LEVC TX

Last updated

LEVC TX
2019 LEVC TX Vista Comfort Plus 1.5.jpg
2019 LEVC TX Vista
Overview
Manufacturer London EV Company (Geely)
Production2017–present
AssemblyUnited Kingdom: Coventry (Ansty Park plant)
China: Yiwu (Geely)
Body and chassis
Body style Hackney carriage
Layout Front-engine, rear-wheel-drive
Doors
Related LEVC VN5
Powertrain
Engine
Electric motor 2x 110 kW (150 PS) Siemens permanent magnet synchronous
Hybrid drivetrain Plug-in series hybrid
Battery 31 kW·h, 400 V lithium ion
Range377 mi (607 km)
Electric range 80.6 mi (129.7 km)
Plug-in charging
  • 22 kW AC
  • 50 kW DC
Dimensions
Wheelbase 2,986 mm (117.6 in)
Length4,857 mm (191.2 in)
Width1,874 mm (73.8 in)
Height1,888 mm (74.3 in)
Kerb weight 2,230 kg (4,916 lb)
Chronology
Predecessor TX4

The LEVC TX [1] (previously known as the TX5) is a purpose-built hackney carriage manufactured by the British commercial vehicle maker London EV Company (LEVC), a subsidiary of the Chinese carmaker Geely. [2] It is the latest in a succession of purpose-built hackney carriages produced by LEVC and various predecessor entities. The LEVC TX is a plug-in hybrid range-extender electric vehicle. [2] [3]

Contents

The vehicle is designed to comply with Transport for London’s Taxi Private Hire regulations, which banned new diesel-powered taxis from January 2018, requiring zero-emissions capability. [4]

Background

In the late 2000s, Geely was in talks over the possibility of converting London's black cabs into electric-powered vehicles. [5] From 2014, Geely invested £480m in LEVC to develop a new taxi, with a new factory to be built near Coventry. [6] [7] [8] Geely hoped to manufacture 36,000 vehicles per annum. [9] The vehicle entered production in 2017. [6]

In January 2020, LEVC announced plans to market the TX in Japan [10] with Fleetway and Service Company as the Japanese distributor. [11] Deliveries were reported to be made in Q2 2020. [11]

LEVC reported that taxis were sold in Azerbaijan for Baku Taxi Service in March 2020. [12]

Technical

Rear view 2019 LEVC TX Vista Comfort Plus 7.jpg
Rear view

The LEVC TX is built on a unique platform, underpinned by a bonded aluminium chassis built in the UK, giving the LEVC TX a 32 percent parts localisation rate by value. China and Europe each account for 32 percent of the content, while United States content is 4 percent. [13]

The vehicle's styling is an evolution of the now iconic shape begun with the original Austin FX4 of 1958, and the later TX1/TXII/TX4 series, although the distinctive rear hinged "suicide doors" last seen on the FX4 have returned.

The LEVC TX is powered by a full-electric hybrid drivetrain. It drives in full-electric mode all the time, but is recharged by an 81-horsepower (60 kW; 82 PS) Volvo-sourced 1.5-litre turbocharged three-cylinder petrol engine.

The LEVC TX is fitted with a 33 kilowatt-hours (120 MJ) battery pack supplied by LG Chem, and powers a 110-kilowatt (148 hp; 150 PS) Siemens-built electric motor for traction. [14]

When the battery pack has insufficient charge to power the vehicle, the petrol engine is claimed to achieve 36.7 mpg‑imp (7.7 L/100 km; 30.6 mpg‑US). [15]

Suicide doors on the TX LEVC TX London Taxi, Charing Cross Station - geograph.org.uk - 5910490.jpg
Suicide doors on the TX

The charge connectors are mounted either side of the radiator grille, and are a CCS socket, capable of 50 kW DC and 22 kW AC, and an optional 50 kW capable CHAdeMO connector. [16]

In accordance to London taxi regulation, the LEVC TX offers a turning circle of 8.45 metres (27.7 ft) (4.23 m (13.9 ft) of radius) which made possible by the front wheels that turn up to 63 degrees, instead of the typical 38 degrees. [17] [18] The LEVC TX has a range of accessibility features including a wheelchair ramp (deployed by the driver when required), oversized entry doors, an audio induction loop and high contrast grab handles. [19] [20]

Service history

The TX took advantage of Transport for London rules that allowed only zero-emission capable vehicles to become additions to the city's taxi fleet from 2018. [21] By February 2018 it was the only taxi capable of meeting these rules. [21] [22]

By April 2022, over 5,000 TX vehicles has been sold in London, around a third of London's taxi fleet. [23] In May 2022, LEVC announced that over 7,000 taxis had been sold worldwide. [24] By December 2023, over half of London's taxi fleet were zero emission capable – with the majority being TXs. [25]

