Second new London taxi of 2014 unveiled

LONDONERS had better prepare themselves for another new generation of taxi, just days after Nissan confirmed its own assault on the Black Cab market.

The plug-in hybrid Fraser-Nash Range Extended Electric Metrocab is capable of more than 75mpg and less than 50g/km of CO2, and is expected to cost no more than a current Hackney carriage.

The company says the vehicle could save cabbies £30 to £40 per day in running costs and can go longer between fill-ups.

It is always powered by electric motors linked to a large battery, but uses a 1.0-litre petrol engine coupled to a generator to replenish the lost electricity and extend the Metrocab’s working range.

As a plug-in vehicle the new taxi, which is now engaged in real world trials, can be charged at home via a standard three-pin plug to make the most of the available electric-only range.

However, the car is only rated to meet Euro 5 emissions standards rather than the upcoming Euro 6.

It meets Transport for London’s standard requirements for taxis, including the 7.62-metre turning circle.

Metrocab Chairman Sir Charles Masefield said: “The all-new Range Extended Electric Metrocab has been in development since the mid-2000s with several prototypes built and over a million kilometres of engineering tests completed.

“Instantly recognisable as an iconic London Hackney Cab, with a panoramic glass roof for views of the city, our new all-British London cab offers, for no price premium, completely new levels of economy, emissions and passenger comfort and is ready to enter service this year, benefitting the passenger, driver, city and environment alike.”

By Press Association reporter