Electric Black Cabs Outnumber Diesel Alternatives In London
There are currently more electric black cabs than diesel ones in London according to new data. With more than 6000 electric taxis already running in the city and making up more than 40% of the black cab fleet, the LEVC range-extended TX taxi now outnumbers the diesel-powered TX4 as the most popular black cab in London as the growing emergence of electric vehicles gathers pace in the UK.
Since their debut in 2018, LEVC claim that its electric TX cabs have logged more than 534 million kilometres and avoided the emission of 162,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
The LEVC TX taxi is a Range Extended Electric Vehicle (REEV), not a pure battery electric vehicle. With its eCity technology, it has a battery with a 78-mile pure electric vehicle range and a 1.5-litre petrol engine that serves as an onboard generator. The drive battery, which powers the electric drive motor that propels the wheels, is recharged as needed by the range extender. The combined range of petrol and electricity is 333 miles.
According to one case study, an owner's fuel costs decreased from 23p per mile in a diesel TX4 to 8.31p per mile in an electric range-extended TX, saving £1,469 over the course of 10,000 kilometres.
The TX taxi is the only one of its kind to support a wheelchair facing forward, with an inbuilt wheelchair ramp and has adjustable seating for up to six people.
The VN5, a medium-sized electric van, was introduced by LEVC in November 2019, marking the beginning of the company's first non-taxi model's manufacturing. The VN5 boasts a total range of 308 miles (electric and range-extended), a zero-emission range of 73 miles, and the same range-extended electric eCity technology as the TX.
Coventry based LEVC recently unveiled a new growth strategy that aims to take business beyond the manufacture of taxis and into on of the world's top providers of zero-carbon mobility technology.
If you have an LEVC EV and are looking for a cable, please view our our LEVC charging cables.