Outside London, the TX5 also serves as a taxi in Austria, [26] Australia, [27] Azerbaijan, [28] China, [27] Denmark, [11] France, [11] Germany, [29] India, [30] Israel, [31] [32] Japan, [33] Poland, [34] Spain [35] and Switzerland. [11]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "TX – Price and Specification Guide". LEVC . Retrieved 12 January 2018.
  2. 1 2 Anthony, Sebastian (23 March 2017). "Electric TX5 black cabs start rolling off the production line". Ars Technica. Archived from the original on 1 February 2018. Retrieved 23 March 2017.
  3. ↑ Allan, Lawrence (5 December 2017). "New 'TX' electric London Taxi priced at £55,599". Autocar Express. Dennis Publishing. Retrieved 4 January 2018.
  4. ↑ "Emissions standards for taxis". Transport for London. Retrieved 11 July 2022.
  5. ↑ "Geely: we'll make an electric London Cab". China Car Times. China Times. 20 October 2008. Archived from the original on 4 March 2009. Retrieved 1 December 2012.
  6. 1 2 Reynolds, Matt (29 May 2018). "An obscure Chinese firm has taken over London's black cabs. Its next target? Beat Uber at its own game". Wired UK. ISSN   1357-0978 . Retrieved 20 July 2022.
  7. ↑ "London EV Company – Zhejiang Geely Holding Group" . Retrieved 20 July 2022.
  8. ↑ "London Taxi Company Coventry plant to create 1,000 jobs". BBC . 26 March 2015. Retrieved 26 March 2015.
  9. ↑ "City AM". 20 May 2016. Retrieved 20 May 2016.
  10. ↑ "LEVC Taxi heads to Japan".
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 "Approved Used". Archived from the original on 26 August 2023.
  12. ↑ "LEVC TX black cabs turn red for Azerbaijan".
  13. ↑ Gibbs, Nick (24 April 2017). "How Volvo helped to electrify the London black cab". Automotive News. Retrieved 20 June 2017.
  14. ↑ "Where Tradition Intersects with Contemporaneity". Automotive Design & Production. 30 November 2017. Retrieved 13 December 2017.
  15. ↑ "TX Cost comparison fuel savings". www.levc.com. 2018. Retrieved 22 September 2018.
  16. ↑ "Levc TX Price and Specification". www.levc.com. April 2018. Retrieved 28 November 2018.
  17. ↑ "Taxi for Reid: Rory tests London's new plug-in black cab Reviews 2023". Top Gear. 4 December 2017. Retrieved 14 April 2023.
  18. ↑ "British Built Cars | LEVC – TX taxi/TX Shuttle". www.britishbuiltcars.co.uk. Retrieved 14 April 2023.
  19. ↑ "Guide to taxis and private hire". Transport for London. Retrieved 25 August 2021.
  20. ↑ "Accessibility". London Electric Vehicle Company . Retrieved 25 August 2021.
  21. 1 2 Topham, Gwyn (6 March 2018). "London black cabs hail Treasury for scrapping car tax". The Guardian. Retrieved 6 August 2018.
  22. ↑ "Cleaner greener taxis". TFL. Archived from the original on 2 August 2018. Retrieved 14 February 2018.
  23. ↑ "LEVC CELEBRATES SALE OF 5000TH TX ELECTRIC TAXI IN LONDON". LEVC. 27 April 2022. Retrieved 11 July 2022.
  24. ↑ "LEVC CELEBRATES MILESTONE OF 7,000 GLOBAL ELECTRIC TAXI SALES". LEVC. 18 May 2022. Retrieved 11 July 2022.
  25. ↑ "More than half of London's black taxis are zero emission capable". Transport for London. 6 December 2023. Retrieved 19 August 2025.
  26. ↑ "LEVC appoints distributor in Austria".
  27. 1 2 "Geely Commercial Vehicles Enter Southeast Asia". Media Center – Zhejiang Geely Holding Group. Retrieved 31 July 2023.
  28. ↑ "Azerbaijan receives 100 red electric cabs from LEVC".
  29. ↑ "Shuttle-Dienst in Hamburg nutzt elektrische London Taxis". www.kfz-betrieb.vogel.de (in German). Retrieved 31 July 2023.
  30. ↑ "Iconic London black cabs in India now in e-avtaar as MUVs". The Times of India. 31 March 2022. ISSN   0971-8257 . Retrieved 31 July 2023.
  31. ↑ "LEVC'S GLOBAL EXPANSION CONTINUES WITH LAUNCH OF TX AND VN5 IN ISRAEL". LEVC. 10 August 2021. Retrieved 31 July 2023.
  32. ↑ "N12 – המוניות מלונדון מגיעות לישראל: כך הן ייראו". N12. 27 February 2022. Retrieved 31 July 2023.
  33. ↑ "Keio Taxi".
  34. ↑ "Approved Used".
  35. ↑ "Approved Used".
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