Particulate matter pollution has become an increasing problem for major cities in recent years due to ever-increasing traffic volumes. The city of Munich wants to counteract this and is targeting the taxi industry. The goal is to establish electric taxis in the state capital. To this end, the startup TeXi developed a concept.
The team TeXi consists of four founders. What makes it special is that they are thousands of kilometers apart. Moshe Ushpiz and Hans-Peter Huber from Munich, Nika Noy and Ofir Kalo from Tel Aviv, met during the Bavaria Israel Partnership Accelerator program, BIPA for short. This is run by Strascheg Center for Entrepreneurship (SCE), the Munich University of Applied Sciences, the FOM University, the Tel Aviv-Yaffo Academic College and StartHub The project is organized and implemented by the Bavarian State Ministry for Economic Affairs and Media, Energy and Technology, the Consulate General of the State of Israel and the Referat für Arbeit und Wirtschaft of the state capital MunichThe aim is to bring German and Israeli founders together to develop and promote innovative business ideas.
The first meeting took place during a nine-day workshop in WERK1 in Munich, accompanied by mentors. This is how the idea for TeXi. In the following period, the team was faced with the task of approaching work in the most structured way possible and overcoming the physical distance as best as possible. Numerous chats and video conferences ensured regular communication. A major advantage for the team was that Moshe, who has lived in Germany for 13 years and taught entrepreneurship courses at the SCE, is originally from Israel and thus could act as a perfect link between the cultures.
What are the differences between German and Israeli founders?
“Compared to the Israelis, the Germans think very ‘precisely’ and usually want to focus on one direction. Because Israel is a multicultural country and the people are very inspired by it, they think 'broadly' and globally, the big picture is in the foreground and the founders do not shy away from daring and creative ideas and solutions,"
explains Moshe. Hans-Peter, the second member of the group on the German side, adds:
"The collaboration really helped me to broaden my horizons and think a little further. When it comes to implementing these ideas, you have the advantage that Germans approach tasks in a very structured and focused manner."
“Want to polish the image”
But how can the electric taxi be made attractive to passengers and drivers? The founders are relying on both an image change and support from the city of Munich.
"The taxi driver profession is currently still fraught with prejudice and perpetuates a certain stereotype. We want to polish the image with new, modern e-taxis with an attractive look," says Moshe. He continues: "In addition, driving electric vehicles provides the driver with a more enhanced driving experience than with conventional cars. Electric vehicles accelerate significantly faster and are fun to drive. They are ideal for city traffic."
The whole thing should also be worthwhile economically:
"The city must provide support here. It would be conceivable to provide electricity to e-taxi drivers free of charge for the first year. The driver must notice an advantage when purchasing an e-taxi and he should enjoy his job,” says Hans-Peter.
And what about the passenger? What advantages can they expect compared to a regular taxi ride? Hans-Peter already has a few ideas:
"Of course, a trip with TeXi also be a special experience for the passengerWe're thinking about Wi-Fi in the vehicle, as well as cell phone charging options, and much more. In addition, the customer knows that they're consciously driving in an environmentally friendly way."
It's not yet clear when we can expect the e-taxi revolution in Munich. However, this topic is a high priority for the city. TeXi We now want to further refine the concept and look for investors and new partnerships to completely transform the taxi industry in the future. We wish you every success and are already looking forward to our first TeXi-Drive.
For further information:info@texicity.com
