Accelerating decarbonisation through taxi electrification in Europe.
FREENOW publishes Sustainability Highlights 2024 report
47% of all rides in 2024 on the FREENOW platform were taken with electrified (fully electric and partially electric) taxis.
Ireland is the FREENOW market with the highest share of fully electrified taxi rides in 2024.
Hamburg is the leading city for electrified rides. 25% of the active vehicles on the FREENOW platform in Hamburg were fully electrified, accounting for 43% of all rides in 2024.
Hamburg, 8th of May 2025 - FREENOW, European multi-mobility app with taxi at its core available in more than 150 cities, has published its Sustainability Highlights 2024 report revealing the taxi electrification status in Europe. Over the last year, the platform has launched local partnerships with private and public partners to support taxi drivers in their electrification progress. As a result of these efforts, 64% of new taxis added to the platform in 2024 were fully or partially electrified, marking 6 pp year-on-year growth. Nearly half of all FREENOW rides in 2024 were taken with electrified taxis.
Cities like Hamburg and Dublin lead the way in the highest share of fully electrified taxis. Across Poland, France, Austria, Spain and Italy, FREENOW records a high share of partially electrified vehicles (such as hybrids and plug-in hybrids), marking a strong shift toward sustainable mobility. Cities with the highest share of electrified vehicles in FREENOW’s top locations by fleet size are: Paris, London, Vienna, Warsaw and Milan. In these cities, 70% to 83% of the FREENOW fleet is fully and partially electrified.
However, full electrification in many European markets remains a challenge, especially in Poland and Greece, where the share of fully electrified vehicles accounts for less than 1%. The taxi drivers are still facing barriers like high acquisition costs, limited charging infrastructure and lack of incentives. The FREENOW report points out that in order to accelerate the transition, stronger government support is crucial—through subsidies, tax benefits and infrastructure expansion.
“The impacts of climate change are undeniable, and transport remains a major contributor to emissions. For any mobility company, the future depends on a clear goal: transitioning to decarbonised mobility. As FREENOW we remain dedicated to supporting taxi drivers in the electrification process, overcoming cost and infrastructure challenges. We've set ambitious emission reduction targets, which were validated by the Science-Based Targets initiative in early 2024. We also made significant strides with partners and drivers, launching local projects that can serve as industry models. While we’re committed to do what we can as a platform, cities and regulators must prioritise these efforts. Sustainability must remain at the top of their agenda. By working together, we can improve mobility and quality of life in our cities.” said Thomas Zimmermann, CEO of FREENOW.
Providing cleaner mobility options in Europe
In 2024, FREENOW expanded the availability of electrified taxis by introducing specific booking options through the new Green Taxi and Green Ride features in the app. Passengers in all major cities where FREENOW operates are provided with these options. The example of Hamburg, where 25% of active vehicles are fully electrified and account for 43% of all rides on the FREENOW platform in that city, shows that passengers are actively choosing those newly introduced Green features. Hence, fully electrified vehicles not only outperformed the rest of the fleet, but also showed a 10pp increase in the share of rides per engine type since 2023 (compared with internal combustion engines and partially electrified vehicles).
FREENOW is also supporting business travellers with more environmentally friendly transport options. The Green Fleet booking options make it easier for businesses to meet sustainability targets. Business travellers are increasingly opting for greener choices. In 2024, electrified vehicles accounted for 55% of all business taxi and PHV rides, up 3.4 percentage points from 2023, significantly exceeding the platform-wide average of 47%.
FREENOW also extends its multimobility offering by partnering with more than 20 providers in Europe and integrating shared vehicles such as e-scooters, e-bikes, carsharing etc. to its platform. A partnership with Voltio, a carsharing provider, launched at the end of 2024 in Madrid, added 500+ fully electric shared cars to the FREENOW platform. In 2024, 74% of all shared vehicle rides booked via FREENOW in Europe were taken with fully electrified vehicles.
