"Recliner" wrote in message
...
tim... wrote:


"Recliner" wrote in message
...
tim... wrote:


"Neil Williams" wrote in message
...
On 2017-01-30 12:28:27 +0000, Recliner said:

It may have a zero emissions (battery-only) mode for use in the most
polluted areas. The petrol engine would be used, if needed, to
recharge the battery outside the zero emissions zone.

That is quite a good interim model -

seems an awful lot of money to be spending setting up a factory for an
interim model

The vehicle isn't the interim model.


by what is already a very small niche company

Do you really think Geely is "a very small niche company"???

the market for "London" cabs is

Yet again, you're misinformed.

It's thousands per year

that us a niche market

Do you really think a hard-headed Chinese
company would be investing so much just for the London market?

I know that there are overseas sales, but they still don't stop it being a
niche market

tim

wrote in message
...
On Mon, 30 Jan 2017 19:45:17 -0000, "tim..."
wrote:



Do you really think Geely is "a very small niche company"???

the market for "London" cabs is

tim

Not exclusive to London,

which is why it is in quotes

I was referring to London-style cabs,

not cabs that operate in London

I know that people elsewhere buy them, but they don't need to.

And ISTM that if you are going to have to spend billions on zero-emission
R&D that is more likely to be profitable if the product you are making is
more generic than a "London" cab.

tim

tim... wrote:


wrote in message
...
On Mon, 30 Jan 2017 19:45:17 -0000, "tim..."
wrote:



Do you really think Geely is "a very small niche company"???

the market for "London" cabs is

tim

Not exclusive to London,

which is why it is in quotes

I was referring to London-style cabs,

not cabs that operate in London

I know that people elsewhere buy them, but they don't need to.

And ISTM that if you are going to have to spend billions on zero-emission
R&D that is more likely to be profitable if the product you are making is
more generic than a "London" cab.

Did you actually read the story that triggered this thread? It appears
not. You appear also to know nothing about Geely, which you ludicrously
described as a "very small niche company".

Sometimes it does help to know at least a little about a subject before
commenting…

On Tue, 31 Jan 2017 10:15:58 -0000 (UTC)
Recliner wrote:
tim... wrote:
And ISTM that if you are going to have to spend billions on zero-emission
R&D that is more likely to be profitable if the product you are making is
more generic than a "London" cab.

Did you actually read the story that triggered this thread? It appears
not. You appear also to know nothing about Geely, which you ludicrously
described as a "very small niche company".

For such a large company you'd think they could have designed something a
bit less utterly butt ugly than the horror that was presented the other day.

Is there some TfL requirement along with the turning circle that London taxi
designs are all done by the RNIB? The current design looks like Noddys car,
the metrocab was a box on wheels, the old TX was straight out the 1950s.

--
Spud

"Recliner" wrote in message
...
tim... wrote:


wrote in message
...
On Mon, 30 Jan 2017 19:45:17 -0000, "tim..."
wrote:



Do you really think Geely is "a very small niche company"???

the market for "London" cabs is

tim

Not exclusive to London,

which is why it is in quotes

I was referring to London-style cabs,

not cabs that operate in London

I know that people elsewhere buy them, but they don't need to.

And ISTM that if you are going to have to spend billions on zero-emission
R&D that is more likely to be profitable if the product you are making is
more generic than a "London" cab.


I read a different newspaper article saying something similar

It appears
not. You appear also to know nothing about Geely, which you ludicrously
described as a "very small niche company".

OK I made the mistake of forgetting that it had been bought by a large
conglomerate

but nevertheless the market for this vehicle is small and niche

It's all very well the parent company having the funds to pay for this, but
companies usually expect each of their product sectors to survive on their
own sales, not be subsidised by the wealth of daddy.

And I don't believe that this little niche can support the R&D needed to
develop a zero emissions vehicle. It is a development based upon the "hope"
that they can expand sales into more regions than they have now.

and when the competition is from a more generic vehicle (that can be used
elsewhere as a taxi), I don't believe that they will achieve that.

