A London cabbie has taken delivery of the city’s first EV or electric cab.
David Harris, 46, from Chingford in north East London has been a black cab driver for 21 years and was one of the first to put down a deposit for the new electric taxi when order books opened last year.
The TX features class-leading wheelchair access, plus wi-fi, phone/laptop charging, a much more spacious cabin with six seats, wide opening rear hinged doors, contactless card machines and an expansive panoramic roof.
It’s the world’s cleanest, most advanced taxi ever, a revolution in the taxi market offering zero emissions motoring thanks to eCity technology comprising of an advanced battery electric powertrain with a small back-up petrol generator that gives a total range of up to 640km including 130km pure electric driving.
Ironically, however, the cab driver won’t be able to charge his new cab at home because he does not have off-street parking.
Covering the whole of London and generally starting his shifts at midnight, Harris expects to save £500-£600 a month by switching over from his current diesel cab to the new electric TX, in fuel savings, servicing and overall running costs.
Deliveries of the new TX have now begun in earnest with hundreds due to hit London streets in the coming months.
Underpinned by an investment totalling £325m, LEVC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Geely, wants to be the urban commercial vehicle provider of choice for cities across the globe.
It plans to follow up the cab with the launch of a light commercial vehicle.