A taxi with an internal combustion engine may remain in service in Brussels for up to 9 years, instead of 7. With this extension, the Brussels government aims to give the taxi sector more time to make the transition to zero-emission vehicles.<\/p>\n
However, the requirement that, starting January 1, 2027, only zero-emission new taxis may be registered as new vehicles remains in effect.<\/p>\n
In Brussels, more than three out of four taxis are not yet zero-emission. According to Brussels Mobility, 300 to 350 cars with internal combustion engines will need to be replaced by 2027, and under the new measure, they now have until 2029 to do so.<\/p>\n
The Brussels Taxi Federation (BTF) has welcomed the postponement but remains highly critical of the mandatory electrification.<\/p>\n
By raising the age limit, operators will therefore have 2 additional years to prepare for the transition to electric vehicles and to make the necessary investments. For EVs, hydrogen vehicles, and taxis for people with limited mobility (PBM), the limit will increase from 8 to 10 years.<\/p>\n
In addition, if a vehicle is temporarily unavailable – for example, due to an accident, breakdown, fire, or theft – an operator may use a replacement vehicle with an internal combustion engine for up to one year.<\/p>\n
There will also be a general exemption from the mandatory zero-emissions requirement for PBM taxis, to protect the supply of taxis in Brussels.<\/p>\n
“We remain on track toward electrification, but we are not asking taxis to replace their vehicles before their useful age has expired,” emphasizes Karine Lalieux (PS), the Brussels State Secretary responsible for this matter.<\/p>\n
Her party had advocated for another extension of the 2027 deadline, but the PS ultimately bit the dust. Had the deadline been postponed, it would have been the second postponement. The original deadline was January 1, 2025. At the end of 2024, it was postponed by 2 years to January 1, 2027, following pressure from the sector.<\/p>\n
To support the transition, the Region is also accelerating the rollout of 100 to 150 fast-charging stations by the end of 2028. Measures will also be implemented to improve working conditions, establish a recognizable visual identity for street taxis, and provide potential access to certain MIVB\/STIB bus lanes.<\/p>\n
Currently, only taxis at taxi stands are allowed to use the bus lanes. Street taxis – drivers working for ride-hailing platforms such as Uber and Bolt – are therefore not permitted to use them at this time.<\/p>\n
Brussels currently has 3,129 taxis, of which 2,430 are equipped with internal combustion engines, 440 are EVs, 48 are hydrogen-powered vehicles, and 211 fall into the PBM, large luxury and classic car categories. For the first group to be affected by the measure in 2027, this would involve 300-350 taxis.<\/p>\n
The sector itself remains highly skeptical of electrification. According to Abdel Sabbani, who represents Brussels-based taxis with official taxi licenses, EVs are by no means equivalent to cars with internal combustion engines.<\/p>\n
“They cost more to buy, and many minor battery defects require a replacement, which costs thousands of euros,” Sabbani says in a statement to BRUZZ.<\/p>\n
“They’re worthless on the used market – nobody wants them. And the range is still far too low; taxi drivers spend 1 to 2 hours every day charging, which is time they’re not earning anything. On top of that, there are far too few charging stations,” he sums up.<\/p>\n
Some of the issues Sabbani lists should be taken with a grain of salt. The purchase of an EV is, on average, 20 to 30% higher than that of a comparable diesel or gasoline vehicle, but electricity is cheaper than diesel, and maintenance costs are lower.<\/p>\n
A Dutch study from 2024 therefore concluded that electric taxis are cheaper than diesel taxis over their entire lifetime – and that study predates the extremely high diesel prices at the pump.<\/p>\n
The costs he cites for replacing the battery due to a minor defect are also exaggerated. Furthermore, manufacturers often offer an 8-year warranty, and according to Geotab, approximately 80% of the battery’s capacity remains after 8 years or 160,000 km.<\/p>\n
As for fast chargers, that, too, is a point of debate. The charging sector says the situation isn’t as bad as it seems. EV Belgium points out that Brussels currently has 316 public fast-charging stations for approximately 300 electric taxis – meaning nearly one fast charger per electric taxi, although the number has since increased. EV Belgium also says that the data on utilization rates do not indicate structural wait times.<\/p>\n
There is concern, however, that if thousands of EVs are added (the range of these vehicles is also increasing, by the way), a problem could arise. The promised 100 to 150 additional fast chargers by the end of 2028 indicate that the Brussels government, too, does not consider the current capacity to be sufficient.<\/p>\n
What does play a significant role in the background, however, is that the situation between taxi stands and street taxis continues to cause tensions in the sector.<\/p>\n
For example, the BTF Taxi Federation continues to find it unacceptable that street taxis receive all the benefits without paying for the official, expensive license. According to the industry, regular taxi drivers have been waiting 10 years for a politically supported solution, but one has yet to materialize.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
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A taxi with an internal combustion engine may remain in service in Brussels for up to 9 years, instead of 7. With this extension, the Brussels government aims to give the taxi sector more time to make the transition to zero-emission vehicles. However, the requirement that, starting January 1, 2027, only zero-emission new taxis may be registered as new vehicles remains in effect. In Brussels, more than three out of four taxis are not yet zero-emission. According to Brussels Mobility, 300 to 350 cars with internal combustion engines will need to be replaced by 2027, and under the new measure,…<\/p>\n","category_list_v2":"Batteries<\/a>, Belgium<\/a>, Climate<\/a>, Environment<\/a>, Hydrogen<\/a>, Mobility<\/a>, Top Stories Today<\/a>, Transport<\/a>","author_info_v2":{"name":"Luc Joris","url":"https:\/\/newmobility.news\/en\/author\/belga-5\/"},"comments_num_v2":"0 comments","yoast_head":"\n