Sometimes it does help to know at least a little about a subject before
commenting…

I know at least as much as the majority here

I have actually worked for a company (working towards) producing an electric
vehicle (so I know exactly how over-hyped it is)

On Tue, 31 Jan 2017 10:24:00 +0000 (UTC), d wrote:

On Tue, 31 Jan 2017 10:15:58 -0000 (UTC)
Recliner wrote:
tim... wrote:
And ISTM that if you are going to have to spend billions on zero-emission
R&D that is more likely to be profitable if the product you are making is
more generic than a "London" cab.

Did you actually read the story that triggered this thread? It appears
not. You appear also to know nothing about Geely, which you ludicrously
described as a "very small niche company".

For such a large company you'd think they could have designed something a
bit less utterly butt ugly than the horror that was presented the other day.

It's an all-new design that was deliberately created to look like a
traditional London cab.

Quote:

The TX5 design concept captures the spirit of past generations of LTC
models and draws on more than sixty years of style that has made the
black cab and iconic sight on the streets of London. Senior vice
president of Geely design, Peter Horbury, told Auto Express: “The
brief was clear. It has to look like a London taxi.”

The new design uses a similarly vertical front grille, and rounded
headlights, with a more upright stance and chrome touches. While the
interior design is still under consideration, the six-seat layout has
been confirmed, alongside the large panoramic glass roof for a more
“premium experience.”

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/car-news/98450/new-2017-london-taxi-more-details-of-cleaner-tx5-hybrid-revealed


Is there some TfL requirement along with the turning circle that London taxi
designs are all done by the RNIB? The current design looks like Noddys car,
the metrocab was a box on wheels, the old TX was straight out the 1950s.

- The taxis are inevitably boxy, as the aim is to carry 5/6 passengers
plus some luggage using the least possible road space.

- They are upright because they travel too slowly for the drag
coefficient to matter.

- They need to be high enough for passengers to find it easy to get
into and out of. They also need to be high enough to have a flat
floor.

- They need a large grille as they spend a lot of time idling in
traffic, so they need lots of cooling air. The earlier TX4 model had
engine fires because of the lack of cooling air.

- They should look distinctive, so they're not confused with other
vehicles.

Factor all that in, and it's not surprising they look the way they do.

On Tue, 31 Jan 2017 11:50:26 +0000
Recliner wrote:
The TX5 design concept captures the spirit of past generations of LTC
models and draws on more than sixty years of style that has made the

He's having a laugh. Clearly they have no concept of what style means.

The new design uses a similarly vertical front grille, and rounded
headlights, with a more upright stance and chrome touches. While the

Rounded headlights that look like cast offs from a 1990s toyota corolla.

- The taxis are inevitably boxy, as the aim is to carry 5/6 passengers
plus some luggage using the least possible road space.

The merc ones are boxy but still look good.

- They should look distinctive, so they're not confused with other
vehicles.

They manage in other countries with normal cars. I think the word "Taxi" on
the roof is the giveaway!

Factor all that in, and it's not surprising they look the way they do.

I disagree. They look the way they do because they probably spent a fiver
on the design.

--
Spud

On Tue, 31 Jan 2017 12:41:54 +0000 (UTC), d wrote:

On Tue, 31 Jan 2017 11:50:26 +0000
Recliner wrote:
The TX5 design concept captures the spirit of past generations of LTC
models and draws on more than sixty years of style that has made the

He's having a laugh. Clearly they have no concept of what style means.

They look like timeless London taxis, which was the aim. They don't
look like contemporary private cars which will look dated in five
years.


The new design uses a similarly vertical front grille, and rounded
headlights, with a more upright stance and chrome touches. While the

Rounded headlights that look like cast offs from a 1990s toyota corolla.

They're modern LED lights.


- The taxis are inevitably boxy, as the aim is to carry 5/6 passengers
plus some luggage using the least possible road space.

The merc ones are boxy but still look good.

You're joking! They look like the vans they started off as.


- They should look distinctive, so they're not confused with other
vehicles.

They manage in other countries with normal cars. I think the word "Taxi" on
the roof is the giveaway!

Remember that we don't force taxis to all be the same colour in
London. London black cabs are just about colour but black these days,
so it's helpful if they have a familiar shape.


Factor all that in, and it's not surprising they look the way they do.

I disagree. They look the way they do because they probably spent a fiver
on the design.

Perhaps you don't know that Peter Horbury is a very experienced,
respected car designer?

