In the first seven months of the year, 3,834 new taxis were registered in Spain, down 6.8% from the previous year, information from data from the Instituto de Estudios de Automoción cited by elespanol motor. The decline reflects the aftershocks of pandemic-era fleet renewals. Beneath it, a deeper shift is underway: Spain’s taxi sector is rapidly electrifying, with Toyota at the forefront.
Toyota’s lead is striking. Nearly two out of every three taxis registered in Spain during this period carried the Japanese brand’s badge, thanks largely to its self-charging hybrid (HEV) technology. These hybrids remain the top choice for Spanish taxi operators, valued for their reliability and the environmental classifications that can ease access under some urban rules. Spain’s Dirección General de Tráfico (DGT) places conventional hybrids in the ECO category and battery-electric vehicles in the 0 Emisiones category. Municipalities set their own low-emission-zone conditions, but, so the privileges are not identical nationwide.
Toyota’s hybrid taxi credentials predate its recent move into battery-electric models. On 23 December 2021, Barcelona’s metropolitan taxi authority, the Institut Metropolità del Taxi (IMET), authorized the petrol-hybrid Toyota Camry for taxi service in the metropolitan area. IMET described a 2,487 cc petrol engine rated at 160 kW, paired with an 88 kW electric motor, and published WLTP fuel consumption of 5.3 to 5.6 litres per 100 km. The Camry measures 4.8 metres long and 1.8 metres wide, with a 524-litre boot, practical dimensions for passenger and luggage capacity in commercial service.
Toyota’s ambitions now reach beyond hybrids. Last year, the company began rolling out fully electric models, and taxi fleets have responded. Between January and July, Toyota registered 2,477 taxis, down 13.6% year on year. The mix shifted: almost 90% were hybrids, while 10.1% were fully electric, a much higher share than Toyota’s electric sales in the private car market. The bZ4X is currently Toyota’s only electric taxi offering; private buyers can also choose the C-HR+.
Other brands are feeling the pressure. Dacia, part of the Renault Group, ranked second with 264 taxis registered, down 42.2%. Like Toyota, Dacia relies on hybrids, which made up 81% of its taxi sales. It is also the only brand offering LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) taxis, which accounted for 17% of its registrations. LPG vehicles, like conventional hybrids, can qualify for Spain’s ECO label. That can matter for urban access, although each municipality sets its own rules.
Skoda, owned by Volkswagen Group, completed the top three with 243 taxis registered. More than half of its taxi sales were fully electric, a sign of growing demand for zero-emission vehicles among Spanish taxi operators. Only Tesla sold more electric taxis, with 145 units registered in the same period.
Hybrid Preference, Electric Momentum
Self-charging hybrids remain the backbone of Spain’s taxi fleets, accounting for nearly 60% of new registrations so far this year. Electric taxis are gaining ground and now represent 18.2% of the market, double their share in the private car sector. Diesel taxis, once dominant, have fallen to just 3.2% of new registrations, squeezed by municipal restrictions on polluting vehicles.
Plug-in hybrids (PHEV) and other electrified models now make up over one in five new taxis, bringing the overall share of electrified vehicles in the taxi sector to 22.1%. The broader Spanish car market looks different: combustion engines still hold a 27% share, compared with just 3.6% among taxis.
Local rules behind the shift vary. Bilbao’s municipal low-emission-zone guidance, for example, allows vehicles carrying 0, ECO and C classifications to enter freely, while B- and A-classified vehicles face restrictions or limited exceptions. The example shows how environmental labels can affect taxi operations, and why one city’s rules should not be treated as a national access standard.
Chinese Brands Enter the Scene
Chinese automakers are also making inroads, though their presence remains modest. Seven Chinese brands, including Bestune, BYD, Changan, Ebro, Geely, Jaecoo, Omoda and XPeng, collectively registered 79 taxis between January and July, capturing 2% of the market. XPeng led the group with 37 electric taxis. That remains far below their 15% share in the general Spanish car market, but signals growing competition in the electrified taxi space.
As the shift to cleaner taxis accelerates, the Spanish market is showing a clear divide: private buyers still lean toward plug-in hybrids, while taxi operators increasingly choose fully electric models. City policies that favor low-emission vehicles for urban access reinforce the trend, with the details set by local ordinances and each vehicle’s DGT classification.
For a look at how hybrid technology is shaping Spain’s roads beyond the taxi sector, a recent review of the Mitsubishi ASX 180 HEV examines the real-world appeal of eco-labeled SUVs in Spanish conditions: see the full analysis here.
Spain’s changing taxi fleet offers a glimpse of the country’s broader mobility transition. As hybrids and electric vehicles become the new standard, manufacturers and city authorities are recalibrating their strategies around environmental targets and drivers’ practical needs. Toyota will have to defend its lead as competition grows, while Spanish cities face the challenge of delivering on their promise of cleaner, quieter streets.
