London’s famous black cab is getting ready for a rare update, with maker LEVC confirming that an all-new replacement for the familiar TX will arrive in the UK in the second half of 2027.
The new taxi is already well into development and LEVC has released the first design sketches, giving us an early look at what comes next. It’s still very clearly a black cab, with the familiar upright shape and big glass area, but the sketches show a cleaner, more modern look rather than a complete reinvention.
It will be purpose-built from the ground up to meet Transport for London’s (TFL) Conditions of Fitness, which set out the rules London taxis must follow. This includes their famous tight turning circle of 25 feet (enabling cabs to negotiate the original roundabout outside the entrance to the Savoy hotel) and accessibility requirements.
The current TX arrived in 2018 as a range-extended electric taxi and more than 12,000 have now been sold around the world. LEVC says the model has helped cut NOx emissions from London’s taxi fleet by 60 per cent, while its own calculations claim it has prevented more than 450 million kilograms of CO2 from entering the atmosphere, compared with the previous diesel TX4.
For now, though, LEVC is keeping the technical details of the new model to itself. We don’t yet know what will power it, how far it will travel or how quickly it will charge.
I’d expect one of the biggest changes to be a greater electric-only range than the current black cab offers, answering one of the biggest criticisms of the TX. There should also be gains in efficiency, while this is an obvious chance to tackle some of the usability gripes often cited by cabbies and passengers.
LEVC has confirmed that design, technology and usability are all being pushed on for the new model, with drivers, passengers and fleet operators involved in its development.
Tony Chi, LEVC chief executive, said, “Our next-generation taxi will honour everything drivers and passengers value about the current TX, while taking a significant step forward in design, innovation and sustainability. We know how important the future of the black cab is to our partners and we want to reassure them that LEVC is fully committed to the future of this sector.”
The new cab is also a significant moment for LEVC’s Ansty factory just outside of Coventry. Final assembly of the current TX ends this month, allowing the plant to prepare for production of its replacement next year. LEVC says existing owners will continue to get parts, servicing and technical support through its current aftersales operation.
Geely has invested more than £1 billion in LEVC over the past decade, and the new taxi will combine LEVC’s experience of building purpose-designed cabs with the Chinese group’s wider engineering resources.
