Eco-taxis settle into Madrid: what a taxi's ECO or Zero label means

An eco-taxi is a taxi with a DGT (national traffic authority) ECO or Zero environmental label, in other words a hybrid, electric, gas-powered or other low-emission vehicle. In Madrid they are already a very visible part of the fleet, because municipal taxi regulations have increasingly required cleaner vehicles for new additions and because low-emission zones favour cars with a better label. For passengers neither the price nor the service changes: it is an official taxi with the same fares.

The DGT classifies vehicles by their emissions with four stickers that go on the windscreen. Vehicles that are not entitled to any of them are popularly known as “no label” or “label A”.

In practice, most eco-taxis in Madrid are hybrids with an ECO label, although there are more and more electric cars with a Zero label. There are also taxis that run on gas. If you want to understand the differences between a conventional hybrid, a plug-in and a mild hybrid, we explain them in the trend towards hybrid cars; and what it is like to travel in a fully electric one, in electric taxis.

A taxi covers many more kilometres a year than a private car and spends a good part of its time in the city centre, where air quality is more fragile. That is why the authorities have focused on the taxi fleet:

• Municipal regulations: Madrid City Council has gradually tightened the environmental requirements for vehicles joining the fleet as taxis, with the aim of them being ECO or Zero, with exceptions such as vehicles adapted for people with reduced mobility.
• Low-emission zones: the law requires large municipalities to create them, and Madrid restricts traffic according to the label, with especially protected areas such as the Distrito Centro (central district).
• Running costs: hybrids and electric cars use less energy in the city, which pays off for anyone who works long hours at the wheel.

The specific requirements and deadlines are set by the by-law in force, which has been amended several times; if you need the details, check the official information from Madrid City Council.

Taxis adapted for wheelchair users, known as eurotaxis, need larger vehicles with a ramp or lift, and hybrid or electric versions are not always available. That is why the regulations tend to treat them separately. We explain how they work in taxis adapted for people with disabilities.

Choosing a taxi rather than your own car already reduces the number of vehicles entering the centre, and if you also travel in an eco-taxi, the emissions from the journey are lower. The price is the same: official fares in the city and, for the airport, a fixed fare from inside the M-30 or a fixed price by area, which you can check on our fares to Barajas.

If you are staying or living in the centre and want to get around without worrying about access restrictions, parking or labels, our tele taxi in central Madrid picks you up at your door. And if you are wondering what will happen to diesel cars in the city, we look at it in the decline of diesel.