It is impossible to imagine London's streets without them: the famous taxis with their unique shape. But the energy transition has long since begun here too. The London Electric Vehicle Company (LEVC) has been commissioned to replace the taxis, which were previously powered by fossil fuels, with a battery-powered version.
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More than half of the 14,700 famous black taxis with electric motors are now travelling the streets of London with zero emissions and silent operation, according to the company based in Ansty Park near Coventry. As the number of electrically powered taxis increases, so does the contribution that the specially developed vehicles are making to cleaner air in the British capital.
700 million miles travelled electrically
To date, the TX taxis that have been in operation since 2018 have travelled well over 700 million miles - not only in London, but also in other cities around the world. That's more than 1.12 billion kilometres. "The fact that more than half of the black taxis on London's streets are now electric thanks to the iconic TX is another significant milestone for LEVC," says Managing Director Alex Nan. "We would like to thank London's famous London taxi drivers who have contributed to this success. Other cities can learn from London's world-leading approach to improving air quality across the city for the benefit of citizens and the environment," emphasises LEVC CEO Nan. "LEVC is committed to working with policy makers to demonstrate the positive impact of TX in cities as we seek to build a greener and more accessible transport network that is better for everyone."
Building more charging stations
Helen Chapman, Director of Licensing and Regulation at Transport for London, is also proud that so many taxi drivers are helping to improve London's air quality with their electric taxis. "Reaching this milestone shows how hard London is working to become a greener, more sustainable and environmentally friendly city. We know that by introducing more electric and zero-emission vehicles in London, we can further reduce the levels of harmful chemicals in the air and reduce the impact of road transport on our environment," says Chapman. "Making the taxi fleet cleaner and bringing more electric vehicle charging points to the capital is an important part of our efforts to be London's strong, green centrepiece, cleaning London's air and helping Londoners get around the city in the greenest way possible."
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In fact, the TX taxi is not only emission-free when travelling. LEVC has also designed the vehicle to be accessibility and disabled-friendly. The vehicle offers flexible space for up to six passengers and has an integrated wheelchair ramp. This allows the TX to accommodate a forward-facing wheelchair. According to LEVC, it is the only taxi that can do this as standard.
A range of over 500 kilometres
The specially developed drive concept offers a purely electric range of 78 miles (125 kilometres) and an extended total range of 333 miles (536 kilometres). This makes it ideal for London's busy taxi drivers. LEVC manufactures the electric TX at its factory in Ansty, Coventry. With an investment of over £1 billion made by China's Geely Holding Group since 2014, LEVC has established the UK's first dedicated electric vehicle manufacturing facility. LEVC announces a new strategy to move beyond manufacturing the TX to become a leader in zero-carbon mobility technology. (su/mfo)
