When we started replacing our fleet, plenty of people told us electric taxis wouldn’t work in Albania: the ranges, the charging, the mountain roads. Today more than 60% of BlueTaxi’s 240+ vehicles are fully electric — and here’s what we learned on the way, from the people who drive them 12 hours a day.
Albania’s electric story is older than you think
Tirana was actually the first city in Albania to introduce electric taxis, back in 2016. By 2021 the city had over 120 licensed e-taxis — roughly one in ten cabs — and by late 2025 Albania passed 250 active public charging stations, with the densest coverage in Tirana. The infrastructure question that scared everyone five years ago has quietly answered itself.
What we actually drive
- Volkswagen ID.4 — the backbone of the fleet. 520 km of range, a big boot (543 L), and the ride comfort that matters when your workday is the Tirana ring road. This is what usually shows up for city rides and airport transfers.
- Tesla Model 3 — our premium option. 560 km range, autopilot-assisted safety, and the quietest 3.5 hours to Saranda you will ever spend.
- Mercedes Vito — the group solution: 8 passengers, 3-zone climate, and space for a family’s worth of beach luggage.
Every vehicle is inspected weekly — full specs are on the fleet page.
“But can it make it to Saranda?”
The question every tourist asks when they see the charging port. Tirana to Saranda is about 280 km; the ID.4 does 520 on a charge. We drive there and most of the way back before thinking about a plug — with the AC on. Range anxiety, it turns out, is mostly a passenger condition, and it clears up around Fier.
Why it’s better for you, not just the planet
- It can be cheaper. Tirana’s municipality allows electric taxis to run around 20% below standard meter rates — efficiency we pass on through our fixed fares.
- It’s quieter. No engine drone on a 3-hour transfer changes what the trip feels like. People sleep. Kids stop asking if we’re there yet. Mostly.
- It’s smoother. Electric drivetrains don’t shift gears — on mountain switchbacks like the old Llogara road, that means noticeably less motion sickness.
- It matters to businesses. Our corporate partners increasingly report ground transport in their sustainability numbers. An electric fleet turns every airport pickup into a line their ESG report can be proud of.
What it took behind the scenes
Going electric isn’t just buying different cars. We built our own overnight charging routine so cars start every shift at 100%, retrained our mechanics for EV drivetrains (and hired specialists — we’re still hiring), and rewrote dispatch so long intercity runs go to the cars with the range to spare. The payoff: fewer breakdowns, lower running costs, and a fleet that’s simply nicer to sit in.
Where this goes next
The goal is simple: a 100% electric fleet. Every new car we add is electric, and as charging spreads along the Riviera and the corridors to Kosovo and North Macedonia, the last diesel arguments disappear one plug at a time.
Try it yourself: book a ride on WhatsApp or check our fixed prices — the Tesla costs the same as everything else.