E7 electric taxi makes its debut in the UK

While New York taxis are set to go hybrid by 2012, at least one company in the UK looks to be doing its part to take things one step further, with it now showing off an all-electric taxi that it says will be available as soon as October of this year. Dubbed the E7, this one packs a bundle of lithium ion batteries that promise to give it a range of 100 miles on a single charge and a decent enough top speed of 60 miles per hour, as well as a price tag of £39,450 (or just over $78,000). It seems that not everyone's sold on the vehicle, however, as it recently got the thumbs down from London's taxi licensing division, meaning that Londoners won't be able to catch this particular near-silent ride anytime in the foreseeable future.

[Via AutoblogGreen]

[Jash Sayani @ Jul 17th 2008 12:30PM]

YAY!! ELECTRIC POWER AGAIN !!!! :D

[iHoppipolla @ Jul 17th 2008 12:37PM]

Honestly, I can stand the fact America is behind in the whole internet bandwidth arena but must we fall, oh, so far behind in our auto technology?

It's pathetic that the UK has an electric taxi solution and one city in America is just getting around to moving its taxis to hybrids... by 2012 no less. How long before electric? 2024?

[jason @ Jul 17th 2008 12:41PM]

We got hydrogen powered buses and stuffs

[coffee @ Jul 17th 2008 1:33PM]

a 100-mile range isn't going to be viable for a city-wide taxi solution. What are the cabbies going to do, run back to base for a charged vehicle every 2-3 hours?

Neat idea, though.

[iHoppipolla @ Jul 17th 2008 1:49PM]

The current 100 miles per tank cap does hamper its implementation in the taxi industry. (hehe. "tank cap")

What bothers me is the long-term vision of the American automobile industry. By 2012, hybrids! Gadzooks! Really!? They're still looking for hybrid solutions... Like the hybrid Escalade. Seriously, now?

UKers are already shooting for electric automobiles.

@ Jason, you do make a good point with the hydrogen-powered busses.

I'm thinking about a solution closer to this:
http://www.engadget.com/2008/06/13/genepax-shows-off-water-powered-fuel-cell-vehicle/

I heard from somewhere (unfortunately can't find article right now) about someone who engineered a water-powered car which recycles the steam produced through the fuel-making process, over and over and getting like 600 miles per ?gallon?/tank in the process. Help?

[Steve A. @ Jul 17th 2008 1:55PM]

A large number of the taxis in Seattle are are already hybrid. Just because the East coast is 5 years behind the West, don't blame the whole nation. ;)

[Kching @ Aug 23rd 2008 7:57AM]

We already have alot of hybrid taxis in Montenegro...
Cars in US are terrible...

[Benny @ Jul 17th 2008 10:00PM]

As far as I know, there aren't that many hybrid taxis in the UK. Don't take this one breakthrough as being indicative of our entire service industry.

[Simon Tooke @ Jul 17th 2008 12:40PM]

As current taxis are shared and on the road most of the time, I doubt any taxi without a very fast recharge time (not mentioned in the article) or swappable batteries will be popular with taxi owners.

In some parts of the world, a driver rents the cab for a shift, and has to get it back by the end of the shift (even if it means dropping a fare). I can't see the driver stopping to charge up, too.

[xstream @ Jul 17th 2008 12:54PM]

here in germany most taxis in the smaller cities wait 75% of the time in front of the station or airport, so there is planty of time to recharge

but in my opinion that would be a perfect application for capacitors instead of lithium ion batteries

[natels @ Jul 17th 2008 1:19PM]

Yea seriously.. 100 miles on one charge is probably not going to bode well with taxi drivers.

[quanta67 @ Jul 17th 2008 12:45PM]

So why did London turn it down?

[fanman @ Jul 17th 2008 12:59PM]

...and it's produced in a completely carbon neutral fashion without using plastics or metals or

Wait...

[Alex @ Jul 17th 2008 1:30PM]

Only one company - LTI Vehicles - produces the hallmark black taxis that you see in London today. London has very strict specifications for what it will allow to pass as an official London taxi (25ft turning radius, handicap accessible, etc.). These rules all have a purpose, but they also serve to keep LTI in business, since something like 95% of their cars are sold to the London taxi service.

[joe blow @ Jul 17th 2008 2:10PM]

My question as well. Why tout it as a greener solution when it has been rejected to fill that role.

[Ahmeddaalijanhanistani @ Jul 17th 2008 12:48PM]

fifth

[Outinthedark @ Jul 17th 2008 1:02PM]

Wow I find a 100 mpc [mile per charge heh] for a taxi would be significantly low.

I did a quick search and I guess the average is 103 mi a day [5000 km a month average] but what about the higher mileage taxis?

I think they almost need to get it to at least 150 mpc or 200 mpc for some of those higher mileage taxis.

[natels @ Jul 17th 2008 1:20PM]

There are taxis here that take you from South suburbs to the airport which is about 35-40 miles one way.. 100 miles on one charge will not cut it.

[JerseyJohnny @ Jul 17th 2008 1:52PM]

What fuel is used to charge the batteries?

Maybe a nice coal fired power plant? Maybe a nat gas plant? Or is it magically recharged by invisible bunnies?

[DaKingsta @ Jul 17th 2008 6:00PM]

Or maybe it's solar power.

[fanman @ Jul 18th 2008 7:09AM]

£50 says it isn't.

[Sam @ Jul 17th 2008 2:29PM]

Who makes the batteries?

[Bill @ Jul 17th 2008 3:47PM]

Price shows you just how expensive a 100 mile battery pack is today.

There are some fast-charge (5-15 minute) battery formulations out there - they are the more expensive ones.

[dave @ Jul 17th 2008 5:17PM]

Unfortunately the UK doesn't have enough affordable electric engergy available to power any of those.
I suggest we turn to horse carts which are a far more safer investment in the UK.

[Benny @ Jul 17th 2008 10:04PM]

I traveled in one of these the other day... it gave me a real buzz!











Sorry.

[ca @ Jul 22nd 2008 8:15AM]

Im a cabbie on the wirral and i do between 90 and 100 miles in a full 10 hour day so the 100 mile limit would not be a problem & id say 80% of drivers do the same kind of mileage. If they could get it up to 150 mile limit that would be good enough for all of us up here anyway. The only thing im wondering is how the government will try and screw us for more money seeing as theyd be loosing all that fuel duty?!