Milestone alert: there are 5,000 LEVC hybrid black cabs in London

Production of the London Electric Vehicle Company (let’s stick to LEVC to save time) TX black cab began at the end of 2017, and after more than four years it’s starting to take over the capital. Metaphorically, of course.

LEVC says it’s just sold its 5,000th example of the TX, and claims it now makes up more than a third of all black cabs operating in the city.

In that time the TX has cumulatively racked up 307 million miles of driving, enough for 12,333 laps of Earth. We dread to think what the fare would be for that…

“Drawing on more than a century of industry experience, combined with state-of-the-art technology, LEVC successfully developed the world’s most advanced taxi: the electric TX,” said Joerg Hofmann, CEO of LEVC. “Our 5,000th sale in London is a major landmark for the business and we’re proud that our TX is making a significant contribution to improving urban air quality, as well as supporting drivers in the transition to sustainable mobility.

LEVC was bought by Geely - the parent company behind Volvo, Polestar, Lotus, and various other brands like Lynk & Co and Zeekr - in 2014. It claims to have invested £500 million in LEVC since then, with much of the funding pumped into the firm’s factory in Coventry.

The TX is the rarest of rare things in the automotive world these days: a range-extender, a la the old-configuration BMW i3. An electric motor and 31kWh battery (LEVC reckon’s three-quarters of this is ‘usable’) offers up to 64 miles of range, with a 1.5-litre, three-cylinder petrol engine in reserve.

How long before we get a fully electric taxi, do you reckon?