The London Taxi Company has appointed Chargemaster as the homecharging supplier for its fleet of new range-extended electric taxis.
The company’s new plug-in electric taxi will be launched in Autumn and will go on sale in international markets in 2018. Taxi drivers with the new model can use Chargemaster’s homecharging kit, to ensure their vehicle will run on electric-only power as soon as they set off for work.
Redesigned from the ground up, the new cab will allow drivers to complete a day’s inner city driving without producing any emissions, while overnight charging will mean reduced fuel costs for drivers.
The new taxi can achieve around 150 miles on a full charge but the petrol engine can recharge the battery to extend the full range to about 300 miles, removing any potential range anxiety.
Richard Turnbull, Head of Infrastructure at LTC, said, “We are delighted to be partnering with Chargemaster, which will provide our customers with a proven home charge solution using technology that has been specifically selected to support the next generation of range-extended electric taxi.”
The new vehicle is part of LTC’s £325 million project to produce range-extended electric taxis and vans for use in cities around the world. As well as an electric powertrain, the new cab will be able to seat six passengers and offer front-facing wheelchair access.
It will be produced at LTC’s new manufacturing facility in Ansty, West Midlands, and will be compatible with the Chargemaster unit.
Chargemaster has supplied more than 30,000 Homecharge units to UK electric vehicle drivers to date, and is the official charging partner to major automotive manufacturers including BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Mitsubishi, Nissan and Renault.
