By Louis Goss
London now has more electric black cabs than diesel powered ones for the first time, following widespread uptake of taxis in line with London’s net zero push.
There are now more than 6,000 fully-electric black cabs in London’s taxi fleet, meaning electric taxis are now the most common type of Hackney carriage on the capital’s roads.
Electric taxis have boomed over the past five years, following the introduction of Transport for London’s (TfL’s) rules requiring all new cabs to be “zero emissions capable” in 2018.
TfL’s net zero push also saw the London transport authority say it would halt licensing of new diesel taxis from 2018 onwards.
The London Electric Vehicle Company’s purpose-built hackney carriage, the LEVC TX, is currently the only black cab capable of meeting TfL’s emissions requirements.
LEVC TX taxis now account for 40 per cent of all black cabs in London, meaning they are now more common than their diesel-powered counterparts for the first time.
Its chief executive Alex Nan said: “We are witnessing a significant tipping point in the push towards cleaner transportation, with the TX overtaking the diesel-powered TX4 as the cab of choice in London.”
The electric taxi’s rise to dominance comes just six years after the London Electric Vehicle Company first started producing the cars at its Coventry manufacturing facility in 2017.
TfL’s director of licensing and regulation Helen Chapman said: “London’s taxi drivers are rightfully proud to be at the vanguard of cleaning up the city’s toxic air.”
The London Electric Vehicle Company is a UK subsidiary of Chinese car manufacturer Geely.
Black cabs are currently exempt fromLondon’s ultra low emissions zone (ULEZ) charges, despite being subject to more stringent regulations around their emissions in order to obtain licenses from TfL.
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