Chinese automaker to produce hybrid-electric TX5 taxis using aluminium

London Taxi Company (LTC), an automotive engineering company and a wholly owned subsidiary of Chinese automaker Geely, has opened its new car plant in Coventry, United Kingdom. The company will manufacture new hybrid-electric TX5 taxis in March, with the vehicles rolling off the production line in the third quarter.

The company’s Coventry plant has the capacity to produce 36,000 of the cabs annually. Initially, the company will produce about 1,000 cars but soon it will ramp up its production. LTC has invested £300m for this new car plant. The company is targeting a 70-mile range for electric-only propulsion.

Chris Gubbey, LTC’s chief executive, said “New demands on pollution controls in cities mean that people were very interested”. He explained, “Taxi drivers have been holding off buying new cabs because they know the TX5 is coming and they are also watching new pollution legislation.”

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The TX5 will make wide use of aluminium to keep weight at an optimum level. The model will make use of a new lightweight aluminium structure and composite panelling.

Mr Gubbey said: “We have been taking engineers specialising in light weighting from other British manufacturers who specialise in the technology such as Lotus and McLaren.”