London Taxi Company’s new range-extended electric black cab performs quite well in high heat conditions, as determined by recent comprehensive testing in Arizona, the company has revealed.
The testing was undertaken apparently as a means of demonstrating that the new London Taxi Company product could perform in the sorts of hot, desert environments that some interested potential buyers are situated in (Dubai, etc.).
The CEO of the London Taxi Company, Chris Gubbey, commented: “Since announcing this project we have had considerable interest not just from European cities but hot weather cities around the world. To convert this interest into sales we must prove TX5 can perform as well in the 45° Celsius heat of Dubai as it can in the sub-zero temperatures of the Arctic, and as it does in the changeable conditions of London.”
The new range-extended electric taxi will reportedly be the most comprehensively tested product in the company’s history — which would make sense as most earlier products were aimed squarely at the UK market. It’s currently slated to go on sale towards the end of the year.
The press release provides more: “On these trials, the vehicle successfully undertook daily of journeys of 300 miles, the equivalent of driving from Heathrow to central London some 20 times. This is roughly triple the average daily mileage of the typical London cab, reassuring cab drivers that there are plenty of extra-miles in the tank if they’re sharing the vehicle with another driver, or, should they land a popular ‘roader’ (London cabbie parlance for a long-distance fare).
“This shows that despite additional pressure of extreme heat on the battery, the cab can still cover considerable distances. So, regardless of the conditions outside, both driver and passenger will be able to travel in comfort without worrying about the range of the vehicle.”
The Head of Quality at London Taxi Company, Dr. Wolfram Liedtke, commented: “Testing in these extremes provides us with a huge amount of data, helping us to understand how the performance of the batteries changes at high temperatures, and how can get the most charge out of them.
“In the next few weeks, our equipment testing will also take us to extremely humid environments, as well as some more mountainous terrain. This is all preparation for one of the most challenging environments for vehicles — everyday use on the streets of London.”
This testing of the new range-extended electric cabs in the streets of London is slated to begin this summer. wf
