Although there are some concerns about the range of an electric taxi for a city like London, Smith Electric Vehicles wants to prove that it can be made. Smith has announced, via its newsletter, an agreement with LTI Vehicles, the manufacturers of the iconic British taxis, to build a battery powered, zero emission urban taxi cab. Under the agreement, LTI and Smith will produce an all-electric version of LTI's TX4 black cab, branded the TX4E. First tests show that the vehicle can get up to 50mph and has a "range in excess of 100 miles on one battery charge."

According to Smith, the TX4E will contain all the conventional features of the TX4, but will be powered by Smith's advanced electric drive train and a lithium-ion iron phosphate battery pack. It will be manufactured in the UK for the domestic market (so no chance to buy it abroad) and sold through LTI's distribution network. Smith says that, based on current electricity prices, the vehicle will cost less than 4p per mile to run - which is far better than the diesel versions. The last time I checked diesel in the UK it was more than a pound per liter, and the TX4 needs about 10-12 liters/100 km (20-ish mpg U. S.) to run in urban traffic.

[Source: Smith Electic Vehicles]

The new, lower-emission purpose-built TX4 taxi by LTI Vehicles is not only cleaner than previous versions (as we reported when the TX4 was released last fall), it's also proving popular with cabbies and passengers. At least, so says LTI.

I rode in an earlier LTI taxi last December and enjoyed it, so I don't doubt that the new version is a comfortable ride. Richard Wilson, of Tolver Taxis in Norwich, is also on record as saying the distinctive-looking taxi has been a good buy (he ordered one without a test drive after hearing 30 had been sold on day one) for his passengers and the environment. He said he likes the low-emission vehicle, which is powered by an Italian-made VM Euro IV compliant turbodiesel engine that puts out either 211 grams of CO2 per kilometer with a manual transmission version or 233 gm/k with an automatic. Wilson said, "Other drivers have asked me what it is like and I have told them the truth. I hope now that more drivers will get them so Norwich can have the cleanest, newest fleets of purpose-built taxis around."

Related:

• New London taxi looks old-school, but with low-emission diesel inside

[Source: LTI]

Launched three weeks ago by LTI Vehicles, the next generation of purpose-built London taxis, the TX4, is now available on Edinburgh streets. The TX4 looks like previous generation London taxis, but under the hood and inside the cab there have been some changes. Most interesting for us is the lower-emissions, Euro IV compliant VM turbodiesel engine, which puts out either 211 grams of CO2 per kilometer with a manual transmission version or 233 gm/k with an automatic. Combined mileage numbers are 36.2 (manual) and 32 (automatic).

Cabbie David Hamilton is the first to buy and operate a TX4, and he called it a much better vehicle overall than the cab he used to drive, a TXII. Hamilton says the TX4 rides better, and has increased power even while emitting less CO2 than the TXII.

[Source: LTI]