London’s new black cabs being secretly tested

The brand new iconic taxi is currently being secretly tested out in the Arctic Circle.

The vehicles being tested have a black and white camouflage at this stage so that competitors cannot take accurate photos as it hides the contours, however the cab will still be the traditional shape and colour.

One noticeable feature is the fact that it is ‘virtually silent’

The new cab is almost zero-emission as it has an electric engine however it sports a small petrol engine which charges the battery in order to help extend its range.

So why the Article circle? The main reason for this is that the manufacturer tests all new vehicles in extreme temperatures to see how they perform and also the target audience for sales will be polluted cities all over the world, including Moscow which can be a little on the cold side in the winter.

All black cabs currently have diesel engines which has been classed the new ‘villain’ in the war on air pollution within the capital.

Figures from TFL (2013) – estimate that black cabs are responsible for 15% of poisonous gases called nitrogen oxides produced by traffic in Central London.

It’s is also noted that they generate a high percentage of more harmful, larger particles such as PM10’S and PM2.5s.

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, is on a mission to reduce the pollution in the City and states that by 2018 every newly licensed taxi MUST be “zero-emissions capable”

This would mean that a vehicle would need to travel 30 miles without generating any air pollution, which is a goal that can be met by the new cabs.

With the introduction of these vehicles, plans have been put in place for 150 rapid charging points by 2018, with the aim to increase it to 300 by 2020.

The new cabs will come with a price tag of over £40,000 per vehicle.