Location via proxy:   [ UP ]  
[Report a bug]   [Manage cookies]                
Jump to content

LEVC TX

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Crookesmoor (talk | contribs) at 11:28, 1 December 2022 (→Service history). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

LEVC TX
2019 LEVC TX Vista in Leamington Spa
Overview
ManufacturerLEVC
Production2017–present
2019–present (China)
AssemblyUnited Kingdom: Coventry (Ansty Park plant)
China: Yiwu (Geely's Yiwu)
Body and chassis
Body styleHackney carriage
LayoutFront-engine, Rear-wheel drive
DoorsConventional doors (front)/Coach Doors (rear)
RelatedLEVC VN5
Powertrain
Engine1.5L B3154T I3 (VEA GEP3) range extender
Electric motor2x 110 kW (150 PS) Siemens permanent magnet synchronous motor
Hybrid drivetrainPlug-in Series hybrid
Battery31 kW·h lithium ion 400 V
Range377 miles (607 km)
Electric range80.6 miles (129.7 km)
Plug-in charging
  • 22 kW AC
  • 50 kW DC
Dimensions
Wheelbase2,986 mm (117.6 in)
Length4,857 mm (191.2 in)
Width
  • 1,874 mm (73.8 in)
  • 2,036 mm (80.2 in) with mirrors
Height1,888 mm (74.3 in)
Kerb weight2,230 kg (4,916 lb)
Chronology
PredecessorTX4

The LEVC TX[1] (previously known as the TX5) is a purpose-built hackney carriage manufactured by the British commercial vehicle maker London EV Company (LEVC), a subsidiary of the Chinese auto-maker Geely.[2] It is the latest in a succession of purpose-built hackney carriages produced by LEVC and various predecessor entities. The LEVC TX is a plug-in hybrid range-extender electric vehicle.[2][3] The vehicle is designed to comply with Transport for London’s Taxi Private Hire regulations, which banned new diesel-powered taxis from January 2018, requiring zero-emissions capability.[4]

Background

In the late 2000s, Geely was in talks over the possibility of converting London's black cabs into electric-powered vehicles.[5] From 2014, Geely invested £480m in LEVC to develop a new taxi, with a new factory to be built in Coventry.[6][7][8] Geely hoped to manufacture 36,000 vehicles per annum.[9] The vehicle entered production in 2017.[6]

Technical

Rear

The LEVC TX is built on a unique platform, underpinned by a bonded aluminium chassis built in the UK, giving the LEVC TX a 32 percent parts localisation rate by value. China and Europe each account for 32 percent of the content, while United States content is 4 percent.[10]

The LEVC TX is powered by a full-electric hybrid drivetrain. It drives in full-electric mode all the time, but is recharged by an 81-horsepower (60 kW; 82 PS) Volvo-sourced 1.5-litre turbocharged three-cylinder petrol engine. The LEVC TX is fitted with a 33 kilowatt-hours (120 MJ) battery pack supplied by LG Chem, and powers a 110-kilowatt (148 hp; 150 PS) Siemens-built electric motor for traction.[11] When the battery pack has insufficient charge to power the vehicle, the petrol engine is claimed to achieve 36.7 mpg‑imp (7.7 L/100 km; 30.6 mpg‑US).[12]

The charge connectors are mounted either side of the radiator grille, and are a CCS socket, capable of 50 kW DC and 22 kW AC, and an optional 50 kW capable CHAdeMO connector.[13]

Service history

The TX took advantage of 2018 Transport for London rules that allowed only zero-emission capable vehicles to become additions to the city's taxi fleet.[14] By February 2018 it was the only taxi capable of meeting these rules.[14][15]

By April 2022, over 5,000 TX vehicles has been sold in London, around a third of London's taxi fleet.[16] In May 2022, LEVC announced that over 7,000 taxis had been sold worldwide.[17]

See also

References

  1. ^ "TX - Price and Specification Guide". LEVC. Retrieved 12 January 2018.
  2. ^ a b Anthony, Sebastian (23 March 2017). "Electric TX5 black cabs start rolling off the production line". Ars Technica. Archived from the original on 1 February 2018. Retrieved 23 March 2017.
  3. ^ Allan, Lawrence (5 December 2017). "New 'TX' electric London Taxi priced at £55,599". Autocar Express. Dennis Publishing. Retrieved 4 January 2018.
  4. ^ "Emissions standards for taxis". Transport for London. Retrieved 11 July 2022.
  5. ^ "Geely: we'll make an electric London Cab". China Car Times. China Times. 20 October 2008. Archived from the original on 4 March 2009. Retrieved 1 December 2012.
  6. ^ a b Reynolds, Matt (29 May 2018). "An obscure Chinese firm has taken over London's black cabs. Its next target? Beat Uber at its own game". Wired UK. ISSN 1357-0978. Retrieved 20 July 2022.
  7. ^ "London EV Company – Zhejiang Geely Holding Group". Retrieved 20 July 2022.
  8. ^ "London Taxi Company Coventry plant to create 1,000 jobs". BBC. 26 March 2015. Retrieved 26 March 2015.
  9. ^ "City AM". 20 May 2016. Retrieved 20 May 2016.
  10. ^ Gibbs, Nick (24 April 2017). "How Volvo helped to electrify the London black cab". Automotive News. Retrieved 20 June 2017.
  11. ^ "Where Tradition Intersects with Contemporaneity". Automotive Design & Production. 30 November 2017. Retrieved 13 December 2017.
  12. ^ "TX Cost comparison fuel savings". www.levc.com. 2018. Retrieved 22 September 2018.
  13. ^ "Levc TX Price and Specification". www.levc.com. April 2018. Retrieved 28 November 2018.
  14. ^ a b Topham, Gwyn (6 March 2018). "London black cabs hail Treasury for scrapping car tax". The Guardian. Retrieved 6 August 2018.
  15. ^ "Cleaner greener taxis". TFL. Archived from the original on 2 August 2018. Retrieved 14 February 2018.
  16. ^ "LEVC CELEBRATES SALE OF 5000TH TX ELECTRIC TAXI IN LONDON". LEVC. 27 April 2022. Retrieved 11 July 2022.
  17. ^ "LEVC CELEBRATES MILESTONE OF 7,000 GLOBAL ELECTRIC TAXI SALES". LEVC. 18 May 2022. Retrieved 11 July 2022.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=LEVC_TX&oldid=1124950312"