In a bid to further improve air quality and lower emissions in the capital, officials at London’s City Hall have announced they will only issue new licenses to zero emission taxis from 2018.
The traditional London Black Cab is likely to be gradually phased out and replaced with electric alternatives. The Zero Emissions London Taxi event on 16 January showcased some of these potential replacements and manufacturers the London Taxi Company, Frazer-Nash and Karsan all displayed vehicles.
As advocates of low emission transport, we at GreenAir Cars were there to speak with some of the vehicle designers and discuss their innovative plans.
Turkish-firm Karsan showcased their concept V1 taxi, an interpretation of the traditional black cab that looked unique and futuristic. With an added range extender, this design could potentially suit companies such as GreenAir Cars which operate outside of London.
With an estimated production date of 2016, the parts will be manufactured in Turkey before final assembly taking place in the UK. In an interesting move, Karsan have partnered with the Royal College of Art in London to further develop the interior and exterior design.
The current interior of the concept V1 is bright and spacious with panoramic roof and wide dual doors which open to 90 degrees allowing for wheelchair access.
The only drawback we noted is where and how luggage could be stored for the journey as the battery is stored in boot of the vehicle. Most of our passengers have at least one carry-on bag when travelling and as the picture below shows, the firm currently have luggage stowed in the main passenger compartment. We feel this cuts down on space and therefore comfort.
After discussing this with one of the lead designers, one potential solution would be to remove one of the fold-down seats or utilise the area where the front passenger seat is located.
The designers still want the feedback from all key stakeholders and have invited comments and discussion. One senior researcher on the project explained: “It’s important for us to hear from taxi drivers and fleet owners to gather the correct feedback. We’re also hoping to get fleet owners in early testing programmes.”
The current full charge is 3-4 hours with a quick charge option of 40 minutes to recharge 75% of the battery. Depending on how much investment there is in the London recharging infrastructure over the next 18 months, this could be viable option for London taxi drivers.
For the airport journeys and long distance work we are accustomed to, the only option at this stage would be to utilise the range extender battery which uses electricity to a range of 80-100 miles and then switches to a small combustion petrol engine to give you the extra miles without having to stop, wait and charge.
For Stansted airport taxi journeys and other runs of this nature, the battery range and for this model would have to be addressed.