London Taxi Company inaugurates £300 million new vehicle plant

• Ansty plant to be UK’s first dedicated electric vehicle manufacturing facility
• First all-new vehicle manufacturing facility to be built in Britain for more than a decade
• The first major Chinese investment of its kind in UK automotive from parent Geely
• The creation of more than 1000 high skilled, high quality manufacturing jobs
• A new R&D Light-weighting and EV centre for Geely and Britain

Wednesday 22nd March 2017 we announced the official opening of the UK’s first car plant dedicated solely to the production of range-extended electric vehicles. Our new, state-of-the-art, vehicle plant in Ansty, is where the world’s first purpose-built, mass-market electric taxi will be built.

The investment and expansion in the new site and the next-generation London taxi has helped create more than 1,000 new jobs, including 200 engineers and 30 apprenticeships.

When at full capacity we will be able to build more than 20,000 vehicles per year - vehicles designed for, and dedicated to one task: to be the best ultra-low emission commercial vehicles in the world. The taxi vehicle is using proven Volvo Car electric powertrain system technologies and components comprising a new EV light weight platform, while retaining the iconic design heritage recognized around the world. Further derivatives of this new EV architecture will follow.

All vehicles produced at this plant will go through the most stringent testing regime in the company’s history. Each test vehicle will cover almost 500,000 kilometers, often in extreme conditions, to ensure that no city is off-limits. This program will enable LTC to deliver world-leading urban commercial vehicles, which meet the highest levels of quality, reliability and usability, purposefully designed for demanding daily drive cycles.

Carl-Peter Forster, Chairman of the London Electric Vehicle Company, said:

“The opening of our new plant sets a number of records; it’s the first brand new automotive manufacturing facility in Britain for over a decade; the first dedicated electric vehicle factory in the UK; and the first major Chinese investment in UK automotive. We are extremely proud of what we have achieved today, and we have firmly put our stake in the ground as a new, global, automotive leader in urban commercial vehicles.”

The Rt Hon Greg Clark MP, Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy attended the opening ceremony and welcome the investment, stating:

“Our iconic black cabs are famous across the world. The London Electric Vehicle Company’s impressive new factory and R&D facility showcases the innovation that makes the UK a world leader in the development of new automotive technologies. Through our ambitious Industrial Strategy, we are committed to building on our strengths and taking advantage of the opportunities the new low carbon economy provides.”