London’s taxi industry is celebrating a milestone with the licensing of over 5,000 electric taxis in the capital.
Well over two-thirds of the iconic black taxi fleet are now zero-emissions compatible (ZEC). According to data from Transport for London (TfL), 5,049 ZEC taxis are currently available to the public.
In 2018, LEVC’s iconic ‘Black Cab’ was completely redesigned for the 21st century with a sleek ZEC, TX compatible model. The TX was later joined by the Nissan Dynamo.
In July 2021, data provided by TfL, there were 3,874 LEVC TX models licensed in the capital and a further 91 Nissan Dynamo models.
the Mayor’s action plan for taxis and VTCs was first published in 2016 and explained how TfL set out to establish the greenest taxi fleet in the world.
On 1 January 2018 London transport regulators introduced licensing requirements to reduce emissions from the taxi fleet by phasing out diesel taxis and increasing the number of ZEC vehicles in London. The maximum age limit of 15 remains in place for ZEC taxis, but has been controversial for much of the diesel taxi fleet.
All taxis presented for approval for the first time must now be ZEC. This means having CO2 emissions of no more than 50g/km and a minimum emission-free range of 30 miles.
First-time taxi vehicle licenses are no longer granted to diesel taxis. Petrol-engined ZEC taxis, like the LEVC, must meet the latest emissions standard (currently Euro 6).
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