London taxis drive electric expansion into Greece and France

The London Electric Vehicle Company, formerly known as The London Taxi Corporation and famous for its black London taxicabs, is continuing its European expansion, with dealerships announced for France and Greece.

With a history that can be traced back to 1908 and able to claim responsibility for one of the most iconic vehicles in the world – the black London taxicabs, vehicles so well-known they were featured in the Closing Ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games along with the Spice Girls – the company was renamed as the London Electric Vehicle Company (LEVC) in 2017.

LEVC is backed by Chinese automotive giant Geely and has been expanding its line-up with its VN5, a fully customisable electric vehicle (with range extender) that is most recognisable as a taxicab accommodating up to six passengers or fitted with accessibility features for disabled passengers.

But the VN5 can also be built out as a van utilising the same strong, lightweight bonded aluminium monocoque and SMC construction as the TX taxi – a first in the sector for the 1-tonne van segment – and boasts cargo capacity of up to 5.5m³, making it easily able to accommodate two 1200x800mm Euro pallets and carry a payload of up to 830kg.

The VN5 joins the TX Taxi taxicab and TX Shuttle in LEVCs range of commercial electric vehicles, but the company has also designed the world’s first electric campervan, the e-Camper, which was launched late last year.

And over the past few months, LEVC has been appointing dealerships throughout Europe to begin its European expansion.

Late 2021 saw LEVC appoint three dealerships in Sweden, and this month LEVC has appointed dealerships in France and Greece.

French dealer ABVV Group will serve as LEVCs first dealership in France and will provide complete sales and aftersales support for LEVCs TX Taxi, TX Shuttle, and VN5 Van models.

“ABVV Group provides the perfect blend of experience and ambition that we at LEVC seek for in a new partner and takes our number of dealers in Continental Europe to 34,” said Martin Rada, LEVC managing director for Europe.

Meanwhile, in Greece, the VN5 will TX Taxi will be sold through local dealership Spanos SA, based in country’s capital of Athens.

Spanos SA’s existing customer network has already begun submitting orders for LEVC products, with a range of multinationals, small and medium businesses, and entrepreneurs across a variety of business sectors already ordering VN5 and TX models for their fleets.

“As we continue to expand our European offering in line with our business-wide strategy for market growth, Greece represents a key region that is fast-adopting more sustainable transport solutions,” said Joerg Hofmann, CEO of LEVC.

“There is significant untapped potential in the country’s EV market, and we are looking to maximise opportunity … by bringing our pioneering TX and VN5 to a whole new audience. Government investment in the country’s EV infrastructure continues to grow, making it easier than ever for the benefits of our platform to be experienced.”

While the TX and VN5 both come with a petrol range extender which will likely disappoint some, both nevertheless offer pure electric operation with range of around 100-kilometres and an extended range of around 510-kilometres.

And, considering the needs and traditional operation of city taxis and smaller freight vans, it is more than likely that both the TX and VN5 could run their entire lives on electric alone.