LONDON TAXI
Voila!
Volkswagen is seriously looking in building an all-electric taxi for big cities around the world.
- Is this the next-generation London Taxi?
Yes, if you ask the Germans. You see, this is what Volkswagen did. It carefully studied the original London Taxi, and now it has applied its strong points to a concept car it thinks would be most suitable for inner-city use in the next decade.
VW thinks the concept is not only suitable for big cities like London but also New York, Milan and Hong Kong where it did feasibility studies to determine the behaviour and attitude of cabbie drivers and passengers.
- Isn't it a little too small in size?
You could say so, especially when you consider that London Taxi concept is based on a stretched version of VW's upcoming Up! A-segment car. It measures 3.73m in length, roughly the size of an Ecocar in Thailand and slightly shorter than a Honda Jazz.
According to VW research, most taxis commute around town usually with just one or two passengers at the most on one journey. There's no front passenger seat, so as to make way for luggage area. Alternatively, however, VW says it can fit a foldable seat if required.
Behind the rear seats is some space for handbags where you could also dump standing suitcases.
VW concept is slightly shorter than Honda Jazz in overall length.
- Sounds better than a Toyota Altis
Well, the super-ubiquitous Corolla taxi in Thailand may be bigger (C-segment) than VW's London Taxi, but the Toyota's boot is rendered nearly useless by the miserly fitment of the natural gas tank.
That's why you see people coming out from airports, flagging down taxis and going to their hotels with suitcases jutting out of the car's boot.
More importantly, though, is that VW's taxi of the future is intended more for inner-city use, as mentioned earlier. So, the concept's size seems to be perfect.
- Yes indeed. Will it really be zero emissions?
Yes indeed, that is, no tail pipe emissions. Power for the VW London Taxi comes from an 85kW (some 116hp) electric system backed by lithium-ion battery that can run to a top speed of 120kph - usually the legal limit in most countries.
Drivers could drive for around 300km on a full charge. That's quite a lot when you compare with other EVs that usually go for just 160km.
That is made possible by a big electric power pack. VW says the concept weighs "just" 1,500kg. That's more than 500 kilos more than what a Nissan March weighs.
No performance figures or charging times were disclosed by VW.
Access to rear is via sliding doors.
- It still sounds cool, though
Yes, because low-speed ability is of more importance; don't forget that electric vehicles have an impressive amount of torque at drive-off point.
But it must be looked further than just what it can do on the move. The interior, for another, looks spartan but has essential info display for the vehicle, driving conditions and a system enabling passengers to pay taxi fare with credit cards.
- It sounds perfect for Bangkok
Yes, and also for other cities. Overall, the highlights make good sense: compact for tight road space, functional interior for most (it can also accommodate wheelchair) and CO2-less engine.
But Bangkok still lacks an electric grid. However, if recent news that "EVs will be happening in Thailand earlier than expected" turn out to be correct, the German version of London Taxi could prove a viable alternative for this city of more than 10 million people.
Interior is spartan but has essential info display.
Credit: Bangkok Post (www.bangkokpost.com)
No comments:
Post a Comment