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New London taxi coming in 2027: LEVC announces the next generation of the Black Cab.
Hardly a taxi worldwide is as closely connected to a city as the London Black Cab. Its silhouette is part of the street scene of the British capital as much as the red double-decker buses or the telephone boxes. Now the next generation transition is imminent: The London EV Company (LEVC) has announced that in the second half of 2027 it will bring a completely new Black Cab to the UK market. The successor to the current TX will be developed from the ground up and is intended to meet all the requirements that the London transport authority Transport for London (TfL) imposes on licensed taxis. This also marks the end of an era: The final assembly of the current TX is set to wrap up this month, before the plant in Ansty, England, fully prepares for the new vehicle generation.
LEVC - only as a taxi
The taxi industry’s announcement is of particular interest. While many manufacturers develop their vehicles primarily for private customers or delivery services and only then enable taxi conversions, LEVC has pursued a different approach for more than a century. The company designs its vehicles specifically for professional passenger transport. This philosophy is to be retained in the TX’s successor as well. LEVC promises a vehicle that will take into account the requirements of drivers, passengers, fleet operators and cities alike. The focus is on accessibility, everyday practicality and durability – qualities that are increasingly important for many taxi companies in Germany as well.
Inclusion included
In the area of inclusive taxis, selecting suitable vehicles is becoming increasingly important. Municipalities and transport operators are calling for more barrier-free mobility, while fleet electrification is progressing. The London Black Cab has long stood as a benchmark for how the two requirements can be combined. The current TX, introduced in 2018, was the first serial-production London taxi with an electrified powertrain. According to the manufacturer, more than 12,000 vehicles have been sold worldwide to date. LEVC puts the CO₂ emissions avoided at more than 450 million kilograms. Moreover, NOx emissions from the London taxi fleet have fallen by around 60 percent since the model's introduction.
The successor is also expected to keep sustainability and air quality as central development goals. The company, however, is still withholding technical details. What is known is only that the new model will build on the TX's experience and at the same time pursue new paths in design, technology, and usability.
Modern technology in a package with recognizability
First published design sketches show a cautious evolution of the familiar appearance. At first glance, the vehicle remains recognizable as a Black Cab, but appears more angular and modern. In this way LEVC pursues a path similar to many commercial-vehicle and taxi-model manufacturers: recognizability should be preserved without sacrificing modern technology and new requirements.
"For more than a century, LEVC has been a central part of urban mobility, and the Black Cab remains one of the most trusted and best-known transport solutions in the world," says LEVC CEO Tony Chi. "Today's announcement marks an important milestone, as we can confirm that the next chapter has already begun."
At the same time, the company is trying to prepare drivers and fleet operators early for the upcoming transition.
"Our taxi of the next generation will preserve everything that drivers and passengers value about the current TX, while at the same time making a significant step in design, innovation and sustainability," Chi continues. "We know how important the future of the Black Cab is for our partners, and we want to make clear that LEVC remains committed to this market segment in the long term."
Geely has already invested more than £1 billion
Development is also made possible by the support of the Chinese Geely group. Since the takeover, Geely has invested more than £1 billion in LEVC, according to the company. The capital flowed, among other things, into a new plant as well as the electrification of the model range. For the international taxi industry, the development is therefore far more than a British niche project. The London Black Cab has for decades served as a technical blueprint for accessible taxi concepts. Many solutions that today seem self-evident in specialized vehicles for passenger transport were initially tested in London's taxi operations.
"Designing the next generation of the iconic Black Cab is a great responsibility and at the same time a special opportunity," says design chief Brett Boydell. "The first sketches show the direction we are taking. The vehicle remains familiar and distinctive, but gains a modern character that reflects the future of mobility."
There's still time until the market launch in 2027. But even now it is becoming clear that LEVC wants to further expand its role as a specialist for accessible taxi vehicles. For taxi operators in Europe, the new London classic is likely to show what the specially developed taxi of the future looks like—electric, accessible, and oriented toward professional use.
Content automatically translated.
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