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]