More Than Half London's Black Cabs Electrified

LEVC, manufacturer of the electrified London Black Cab, claims its TX 6-seater taxi now comprises more than half of the U.K. capital’s fleet.

However, the vehicles can’t claim to be totally zero-emission, despite the maker’s marketing material, because they are not pure battery-electric vehicles. They employ a 1.5L gasoline engine that works as a generator to provide electricity to the taxi's electric motor when the onboard battery pack is depleted.

The automaker points to the vehicles’ 78-mile (126-km) electric-only range when fully charged, yet many taxi drivers admit that, in busy periods, stopping to charge the batteries is not feasible in terms of earning time lost and they will rely on the gasoline generator to extend the range to a total of 333 miles (536 km).

Nonetheless, LEVC, owned by Chinese auto giant Geely, highlights that its London taxis have traveled more than 700 million miles (1.13 billion km) in service and claims more than 200,000 tons of CO2 emissions saved from entering the atmosphere since their introduction in 2018.

Alex Nan, CEO of LEVC, says, “LEVC is committed to working alongside policymakers to demonstrate the positive impact that the TX is having in our cities, as we seek to continue building a greener and more accessible transport network better suited for all.”