Who Invented the Motorized Taxi? It all started in Stuttgart
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It was on June 26, 1896, when the Stuttgart truck Friedrich Greiner entrusted Daimler Motor Company (DMG) from Cannstatt is a very special car.
It was a Daimler motorized crew equipped with a taximeter to use Landaule's version Victoria as motor taxi (on the cover).
The world's first motorized taxi
The vehicle itself had been invented ten years earlier, but no one had ever used it as a taxi. By 1896, however, Daimler himself had already begun to think about one thing. motor trolley with 4-speed transmission and vertical 2-cylinder engine (belt-driven wagon) for transporting people.
The car ordered by Greiner was delivered in May 1897 and converted his horse-drawn carriage company (soon renamed Daimler Motorized Cab Company) in the world's first motorized taxi company.
In the early summer of 1897, he arrived authorized by the authorities to operate a taxi and began to spread through the streets of Stuttgart.
Passenger comfort
In the early taxis, there was no shortage of measures to ensure the comfort of passengers. In fact, for the first time rear seat heating system.
In addition, the configuration function Landaulet this made it possible to reveal the last part of the cockpit and even remove the entire superstructure of the roof and doors, however travel competently in the fresh air.
A very profitable investment
Greiner came up with the idea, but he also invested a lot of money: 5.530 stamps on a turnkey basis plus a taximeter fee.
The investment in the new technology paid off immediately: the taxi ran about 70 kilometers a day, far more than a horse-drawn carriage could have done.
Satisfied customers
The customers were immediately conquered, because the motorized taxi was a completely new experience, with a bit of adventure and a little thrill.
The growing passenger demand for motorized taxis prompted Greiner to invest in additional vehicles, and by 1899 the fleet consisted of deliver a taxi to Daimler.
Competitors come
The idea of a motorized taxi also intrigued the participants. One such Mr. Dietz, a horse taxi operator from Stuttgart, ordered two in Mannheim from Benz & Cie.
Since then, from Stuttgart, motorized taxis have spread rapidly around the world. Berlin, Hamburg, and then Paris, London, Vienna and other metropolitan areas.
Driving courses for taxi drivers
The media commented on the new car with curiosity and attention, but there were also some criticisms of the motorized taxis. they caused accidents and scared the horses.
Suggestions were received in response driving lessons for taxi driversand many former horse-drawn carriage drivers returned to school to retrain to ride a new motorized vehicle.
From the first taxi to FREE NOW
Commitment Mercedes-Benz in this sector continues today, not only thanks to specialized products and fittings, but also thanks to new solutions for mobility who revolutionized the taxi world.
She was born in June 2009. Mytaxi, the world's first taxi app that establishes a direct connection between passengers and taxi drivers.
Mytaxi is the leading e-call app in Europe, serving over 14 million passengers and 100 taxi drivers. available in about 100 European cities.
Since February 2019 mytaxi is a member of the group FREE NOW, a joint venture between BMW and Daimler specializing in car challenge and will soon change brands becoming NOW FREE.
