Mexican Media Brands
London “Black Cab” Company Begins EV Production
The maker of London’s iconic black taxis has launched production in Coventry of a range-extended all-electric model it expects to market in England and overseas.
#hybrid
Share
The maker of London’s iconic black taxis has launched production in Coventry of a range-extended all-electric model it expects to market in England and overseas.
The new “TX5” cab from the London Taxi Co. (LTC) replaces a design that is nearly 60 years old with a updated model made with aluminum and composites. The car runs exclusively on electric power but carries a small piston engine that can recharge the vehicle to enable all-day operation.
The six-passenger vehicle will be wheelchair-accessible and is expected to offer such conveniences as in-car wi-fi and charging ports for personal electronic devices.
LTC developed the taxi with the help of a £300 million ($375 million) bond issue secured last year. The Coventry operation has capacity to make 36,000 vehicles annually. The company says it plans to develop other hybrid or all-electric vehicles, including light commercial trucks and vans.
LTC will begin selling the electric taxi in England in the fourth quarter this year and in undetermined other European countries in early 2018. London has mandated that all new cabs sold in the city from next January must be able to operate in zero-emission mode.
The taxi maker was rescued from bankruptcy four years ago by China’s Zhejiang Geely Holding Group. The new model was created at Geely’s design center in Barcelona, Spain, and uses electric powertrain technology from the company's Volvo Cars unit.
RELATED CONTENT
-
Internal Combustion Engines’ Continued Domination (?)
According to a new research study by Deutsche Bank, “PCOT III: Revisiting the Outlook for Powertrain Technology” (that’s “Pricing the Car of Tomorrow”), to twist a phrase from Mark Twain, it seems that the reports of the internal combustion engine’s eminent death are greatly exaggerated.
-
Aluminum Sheet for EV Battery Enclosure
As the number of electric vehicles (EVs) is about to increase almost exponentially, aluminum supplier Novelis is preparing to provide customers with protective solutions
-
On Military Trucks, Euro Car Sales, Mazda Drops and More
Did you know Mack is making military dump trucks from commercial vehicles or that Ford tied with Daimler in Euro vehicle sales or the Mazda6 is soon to be a thing of the past or Alexa can be more readily integrated or about Honda’s new EV strategy? All that and more are found here.