On Tue, 31 Jan 2017 12:51:06 +0000
Recliner wrote:
On Tue, 31 Jan 2017 12:41:54 +0000 (UTC), d wrote:

On Tue, 31 Jan 2017 11:50:26 +0000
Recliner wrote:
The TX5 design concept captures the spirit of past generations of LTC
models and draws on more than sixty years of style that has made the

He's having a laugh. Clearly they have no concept of what style means.

They look like timeless London taxis, which was the aim. They don't
look like contemporary private cars which will look dated in five
years.

No you're right, they are like london taxis which look dated the moment
they roll off the production line.

The new design uses a similarly vertical front grille, and rounded
headlights, with a more upright stance and chrome touches. While the

Rounded headlights that look like cast offs from a 1990s toyota corolla.

They're modern LED lights.

Doesn't matter how they work, the exterior design is circa 1990s econobox.

The merc ones are boxy but still look good.

You're joking! They look like the vans they started off as.

Better a van than something noddy and Bigears drive around in. Spot the
resemblance?

http://www.vectis.co.uk/AuctionImages/92/473_l.jpg

They manage in other countries with normal cars. I think the word "Taxi" on
the roof is the giveaway!

Remember that we don't force taxis to all be the same colour in
London. London black cabs are just about colour but black these days,
so it's helpful if they have a familiar shape.

I think you're clutching at straws here. Minicabs come in all shapes and
sizes but its not hard to spot one if its got the TfL roundal in the window.

I disagree. They look the way they do because they probably spent a fiver
on the design.

Perhaps you don't know that Peter Horbury is a very experienced,
respected car designer?

You genuinely think this vehicle looks good?

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/car-new...ore-details-of
-cleaner-tx5-hybrid-revealed

Looking at it again I've noticed they've graced it with what looks like
wheelhubs from an austin maxi.

Sorry, its a fugly. But since its a near captive market they could have
designed it to look like captain cavemans piles and it would still sell
because the poor cabbies have little choice.

--
Spud

wrote:
On Tue, 31 Jan 2017 12:51:06 +0000
Recliner wrote:
On Tue, 31 Jan 2017 12:41:54 +0000 (UTC), d wrote:

On Tue, 31 Jan 2017 11:50:26 +0000
Recliner wrote:
The TX5 design concept captures the spirit of past generations of LTC
models and draws on more than sixty years of style that has made the

He's having a laugh. Clearly they have no concept of what style means.

They look like timeless London taxis, which was the aim. They don't
look like contemporary private cars which will look dated in five
years.

No you're right, they are like london taxis which look dated the moment
they roll off the production line.

The new design uses a similarly vertical front grille, and rounded
headlights, with a more upright stance and chrome touches. While the

Rounded headlights that look like cast offs from a 1990s toyota corolla.

They're modern LED lights.

Doesn't matter how they work, the exterior design is circa 1990s econobox.

The merc ones are boxy but still look good.

You're joking! They look like the vans they started off as.

Better a van than something noddy and Bigears drive around in. Spot the
resemblance?

http://www.vectis.co.uk/AuctionImages/92/473_l.jpg

They manage in other countries with normal cars. I think the word "Taxi" on
the roof is the giveaway!

Remember that we don't force taxis to all be the same colour in
London. London black cabs are just about colour but black these days,
so it's helpful if they have a familiar shape.

I think you're clutching at straws here. Minicabs come in all shapes and
sizes but its not hard to spot one if its got the TfL roundal in the window.

I disagree. They look the way they do because they probably spent a fiver
on the design.

Perhaps you don't know that Peter Horbury is a very experienced,
respected car designer?

You genuinely think this vehicle looks good?

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/car-new...ore-details-of
-cleaner-tx5-hybrid-revealed

Looking at it again I've noticed they've graced it with what looks like
wheelhubs from an austin maxi.

Sorry, its a fugly. But since its a near captive market they could have
designed it to look like captain cavemans piles and it would still sell
because the poor cabbies have little choice.


Cabs are not chosen on the basis of looks, and no London cabs look good.
They're tools of business, and are chosen on the basis of lower costs,
better reliability, better resale value, capacity, etc. If these are the
only fully emissions compliant model that also complies with London's
strict taxi regulations, they'll sell well.