Manchester taxi drivers offered £20,000 in grants and contributions to make switch to LEVC TX
Manchester taxi drivers are to net a total of £20,000 in grants and contributions to entice them to make the move to greener electric taxis.
The London Electric Vehicle Company (LEVC) are encouraging drivers in Manchester to make the switch to EV after selling more than 5,500 LEVC TX taxis globally.
The TX is widely seen as the world’s most advanced electric taxi. With the support of a Transport for Great Manchester Clean Air (TFGM) grant of £10,000 and Plug-in Taxi Grant (PITG) of £7,500, combined with an LEVC deposit contribution of £2,500, drivers and operators can now save up to £20,000 off its price.
Outlining further details of its accelerated carbon reduction plan at the recent Green Summit held in Salford Quays at the Lowry, Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, has committed more than £120m in government funding to support drivers and operators in the move to cleaner vehicles, ahead of the introduction of its new Clean Air Zone in May 2022.
The original London taxi, totally redesigned for the 21st Century as the TX Taxi, is purpose-built with ample space for six passengers, wheelchair access and clever eCity technology, which combines 63 miles of zero-emissions pure electric range with the flexibility of a total electrically driven range of 316 miles – made possible thanks to the on-board range-extender.
The vehicle can also be rapid charged via 50kW chargers to 80% capacity in around 30 minutes.
In a further boost for taxi drivers, van drivers and fleet operators in the Manchester area, LEVC have also announced the appointment of a new dealer, HTC Manchester. The new dealer is located in the Trafford area of the city and is seen as a key addition to the LEVC national sales network.
Joerg Hofmann, LEVC CEO, said: “With our range of revolutionary electrically driven vehicles - the TX black taxi and VN5 light commercial vehicle - LEVC is providing the optimum solution for drivers and businesses looking to transition to green mobility. We greatly welcome Manchester’s support for clean vehicles, which will enable many taxi and van drivers to make the move to a new vehicle. “LEVC looks forward to playing a vital role in helping the city improve air quality and achieve its goals through its Clean Air Zone. And with similar schemes opening soon in other major cities such as Birmingham, Bristol and Leeds, LEVC’s state-of-the-art, clean and flexible vehicles – which offer no range anxiety – can help cities across the UK transition to greener, more efficient mobility."
