London black cab spins off new van

London Electric Vehicle Company (LEVC) has pulled the drapes off a new van based on its TX London taxi.

Called the LEVC VN5, the new load-hauler uses the same range-extender hybrid powertrain as the London black cab and is destined to be exported globally when it goes on sale at the end of 2020.

When it arrives in markets like the UK, the VN5 won't be cheap. The Geely-owned LEVC brand will charge £46,500 ($A84,000), although in its home market buyers are eligible for ultra-low emission grants of up to £8000 ($A14,500).

For that, you get a van with a WLTP-certified electric range of 93km and an 830kg payload, blended with a class-leading 10.1-metres turning circle.

Modifying the standard TX cab's body, engineers have added a single sliding door and a 60/40 split rear doors for loading.

Combined with a small 1.5-litre turbo three-cylinder petrol that alone produces 60kW and 255Nm of torque, the VN5 has a total range of up to 484km.

From launch, three versions of the VN5 will be introduced – the base-spec Business coming with AEB, cruise control, a 9.0-inch touchscreen and 50kW DC charging that recharges the battery from empty in 30 minutes.

The mid-spec City version, meanwhile, adds a heated steering wheel, parking sensors, a curtain airbag and lane departure warning.

Finally, the Ultima range-topper introduces more comfortable seats, a rear-view camera, 22kW AC fast charging and the choice of metallic paint.

Six additional option packs are also available that add storage solutions and racking, sat-nav, roof racks and light bars.

Claimed to have been engineered to last 'twice as long' as its competitors thanks to its lightweight bonded aluminium monocoque and composite body, LEVC says the VN5 is corrosion- and dent-resistant and can absorb twice as much energy in a high-speed crash.

As standard, the VN5 is offered with a five-year/240,000km warranty, plus an eight-year warranty for the battery.

Keeping running costs low, service intervals are set at 40,000km apart.

When production at LEVC's Warwickshire factory begins later this year, the car-maker says it hopes to make and sell 10,000 VN5 examples annually.

As well as the taxi-based commercial, LEVC is rumoured to be developing a new range of cheaper urban delivery vans that could feature full-pure-electric powertrains.

Ex-Audi Australia boss Joerg Hoffmann, who's now LEVC's chief executive, hopes the 'Amazonisation' of retail and the rapid COVID-19 rise of internet shopping will fuel the growth of ultra-low-emission delivery vans.

"London’s Ultra Low Emission Zone is a blueprint, and all major UK cities will introduce a clean air zone by 2020. There's huge demand for a medium-sized zero-emissions-capable light van, and the solution we offer will be more than capable of meeting the requirements of a rapidly evolving green logistics market," he said in a release.