London’s black taxis go green with hybrid engines

Londoners will soon be hailing a new fleet of electric-powered black taxis. The modern vehicles will please those in favour of a green environment as they produce ultra low emissions, due to a Chinese motoring company investing £250 million into a new manufacturing plant.

London Black Taxi Image by Chris Sampson / CC BY 2.0

The new taxis are a hybrid of electric and petrol-powered engines which will help to give the city the cleanest air possible. All 50 of Britain’s worst black-spots for filthy air were in the capital.

The cars will be built by the London Taxi Company’s Chinese owner Geely and are due to roll off the production line at a state-of the-art assembly facility in Coventry. The Evening Standard reports that it will take about 30 months for the vehicles to meet stringent new criteria aimed at reducing to taxi emissions which come into force in 2018.

Green Party London Assembly member Jenny Jones described the electric taxis as an “important step” but said there was a need for more “rapid” charging points for the vehicles in London.