From
http://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/green-is-the-new-black-as-cabs-go-electric-zsw09x0vs?shareToken=69253c87e03a17954a21109c3c08f 0e9

Extract:

Britain’s latest car plant — and the country’s first factory exclusively
building electric vehicles — is to open in Coventry in the spring as the
China-backed London Taxi Company rises from the ashes and begins production
on new battery-driven black cabs.

The new redesigned black cabs will go on sale by the end of the year as all
new taxis aiming to ply for trade in London will need to abide by strict
low-emissions rules from January 1, 2018.

LTC has been reborn from the buy-out by the Hangzhou-based Geely of London
Taxi International, which failed in the 2012 collapse of Manganese Bronze.
The factory, part of a $400 million project, will open its doors for the
first time on March 22.

The new plug-in hybrid electric cab — capable of running at least 70 miles
on a single electric charge but which will have a back-up petrol engine —
is aimed at replacing the 22,500-strong fleet of diesel cabs on the
capital’s roads.

…

The new vehicle’s success will in part depend on Transport for London and
other authorities honouring their commitments to putting in cab-dedicated,
fast-charging infrastructure. TfL has committed to installing 150 such
charging points by the end of next year.

"Recliner" wrote in message
...

I saw this, I did wonder where it should be posted

The new plug-in hybrid electric cab — capable of running at least 70 miles
on a single electric charge

70 miles!!!

is that really enough

but which will have a back-up petrol engine —

If it has a back up engine it isn't zero emissions, is it?

I know you didn't post that, but the headline I saw, said it

tim

On Mon, 30 Jan 2017 12:08:26 -0000, "tim..."
wrote:



"Recliner" wrote in message
...

I saw this, I did wonder where it should be posted

The new plug-in hybrid electric cab — capable of running at least 70 miles
on a single electric charge

70 miles!!!

is that really enough

It's pretty good for a PHEV. To stay on the battery alone, it will
obviously need to recharge periodically during the day.


but which will have a back-up petrol engine —

If it has a back up engine it isn't zero emissions, is it?

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.

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 - would work for things like buses
and coaches too, as well as private cars.

I can see such an approach becoming mandatory in cities before long -
only zero-emission within the city zone, fire up the small, high-speed
turbocharged/supercharged petrol engine at optimum revs (probably that
rather than diesel) to charge up on the motorway, as until we get more
of our electricity generation onto renewables/nuclear there actually
isn't really a pollution increase by doing that over pure electric -
electric cars are really about removing pollution at the point of use
from cities.

Neil
--
Neil Williams
Put my first name before the @ to reply.

"Recliner" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 30 Jan 2017 12:08:26 -0000, "tim..."
wrote:



"Recliner" wrote in message
...

I saw this, I did wonder where it should be posted

The new plug-in hybrid electric cab - capable of running at least 70
miles
on a single electric charge

70 miles!!!

is that really enough

It's pretty good for a PHEV.

I meant

is that enough for a taxi

To stay on the battery alone, it will
obviously need to recharge periodically during the day.


but which will have a back-up petrol engine -

If it has a back up engine it isn't zero emissions, is it?

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.

but that wasn't the claim

tim

"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

by what is already a very small niche company

tim

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"???

It's a multi-billion dollar corporation.

On 2017-01-30 16:59:31 +0000, Recliner said:

The vehicle isn't the interim model.

That kind of hybrid is; the long-term solution is a pure electric
vehicle when battery technology is good enough.

The factory, of course, will be able to switch.

Neil
--
Neil Williams
Put my first name before the @ to reply.

"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

tim

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