London Electric Vehicle Company

London EV Company Limited (LEVC, formerly The London Taxi Corporation Limited trading as The London Taxi Company) is a British automotive electric vehicle manufacturer with its headquarters at Ansty near Coventry, England, and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Chinese automaker Geely. The company is responsible for the electrical conversion of London’s famous black taxicabs.

For the predecessor company, see The London Taxi Company.

London EV Company Limited
FormerlyThe London Taxi Corporation
TypeSubsidiary
  • London Taxi Company (2013–2017)
  • London Electric Vehicle Company (2017–present)
IndustryAutomotive
PredecessorLTI Limited
Founded11 January 2013 (2013-01-11)
Headquarters
Ansty, Warwickshire
,
United Kingdom
ProductsTaxicabs, Vans
OwnerZhejiang Geely Holding Group (100%)
ParentGeely UK Ltd.
Websitelevc.com

History
See also: Manganese Bronze Holdings

Geely's involvement in British taxicab production began in 2006 when it partnered with LEVC's predecessor The London Taxi Company, and its parent Manganese Bronze Holdings, in the creation of a China-based taxicab manufacturing joint venture.[1] In 2008, Geely considered the possibility of converting London's black cabs into electric-powered vehicles.[2] In 2009 Geely bought shares in Manganese Bronze Holdings.[3]

In 2012 Manganese Bronze Holdings entered administration due to lack of funding.[4][5] In 2013 Geely rescued part of the business and created its own taxicab production company as The London Taxi Corporation Limited.[6]

The joint venture, Shanghai LTI Automobile Components Co Ltd, made the TX4, a licensed London Black Cab,[7] in Fengjing, Shanghai,[8] and exports semi-complete knock-down kits for assembly in the UK.[7]

From 2014, Geely invested £480m in LEVC to develop a new taxi. In March 2015, LEVC announced a new factory and offices would be built at Ansty Park, northeast of Coventry at a cost of £90m, creating 1,000 jobs.[9][10][11] Geely hoped to manufacture 36,000 vehicles per annum.[12]

In 2017, the company launched the new LEVC TX range-extended electric taxi and announced its intentions to begin production of electric commercial vehicles in addition to taxicabs.[13]

Models

TX
LEVC TX
Main article: LEVC TX

Geely had been in talks over the possibility of converting London's black cabs into electric-powered vehicles. The company said it has held talks with UK government officials about the plan.[14] The TX range extender electric vehicle is built at a new facility near Ansty, 5 miles (8 kilometres) northeast of Coventry. [15][16][17] By April 2022, over 5,000 TX's has been sold in London, around a third of London's taxi fleet.[18]

VN5
Main article: LEVC VN5
LEVC VN5

An electric van was revealed by LEVC on 17 June 2019, and will be available to order in the second half of 2020.[19] In March 2020, LEVC confirmed that the new van would be called LEVC VN5.[20]

References
  1. "Black cab, U.K. transport icon, to be made in China – Business – International Herald Tribune". The New York Times. 4 October 2006. Retrieved 10 November 2012.
  2. "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.
  3. "Geely set for control of London cab maker". Reuters. 17 March 2010. Archived from the original on 1 February 2013. Retrieved 31 October 2012.
  4. "Manganese Bronze calls in administrators". BBC News. 22 October 2012. Retrieved 22 October 2012.
  5. "London black cab maker Manganese Bronze enters administration". The Guardian. 22 October 2012. Retrieved 22 October 2012.
  6. "Coventry taxi maker LTI sold to Chinese firm Geely for £11.4m". BBC News. 1 February 2013. Retrieved 18 February 2013.
  7. "Shanghai LTI Starts Supplying SKD TX4 to the UK". ChinaAutoWeb. 25 August 2010.
  8. "British icon on wheels made in China". China Daily. China Daily Information Co. 5 September 2008. Retrieved 18 April 2012.
  9. "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.
  10. "London EV Company – Zhejiang Geely Holding Group". Retrieved 20 July 2022.
  11. "London Taxi Company Coventry plant to create 1,000 jobs". BBC. 26 March 2015. Retrieved 26 March 2015.
  12. "City AM". 20 May 2016. Retrieved 20 May 2016.
  13. Mullen, Enda (11 July 2017). "London Taxi Company to change its name after 69 years". Coventry Telegraph. Retrieved 17 August 2017.
  14. "Geely: we'll make an electric London Cab". China Times. 20 October 2008. Archived from the original on 4 March 2009. Retrieved 1 December 2012.
  15. "Coventry – is the UK's 'motor city' still driving forwards?". BBC News. Retrieved 12 December 2016.
  16. "London taxis to take on the world as hybrid TX5 sets sights on global exports". The Independent. Retrieved 12 December 2016.
  17. "London taxi-maker raises $400m to develop greener cabs". The Guardian. Retrieved 12 December 2016.
  18. "LEVC CELEBRATES SALE OF 5000TH TX ELECTRIC TAXI IN LONDON". LEVC. 27 April 2022. Retrieved 11 July 2022.
  19. "LEVC reveals new taxi-based range-extender delivery van". Autocar. Retrieved 17 June 2019.
  20. "LEVC VN5: name confirmed for taxi-based range-extender delivery van". Autocar. Retrieved 15 March 2020.
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