London Electric Vehicle Company

London EV Company Limited (LEVC, formerly The London Taxi Corporation Limited trading as The London Taxi Company) is an automotive engineering company with its headquarters near Coventry, England, and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Chinese automaker Geely.[1] The company is famous for its London black taxicabs.

London EV Company Limited
Formerly
The London Taxi Corporation
Subsidiary
Traded as
  • London Taxi Company (2013–2017)
  • London Electric Vehicle Company (2017–present)
IndustryAutomotive
PredecessorLTI Limited
Founded2013
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 dated to 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. [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]

In 2015 Geely announced plans to build a new £250 million plant for the London Taxi Company in Ansty Park near Coventry, with production planned to start at the new site in 2017.[7]

The company launched the new LEVC TX electric taxi in 2017 and announced its intentions to begin production of electric commercial vehicles in addition to taxicabs.[8]

Electric taxi
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 had held talks with UK government officials about the plan.[9] In May 2016, it was reported that they had secured £275 million for the project, which aims to manufacture 36,000 vehicles per year at its new Coventry, UK plant.[10] The TX range extender electric vehicle will be made at a new facility near Ansty, 5 miles (8 kilometres) northeast of Coventry. [11][12][13]

Electric van

An electric van was revealed by LEVC on 17 June 2019, and will be available to order in the second half of 2020.[14] In March 2020, LEVC confirmed that the new van would be called LEVC VN5.[15]

References
  1. "The electric London taxi revealed, with claim will save £100 a week". Retrieved 17 August 2017.
  2. "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.
  3. "Geely set for control of London cab maker". Reuters. 17 March 2010. 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. "London Taxi Company Coventry plant to create 1,000 jobs". BBC. 26 March 2015. Retrieved 26 March 2015.
  8. Mullen, Enda (11 July 2017). "London Taxi Company to change its name after 69 years". Coventry Telegraph. Retrieved 17 August 2017.
  9. "Geely: we'll make an electric London Cab". China Times. 20 October 2008. Retrieved 1 December 2012.
  10. "City AM". 20 May 2016. Retrieved 20 May 2016.
  11. "Coventry – is the UK's 'motor city' still driving forwards?". BBC. Retrieved 12 December 2016.
  12. "London taxis to take on the world as hybrid TX5 sets sights on global exports". The Independent. Retrieved 12 December 2016.
  13. "London taxi-maker raises $400m to develop greener cabs". The Guardian. Retrieved 12 December 2016.
  14. "LEVC reveals new taxi-based range-extender delivery van | Autocar". www.autocar.co.uk. Retrieved 17 June 2019.
  15. "LEVC VN5: name confirmed for taxi-based range-extender delivery van | Autocar". www.autocar.co.uk. Retrieved 15 March 2020.
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