BVTM welcomes Autohaus Schafstall into its circle of partners.

The Federal Association for Taxi and Rental Cars has taken Autohaus Schafstall from Elsdorf on as a new partner. The contract partner of the automakers Kia and Xpeng should help taxi and rental-car companies with the electrification of their fleets. The focus of the collaboration is economical vehicle solutions, deployment-ready electric taxis, and barrier-free conversions. Members of the federation also receive special terms on selected vehicles and offers.

With the partnership, the association and the Autohaus intend to intensify professional exchange on electric drivetrains in the taxi and rental-car sector. In particular, the requirements for range, charging infrastructure, economic viability, and everyday practicality should be taken into account. Another focus is on vehicles for accessible passenger transport.

Kia PV5 also available as a wheelchair-accessible taxi

A focus of the vehicle offering is the fully electric Kia “PV5,” which Autohaus Schafstall already offers as a taxi. According to the company, various versions are immediately available. These include both vehicles in the regular taxi version and variants with a wheelchair conversion by AMF-Bruns.

For interested taxi and rental-car companies, a accordingly converted PV5 is available as a demonstrator taxi. The vehicle is equipped with a wheelchair ramp and two swivel seats. Operators can use it to assess the equipment and deployment possibilities of the vehicle for transporting people with mobility impairments.

The barrier-free vehicle conversions are carried out in cooperation with AMF-Bruns. Thus, the offering includes not only regular electric taxis but also vehicles for wheelchair transport.

Complete taxi equipment by Intax

In addition to vehicle procurement, Autohaus Schafstall also offers conversion to deployment-ready taxis. For this, the dealer works with the vehicle outfitter Intax.

Among the services include, among other things, the pale ivory wrap, the installation of taximeters and roof signs, as well as the required emergency-call and alarm systems. The collaboration should enable taxi companies to procure electric vehicles with the necessary equipment for commercial use.

In cases of particularly urgent vehicle needs, the dealership can also consider express conversions. There is no general commitment to shortened conversion times.

More electric vehicles from Kia and Xpeng on offer

The vehicle offering is not limited to the Kia PV5. The car dealership also markets additional models from Kia's electric vehicle lineup as well as electric cars from the Chinese manufacturer Xpeng.

With the Xpeng “G6 Performance” there is another electric demonstration taxi available. This enables interested companies to evaluate different vehicle concepts for use in taxi and hire-car operations.

The advisory services should be aligned with the respective operational requirements. This includes in particular the operating conditions of the vehicles and their economic suitability for commercial passenger transport. The contact person for corporate customers and fleets is Dennis Meyer, who is responsible for this business area at Autohaus Schafstall.

Total costs and funding options in focus

An essential part of the collaboration is the economic assessment of electric vehicles. It should not be limited to the purchase price alone. What matters are rather the total costs over the vehicle's lifetime.

This consideration includes the so-called Total Cost of Ownership, i.e., the total costs for acquisition and operation. Especially for high annual mileage, electric vehicles can offer economic advantages over vehicles with conventional powertrains.

In addition, regional funding programs for electric vehicles and charging infrastructure may play a role in converting taxi and rental car fleets. Which funding options may apply in individual cases depends on the respective regional conditions.