LEVC goes big
LEVC is certainly no stranger to the car world, although you may have to think about where you know it from. LEVC is the manufacturer of the latest interpretation of the iconic London taxis. However, the brand wants to become much more than that. LEVC must become an electrical volume brand.
London Electric Vehicle Company (LEVC) is one of many brands in the portfolio of Chinese behemoth Geely. In 2017 it presented the TX, a modern incarnation of well-known London taxis of yesteryear. However, the LEVC TX does not have a diesel engine as in its immediate predecessor, but a plug-in hybrid powertrain with a certainly not modest battery pack of 31 kWh. There, the LEVC TX squeezes out an electric range of 103 kilometers. In the future, LEVC will focus on cars that go a lot further. In fact, LEVC must become a brand that only builds electric passenger cars and commercial vehicles.
Reuters writes this based on high-ranking men and women within the management of LEVC. Parent company Geely is said to have a huge bag of money ready, the contents of which it will pump straight into LEVC’s greenhouse in due course. LEVC should become a volume brand. You would think that LEVC would be able to fish enough knowledge, skills and collaborations from Geely’s enormous portfolio. After all, Geely has brands such as Volvo, Polestar, Lynk & Co and even names such as Lotus, Geometry, Horizon and commercial vehicle manufacturer Farizon in its pocket. According to LEVC CEO Alex Nan, Geely continues to invest in LEVC ‘because it is a unique project’, but LEVC is also seeking collaborations with other manufacturers to develop new technology. Naturally, LEVC also appeals to other Geely brands, Nan tells Reuters. It is not yet known how much money Geely will invest in LEVC.
LEVC TX in action.
LEVC would be interested in a broad portfolio containing electric passenger cars and commercial vehicles, each of which uses a single modular EV base. In theory, that could soon become a reality too. “There’s nothing we can’t get done in a short amount of time if we should, but it’s a matter of timing.” According to the CEO, LEVC could theoretically have an extensive portfolio of electric cars within five years.
As mentioned, LEVC produces and sells the TX, but also has an order version in its portfolio: the LEVC VN5. The LEVC TX can also be ordered in the Netherlands and has a starting price of €76,437. The LEVC VN5 here costs a minimum of €81,955 (€54,340 excluding VAT and bpm).
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– Thanks for information from Autoweek.nl