BERLIN, July 5 (Xinhua) -- Chinese automaker Geely's subsidiary London EV Company (LEVC) brought the electric version of its iconic black cabs to Berlin on Thursday, aiming to explore German market for the "green" cabs.
According to LEVC's introduction, the latest TX model is powered by an electric engine and has a total range of 640 km. Of these, however, only 130 km are actually covered electrically, for the remainder of the range, an internal combustion engine recharges the battery.
Made in England, the cabs will be sold at a price of 59,600 euros (69,660 dollars) in Germany. That can be lowered by a 3,000-euro federal subsidy and a further 4,000-euro bonus payment from Berlin's local government.
Different from the dominant taxis in Germany that are mainly offered by local car manufacturers Daimler and BMW, the LEVC's electric cab has 6 seats and wifi installed, and more importantly, it's quiet and environment friendly, according to LEVC's chief executive officer Chris Gubbey.
LEVC, the manufacturer of London's famous black cabs, started the electric plan three years ago. "Until now, about 300 vehicles of this model are running on London's roads," Gubbey said.
The CEO said LEVC's expansion plans will benefit from the network built by its parent company Geely. In Germany, LEVC will work with its sister company Volvo both in driving technology and sales. The customers can also have their vehicles serviced at around 300 Volvo branches in Germany.
"Everyone is realizing that the goals of the energy transition and improvement of air quality can only be achieved if more electric cars drive on German roads," noted LEVC supervisory board chief Carl-Peter Forster, confident about the new electric cabs' sales prospect.
He said that LEVC's expansion plans got full commitment from Geely founder Li Shufu. "He feels very connected to the topic," said Forster, who also sits on the supervisory board of Geely.
