This new electric black cab can be yours for £55,000

Fancy starting a new life as a London cabbie? Well, as from next year you will be able to do exactly that in a much more modern and hopefully much less stressful way in this newly-released LEVC TX black cab.

It’s not cheap to buy outright, at prices starting from £55,599, but LEVC (the company that makes the TX) is making the cab available on a finance plan of £177 per week over a five-year period. That compares to the equivalent deal for the outgoing TX4 2.7-litre diesel model of £167 per week over four years. 90% of buyers are expected to go for this finance package.

The TX conforms to the upcoming legislation from Transport for London (TfL) that requires all new cabs to have a ‘zero-emission capable’ range of at least 30 miles. As such it‘s powered by an ‘eCity’ advanced battery-electric powertrain with a 1.3-litre petrol generator that allows the TX to comply easily with the zero-emission regs. It can run for more than 70 miles on electric power only, but the range-extender tech means it has a total range of over 400 miles. Its battery can be nearly fully charged from zero in just 20 minutes on a rapid charger, or in two hours with a fast charger. Trickle charging takes between eight and 10 hours.

LEVC says that, based on an average working day mileage of 115 miles, the new TX will cost drivers around £50 per week in fuel. That’s about £100 a week less than the old TX4. TX owners will get free servicing for the first three years or 90,000 miles, along with a full manufacturer warranty and free roadside assistance for the first three years or 120,000 miles.

The cab seats seven six passengers, has a retractable integrated ramp and charging points for mobile phones and wi-fi, and much less vibration and noise. So, not only will you be able to have famous celebs in the back of your cab, you’ll be making more money – and you won’t be going stone-deaf in the process.