5,000 ELECTRIC TAXIS: London taxi industry passes significant licensing milestone

The London taxi industry is celebrating a significant milestone with the licensing of over 5,000 electric taxis in the capital.

Well over two thirds of the iconic black cab fleet is now Zero-Emission Capable (ZEC). According to Transport for London (TfL) data there are currently 5,049 ZEC cabs available to the public.

Back in 2018, LEVC’s iconic ‘black cab’ was totally redesigned for the 21st Century with a stylish ZEC capable model, TX. The TX was later joined by the Nissan Dynamo.

In July 2021 data provided by TfL there were 3,874 licensed LEVC TX models in the capital and a further 91 Nissan Dynamo models.

The Mayor's Taxi and Private Hire Action Plan was first published in 2016, and set out how TfL intended to establish the world's greenest taxi fleet.

On 1 January 2018, London’s 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 15 year age limit remains in place for ZEC taxis, but was controversially cut for a large chunk of the diesel taxi fleet.

All taxis presented for licensing for the first time must now be ZEC. This means having CO2 emissions of no more than 50g/km and a minimum 30 mile zero emission range.

First-time taxi vehicle licences are no longer granted to diesel taxis. ZEC taxis with petrol engines, like the LEVC, need to meet the latest emissions standard (currently Euro 6).