Did anyone call for a taxi? There’s one on the way, at any rate – the company behind the iconic British black cab has announced that it’s working on a new generation of the car that will be launched in 2027. 

The current LEVC TX is a range-extended electric car that combines a 1.5-litre petrol engine with a 31kWh battery for 78 miles of WLTP range – could LEVC be working on a fully electric black cab for the first time? 

Certainly it seems likely to offer a choice of powertrains, especially given sister company Volvo has just launched two 'long range' PHEVs in the form of the XC60 and XC90 SUVs that manage over 100 miles of electric range. 

LEVC says that it has engineered the car new “from the ground up” to meet the Metropolitan Conditions of Fitness, which are the rules laid down by Transport for London that all official black cabs have to meet. 

Famously these requirements include a tight 7.6-metre turning circle so that the cabs can get round the roundabout at the front entrance of the Savoy hotel on the Strand in London. 

Black cabs that are sold today also have to be zero emission capable, with an electric range of over 30 miles. 

What will the new London taxi look like? 

LEVC has released some early design sketches, which it says show a “clear evolution of the instantly recognisable silhouette” while moving on the tech and usability of the inner city icon. 

We're quite taken by the dodgy looking composite shot of all the black cab generations assembled in front of the Houses of Parliament. The new version seems to look slightly wider than the current TX, with some bold lines around the front of the car. 

When will the new black cab go on sale?

While LEVC puts the finishing touches on what it calls its “purpose-built urban mobility solution”, it looks like we’re going to have to wait until the second half of 2027 to see the new car. Might be better taking the bus. 

How long has the current LEVC TX been in production? 

The current version of the London taxi has been in production since 2018. It was controversial at first, but has become a familiar sight on the roads. In 2020 LEVC started producing a van version of the TX called the VN5.

The company also in theory has the L380 people carrier in production, albeit in China (has anyone ever seen one though?), that comes with a 116kWh battery and a 329-mile range. 

LEVC has announced that its production of the TX in Coventry is finishing this month, so that the factory can begin the transition to the new model. 

Who owns LEVC? 

LEVC (the London Electric Vehicle Company) has been owned by Chinese carmaker Geely since 2013, when the manufacturer saved the previous iteration of the company from bankruptcy. 

Its output might be primarily associated with the streets of London, but the company is actually based in Coventry in the West Midlands, with a factory currently situated on the site of the old Rolls-Royce factory in Ansty. 

The facility is shared with Geely sibling Lotus, which has an advanced design studio there.