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London "Black Cab" Maker Debuts Electric Taxi
London Taxi Co., the maker of iconic British “black cabs,” has formally launched its all-electric TX5 model.
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London Taxi Co., the maker of iconic British “black cabs,” has formally launched its all-electric TX5 model. In September the company also will change its corporate name to London EV Co. (LEVC) to reflect its shift to electric vehicles.
TX5 production began in March at the company’s factory near Coventry. But sales to individual drivers won’t start until Aug. 1. The taxi will go into service in London in the fourth quarter of 2017 and spread to overseas markets in the first quarter of 2018.
Next spring LEVC will ship 225 of its TX5 taxis to Amsterdam, marking its first foreign sale. Bloomberg News says the company has been trying to win business in such cities as Paris, Berlin and Beijing that are contemplating bans on piston-powered cars in their urban centers.
LEVC describes itself as the world’s only dedicated EV supplier for the urban commercial market. Formerly known as Manganese Bronze Ltd., the business was rescued from bankruptcy in 2012 with a £325 million ($418 million) investment by China's Zhejiang Geely Holding Group.
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