120 years later, fully electric black cabs are back in London

By John Elkin Published October 24, 2019

Photo Courtesy of Dynamo Motor Co.

The Dynamo, the newest member of the exclusive London Black Cab fleet, has a big job ahead of itself. It has to clean up air quality and keep people moving all at the same time. The Black Cab fleet currently has about 20,000 vehicles, however, many of those are diesel-powered and Mayor Sadiq Khan believes that these diesel cabs are one of the leading contributors to the poor air quality in London.

Based on a Nissan e-NV200 van chassis, the Dynamo can travel 187 miles on a single charge. But they are not cheap, running about 56,000 pounds, however, there is a government-assisted grant of 7,500 pounds to help drivers who change over from the dirty diesel to the electric black cab. Altogether there is 42 million pounds available to aid in the conversion. Additionally, new rules now mandate zero-emission vehicles to be operated in the city center.

Recommended Videos

Back in 1899, the first all-electric black cab took to the streets of London, it was called the Bersey, it was competing against horse-drawn taxis and it did not last long. The Bersey only ran from 1897 to 1899. 120 years later all-electric returns to the busy streets of London.

Please enable Javascript to view this content

The Dynamo taxi is equipped with Vehicle Dynamic Control that continuously monitors how the cabbie is driving, it will sense under and over-steering, and help compensate by reducing speed or applying braking to a specific wheel, keeping the driver and passengers safe. The power is supplied by an 80-kilowatt motor that propels the cab from zero to 60 in 14 seconds with a maximum speed of 76 mph. It is built for comfort, not speed.

Within London, there are several charging suppliers such as Source London, ESB, Ecotricity, and E-Volt. Any of these will fully charge the Dynamo in 40 to 60 minutes or less depending on your remaining charge left in the batteries. A charging unit that comes with the vehicle can be fitted in a residence or a business. The charger must be installed by a professional, however, there are government grants to help pay for the expense.

Over time, the air quality in central London is expected to improve with the conversion and as the diesel taxis start going out of service.

Topics

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Worked for many off road and rally and sports car publications throughout the 1980s and 1990s. Decided to go look for a…

Cars

EV sales surge could continue as Trump delays ending federal rebates, report says

Second-Gen Rivian R1S on a road

A surge in sales of electric vehicles in the final months of last year could continue well into 2025, as consumers continue to take advantage of federal tax incentives while they last, according to a report by the Associated Press.
On the day of his inauguration, President Donald Trump signed an executive order titled “Unleashing American Energy”, which says the government is “considering the elimination of unfair subsidies and other ill-conceived government-imposed market distortions that favor EVs over other technologies.”
During his campaign, Trump’s team said it was planning to end the Biden administration’s $7,500 tax credit on the purchase or lease of an EV, although it did not provide a timeline for doing so.
Americans rushed to take advantage of the incentive, helping fuel a surge of more than 15% in EV sales in the fourth quarter, according to Cox Automotive.
Recent surveys show that incentives have played a major role in fueling EV sales over the past few years, and that a majority of Americans are in favor of government incentives to help with the purchase of an EV.
Meanwhile, the wording in Trump’s executive order, which says his administration is still 'considering' its options, leaves room for ambiguity about the timing of its application.
“Temporarily, sales of EVs could skyrocket as car-buyers rush to take advantage of existing tax credits,” the report by the Associated Press says.
In order to repeal the EV tax credit, the Trump administration will need to obtain the approval of congress. The process will likely take place as part of broader negotiations on extending Trump’s first-term tax cuts, which are due to expire near the end of 2025.
It’s also not entirely clear if the Trump administration will seek to end the whole of the $7,500 EV tax incentive. In order to obtain the incentive for the purchase of an EV, restrictions apply for high-income households and for EVs with non-U.S. made batteries. But those restrictions don’t apply to leasing an EV.
According to Cox Automotive, members of the Trump administration are particularly keen on ending “this leasing loophole, which was created partly to appease Korean and Japanese automakers, who have invested billions in U.S. EV manufacturing.”
Ending rebates and other subsidies for EVs is also likely to meet challenges, be they legal or political, from different actors.
The Zero Emission Transportation Association (ZETA), a trade group whose members include the likes of Tesla, Waymo, Rivian, and Uber, has come out in support of incentives for both the production and the sale of EVs.
ZETA says the incentives for both EV and battery-makers have led to enormous investments and job gains in Republican-dominated states like Ohio, Kentucky, Michigan, and Georgia.

Cars

Tesla Model Y Juniper vs Rivian R1S: Can Tesla’s newest take out a much more expensive vehicle?

Tesla Model Y 2025.

Tesla and Rivian actually have a lot in common. Both are relatively new companies in the grand scheme of things, at least compared to the legacy automakers that are now switching to EVs, but their actual vehicles are pretty different. The Tesla Model Y is the most popular electric vehicle in America, serving as a high-tech crossover for those interested in buying a Tesla. The Rivian R1S is Rivian's electric SUV, obviously boasting a larger body, but also putting tech first.

On top of the Tesla Model Y being the most popular EV right now, it's also in the midst of getting a major refresh in the form of the Model Y Juniper. We're still early on in the rollout of that refresh, though. While Tesla has released the Model Y Juniper in its base form in China, the version of the vehicle being sold in the US right now is the so-called Launch Edition New Model Y, which is a high-performance version of the Model Y Juniper that comes with a high price tag. For this comparison, we'll use the specs from the both the entry-level Model Y Juniper being sold in China, and the launch edition New Model Y being sold in the U.S. Keep in mind, however, that until the Model Y Juniper gets a wider U.S. release, only the previous-generation Model Y is being sold alongside the Launch Edition New Model Y

Cars

Tesla Model Y Juniper vs Kia EV9: Can the new Model Y beat a large SUV?

White Tesla Model Y Juniper at a Supercharger

America's most popular electric vehicle, the Tesla Model Y, is getting a major refresh. Tesla already launched the Tesla Model Y Juniper in China, but now it's bringing the vehicle to the US.

Of course, the new Model Y has to go up against a host of competitive electric vehicles, some of which are larger, some faster, and some even cheaper. The Kia EV9 has been hailed for being one of the few full-size electric SUVs that offers a high-quality driving experience without completely breaking the bank.