Volkswagen
London Taxi
The
Volkswagen London Taxi is, in VW's words, "a conceptual twist on a British
institution". It was the third in a series of electric powered concept
taxis developed by Volkswagen to showcase different variations on the UP! compact
electric car. VW's designers have previously covered Milan and Berlin in their
faux-taxi lineup.
The
concept was unveiled by Klaus Bischoff, Head of Design at Volkswagen, at a
special event in London on the 14th December 2010.
The
Volkswagen London Taxi Concept was designed to help meet the challenges faced
by vehicles in modern cities, with ever tighter restrictions on space and
emissions, the Volkswagen Taxi Concept is powered by an electric motor fed by
lithium-ion batteries. With a capacity of 45 kW/h the batteries allow the
electric motor to generate a maximum power output of 115 horsepower - allowing
for a top speed of 74 mph.
The
Volkswagen London Taxi Concept has an impressive range of 186 miles. And the
batteries can take in 80 percent of their maximum charge within one hour.
The
Volkswagen London Taxi Concept is more compact than the Volkswagen Fox (the
company's current smallest car) however thanks to its long wheelbase and short
front and rear overhangs the concept has generous interior space - with room
for two adults to be seated in comfort, plus an allocated area for luggage
located where the front passenger seat would normally reside.
The
overall design theme running throughout the VW London Taxi Concept is
simplicity, with an elegant, clutter-free look to the interior. The major
functions of the car including climate, entertainment and fare information are
all grouped onto one touchscreen display located next to the driver. In the
back, a similar screen allows the passengers to keep up-to-date on their route
and current location.
The
styling of the Volkswagen London Taxi Concept deliberately features
tongue-in-cheek details such as the silver Union Jack on the roof, and the City
of London's coat of arms on each door. Elegant daytime running lights mounted
within the headlight units are joined by a distinctive 'Taxi' light on the
roof. This has two settings - it glows green when the driver's looking for
work, and red when he's not.
At
the rear the light units are integrated into the 60:40 split tailgate, behind
which are a pair of integrated storage units to hold the driver's belongings.
While
the Volkswagen London Taxi Concept doesn’t adhere to current legal requirements
regulating taxis in London, it does offer an insight into the possibility of a
future small, efficient taxi that offers an alternative to conventional fuels.
