, long before Mercedes has a chance to do the same with their electric EQ C (which won’t arrive until 2019).

It’s a sensible move by Jaguar to steal a bit of a march on Mercedes, and Munich, with it’s poor air quality, is a good target, especially as Munich’s local government are subsidising taxi trips in EVs by 20 cents per kilometer in a bid to improve air quality.

Gregor Beiner, CEO of the Munich Taxi Centre, said:

Our drivers received a separate training session to familiarize them with an electric car and the specific features of the Jaguar. They look forward to the convenience of ‘one-pedal operation’ and noiseless driving, as well as the instant acceleration that an e-car offers.

It’s a small step for the Jaguar I-Pace deep in the heart of Germany – certainly in comparison to the up to 200 Jaguar I-Pace for Heathrow Taxis – but it’s a nicely symbolic strike.