Leveraging partnerships to drive taxi electrification
FREENOW in 2024 has launched several local partnerships with private and public partners to increase the amount of fully electrified taxis on its platform. To support the drivers, FREENOW focused on reducing the vehicle acquisition costs, increasing access to electric vehicle charging infrastructure and decreasing the maintenance and insurance costs.
Germany: Partnership with NIO to support taxi operators in expanding their all-electric fleets. Until the end of 2024, over 70 drivers have switched to electrified vehicles thanks to this cooperation.
Ireland: Exclusive incentive program with Tesla, offering discounts to FREENOW taxi drivers who switch to a Tesla vehicle. In just the last quarter of 2024, 50 Irish taxi drivers partnering with FREENOW made that switch.
UK: Partnerships with BP Pulse and OVO to provide discounted electric charging for FREENOW drivers. Over 230 FREENOW drivers have already benefited from these charging programs, helping to address one of the key challenges drivers face in transitioning to electrified vehicles: charging infrastructure.
Greece: Collaboration with Sirec Energy, Ethniki Leasing to launch the ZAP Taxi Club, supporting taxi drivers' transition to electric mobility. With only 0.7% of Athens' taxis being fully electric, this groundbreaking initiative supports taxi drivers in Greece as they transition to electrification and promotes sustainability in the sector.
Spain: Since 2021, FREENOW has implemented an internal policy in Madrid and Barcelona, excluding new drivers with diesel or petrol cars. As a result, the share of rides with internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles has decreased by 9 percentage points in Madrid and 7 in Barcelona from 2023 to 2024.
These initiatives meet with positive reactions from the taxi community. Padraig O’Reilly, FREENOW EV taxi driver from Ireland said: “I never thought I'd be driving an electric taxi. However, this partnership made it possible, and it has improved my life. I now drive a taxi that is better for the environment, passengers love it, and, more importantly, it's better for my bottom line… it's a win-win.”
Sharing responsibility: call to regulators
FREENOW’s newly published electrification insides are a reflection of the general situation on the European markets. To achieve meaningful change and meet the GHG emission reduction targets, the key is for cities and authorities to lead the way and establish supportive regulations. FREENOW calls upon them to support taxi electrification by establishing a robust charging infrastructure, increasing incentives for drivers to switch to fully electrified vehicles, and ensuring that mandatory initiatives don't leave the taxi sector behind.
“Electric taxis are an important part of the future of urban mobility, but many independent drivers face challenges in making the transition. Progress varies widely between cities and countries. While some have introduced targeted support and charging infrastructure, others lag behind, leaving drivers with no practical path to electrification. If policymakers are serious about making electric taxis a viable option, they must act now—expanding fast-charging networks tailored to professional drivers, ensuring fair energy pricing and introducing financial incentives that reflect the realities of the taxi industry.” said Raluca Marian, IRU EU Director and General Delegate Permanent Delegation to the European Union.
“Taxis play a key part in an integrated urban transport ecosystem, complementing public and active transport. Electrification can further enhance convenience and travel efficiency while also improving urban air quality. Accelerating this transition requires multi-faceted support. Governments and cities can contribute through infrastructure development, transport integration, regulatory support, and public awareness, while fleet operators and platforms like FREENOW can leverage their experience, scale, and partnerships to facilitate and promote electric taxi adoption” said Jakub Muscat, UCL Doctoral Researcher and CEO of Mobile City association.
More information about FREENOW Sustainability Highlights 2024: https://www.free-now.com/uk/sustainability/
About FREENOW
FREENOW is Europe’s multi-mobility app with taxi offering at its core, available in 9 European markets and over 150 cities. Its users can access various mobility services within a single app, including taxis, PHV, carsharing, car rental, eScooters, eBikes, eMopeds and public transport. FREENOW partners with numerous mobility brands and aggregates their offering with the ambition to make urban mobility more efficient and sustainable without adding new vehicles on the street. FREENOW’s HQ is located in Hamburg and the company is led by CEO Thomas Zimmermann.