One of London's most instantly recognizable icons, the city's black cabs, are getting an upgrade.
Just in time for Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to the British capital and for a new law requiring all new taxis in the city to be zero emissions capable by Jan 1, 2018, the London Taxi Company (owned by Chinese car manufacturer Geely) unveiled its new TX5.
The London Taxi Company manufactures and sells London's fleet of black cabs. The company's upcoming convoy of tech-tweaked cabs will also be built in a new $50 million plant in the country. It will be the first auto plant to be built on British soil in over 10 years and will create 1,000 new jobs.
The six-seater TX5 features a new design and new perks over the current five-seater cabs roaming London's city streets. Built with a new lightweight aluminum and composite structure, the TX5 leaves behind a belching diesel engine for a more environment-friendly hybrid-electric motor. When the cab depletes its electric energy reserves, the vehicle will switch on its four cylinder gas engine to complete its trip.
The future-forward vehicle still keeps its classic iconic design. Overseen by British designers Peter Horbury and David Ancona (both previously chief designers at Volvo), the new black cabs are eye-catchy while still incorporating elements of design that are throwbacks to the originals.
"We were acutely aware of the huge responsibility that comes with introducing a new generation of design for what is already an instantly recognisable and iconic vehicle," says Horbury. "We wanted to retain those aspects that make the London taxi what it is and what it stands for, while ensuring that the new design reflects everything that a 21st-century vehicle needs to be."
Though taller and longer than its predecessors, the TX5 will offer more legroom for its driver, rear-hinged "suicide" doors for passengers, space in the trunk (or boot) for a wheelchair, charging outlets for gadgets, and, just like Tesla's Model X, a panoramic glass roof. Oh, and the whole vehicle is a mobile Wi-Fi hotspot.
Its creators say all of the TX5's 2,000 components have all been designed from the ground up, and from the looks of it, the taxi from the future successfully maintains its iconic look on London's city streets.
Photo: James Barrett | Flickr
