Repairs garage gets ready for Zero Emission Zone changes with electric mopeds

HiQ Tyres and Autocare in Ferry Hinksey Road is adapting to survive as Zero Emission Zone restrictions will gradually make the city less and less car friendly.

According to owner Zack Khan, who has run the popular garage since 2017, he has little choice, as drivers will be forced to seek cheaper, alternative ways of getting around.

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Mr Khan said: “It’s £2,000 for the smallest model, you don’t need road tax, and it’s exempt from the Zero Emission Zone.

“I live in Headington and with the Low Traffic Neighbourhoods it is taking me 45 minutes to drive in but it’s 15 minutes on these electric motorbikes – it’s much less stressful.”

Mr Khan said the bikes are easy to ride and if you have a driving licence issued before 2001 there is no need to take a bike test.

He added: “Post Covid, we noticed a change and drivers will eventually be giving up their petrol and diesel cars, so the sales of those cars are going to diminish and for a small garage like us that means we have to adapt to survive.

“If we want to be here in 10 years’ time we have to diversify now.”

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Mr Khan is proud of the garage's history serving the community for over 120 years.

He took over the business from the Howkins family who had been running it for generations.

The Zero Emission Zone pilot was launched in February.

At the moment the ZEZ covers only a small number of city centre streets, with ‘polluting’ vehicles charged up to £10 a day to use those routes.

Some vehicles are eligible for a discount from the daily charge, while some are exempt.

While most motorists have been unaffected by the pilot, a more radical expanded scheme – the first of its kind in the country – is expected to stretch across the wider city centre next year, meaning anyone unable to afford an electric vehicle could be forced to ditch their cars or pay up to £20 a day.

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Mr Khan has already started to sell his electric motorbikes, from a container on the forecourt of the garage, backed up by the website zeromotorbikes.com.

He added: "People are starting to get the idea - this is a way of addressing the cost of living crisis and congestion at the same time."

The cheapest electric moped on offer is the Bilis Mo-1 (LX04), which has a top speed of 30mph, and a range of 80 miles with two batteries as standard.

You can charge the battery from any three-pin plug. 

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This story was written by Andy Ffrench, he joined the team more than 20 years ago and now covers community news across Oxfordshire.

Get in touch with him by emailing: Andy.ffrench@newsquest.co.uk

Follow him on Twitter @OxMailAndyF