The Geely-owned LEVC (London EV Company, formerly the London Taxi Company) has announced that it is due to start trials with potential customers of its new range-extender electric van in London in the second half of 2019.
LEVC says it is currently in discussion with a number of major public-sector fleets about joining the trials of prototype vehicles. This includes the Metropolitan Police Service and the London Fire Brigade – both of whom have ambitious programmes to clean up their vehicle fleets, with a target for all new vans being zero emission capable from 2025.
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Earlier this year LEVC, which manufactures an advanced electric taxi, announced it would be entering the van market with a zero-emission capable product. It says the product combines 70 years of knowledge of designing vehicles for city streets with a proven electric vehicle powertrain.
Like the company’s taxi, the van will combine a fully electric powertrain with an ‘economical petrol range-extender’. This, it says, means cleaner vehicles that are able to go the distance but also lower running costs. LEVC expect that the vehicle – for its size – will deliver a competitive total cost of ownership.
LEVC have previously announced that this product is not intended for “last-mile delivery” and will instead focus on fleets where vehicles undertake demanding duty cycles – for example, travel over 100 miles a day. This is a segment currently dominated by 1 tonne medium sized diesel vans.
LEVC says that the van will feature the latest semi-autonomous safety systems from some of the world’s leading technology providers – as well as meeting the world’s highest crash safety standards. The vehicle is also required to meet LEVC’s million-mile TaxiDur test – one the most stringent vehicle durability testing regimes.
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By GlobalDataAbout LEVC
LEVC (formerly the London Taxi Company) manufactures the world’s ‘only purpose-built, range extended electric taxi’. LEVC’s advanced new taxi is manufactured at a facility in Coventry, England and the project is supported by a GBP325m investment from parent company Geely.
