More electric black cabs in London than diesel-powered versions
The London Electric Vehicle Company (LEVC) today announced that its TX taxi has overtaken the TX4 as the most common black cab in operation. This is the first time electric has overtaken diesel vehicles since TX was launched in 2018.
The LEVC story goes back to 1908 when the business was known as The London Taxi Corporation Limited and designed and manufactured the first black cab, specifically to operate in London. The company introduced the electric TX, powered by LEVC’s eCity technology in 2018.
Since its launch the TX taxi has travelled more than 534 million miles globally and prevented 162,000 tonnes of CO2 being emitted into the atmosphere.
Alex Nan, CEO of LEVC, said: ‘We are witnessing a significant tipping point in the push towards cleaner transportation, with the TX overtaking the diesel-powered TX4 as the cab of choice in London. There are now more than 6,000 TX electric taxis operating in the capital, accounting for over 40% of the black cab fleet.’
Helen Chapman, Transport for London’s Director of Licensing and Regulation, added: ‘It is great to see that almost half of the entire taxi fleet is now zero emissions capable and there are now more LEVC TX taxis than any model of diesel black cabs in the capital. Alongside reductions to emissions these modern vehicles deliver a really comfortable experience for both driver and passenger.’
LEVC is owned by Chinese giants Geely, who sold over 2.2 million cars worldwide in 2021 and who announced in January that they are planning a major investment to turn LEVC into a high-volume, all-electric brand with a range of commercial and passenger vehicles.
With respect to this, LEVC managing director Chris Allen said: ‘There’s nothing we couldn’t deliver in a very short time period if we needed to,’ adding that adding the company could have a full range of EVs on the road within five years, ‘but it’s just a question of timing… In two years, is the industry going to be ready, is the charging infrastructure going to be there, is consumer confidence going to be there?’
