Geely-owned London Taxi to launch EV in 2017
The London Taxi Co., a subsidiary of Zhejiang Geely Holding Group Co., plans to launch an electric version of its black taxicab in 2017 in the United Kingdom.
The vehicle will be introduced in other markets in 2018, the company said.
The prototype for the electric version was showcased in London last week to coincide with Chinese President Xi Jinping's four-day visit to the U.K.
London Taxi's TX5 prototype has six seats, an aluminum body and a panoramic glass roof.
The prototype also features extra legroom for the driver, rear-hinged doors to improve passenger access and Wi-Fi Internet connectivity, according to the company.
The vehicle was designed by Peter Horbury, Geely's vice president for vehicle design, and David Ancona, director of Geely's design center in Barcelona.
London Taxi will produce the TX5 at its new plant in Ansty, England.
Last week, Geely also said it would invest an additional 50 million British pounds (487 million yuan) to build an r&d center at the plant.
The Ansty site can produce as many as 36,000 vehicles a year, 10 times the annual production capacity of London Taxi's existing plant in Coventry.
In 2013, Geely acquired London Taxi after obtaining a stake in the company in 2006. The Coventry plant resumed production of the current-generation TX4 taxi seven months after the acquisition.
Geely, headquartered in the east China city of Hangzhou, also owns Volvo Car Corp.
The prototype for the electric version was showcased in London last week to coincide with Chinese President Xi Jinping's four-day visit to the U.K.
London Taxi's TX5 prototype has six seats, an aluminum body and a panoramic glass roof.
The prototype also features extra legroom for the driver, rear-hinged doors to improve passenger access and Wi-Fi Internet connectivity, according to the company.
The vehicle was designed by Peter Horbury, Geely's vice president for vehicle design, and David Ancona, director of Geely's design center in Barcelona.
London Taxi will produce the TX5 at its new plant in Ansty, England.
Last week, Geely also said it would invest an additional 50 million British pounds (487 million yuan) to build an r&d center at the plant.
The Ansty site can produce as many as 36,000 vehicles a year, 10 times the annual production capacity of London Taxi's existing plant in Coventry.
In 2013, Geely acquired London Taxi after obtaining a stake in the company in 2006. The Coventry plant resumed production of the current-generation TX4 taxi seven months after the acquisition.
Geely, headquartered in the east China city of Hangzhou, also owns Volvo Car Corp.
