Electric taxi 'ready for trials'

Date: 29/3/2010

A prototype electric version of the Mercedes Vito taxi has been created and is ready for trial, Zytek has announced.

The company says the model has been converted to front wheel drive in order to create space for the battery, while the introduction of a steerable rear axle allows the car to meet the requirement for a 25 ft turning circle that London cabs must have.

According to sales and marketing director at the firm Steve Tremble, the car utilises technologies that are all market-ready and have been thoroughly proven on vehicles already in production.

"We could easily have electric taxis in service in time for the 2012 London Olympics" said Mr Tremble.

The electric taxi prototype uses a new 70kW version of Zytek's drivetrain.

The taxi was created by a consortium of organisations working to produce the next generation of car transport. The Vito is designed to be able to carry six people over 120 miles on one six-hour charge.