Black cab manufacturers LEVC describe £7,500 taxi grant as ‘important incentive’ for industry

Image credit: LEVC

London Electric Vehicle Company (LEVC), the renowned manufacturer of electric black taxis, has described the Government’s Plug-in Taxi Grant (PiTG) as an 'important incentive' for the industry.

The company, along with the trade as a whole, is actively lobbying for a crucial extension of the grant, which is nearing its expiration.

Introduced in 2017, the grant offers licensed black cab drivers and taxi fleet firms a £7,500 contribution towards each new electric taxi purchased. Currently, the grant is scheduled to continue until the end of the 2023/24 financial year. Over the past year, LEVC has been in close dialogue with the Government to showcase the grant's continued relevance to the taxi industry and advocating for its extension beyond March 2024.

An LEVC spokesperson said in a statement: “The UK Government’s Plug in Taxi Grant – which was introduced in 2017 and currently offers a £7,500 contribution towards the cost of a new electric taxi – is set to run until at least the end of this financial year (2023/24), following an 18-month extension.

“LEVC has been working closely with the UK Government over the past 12 months to demonstrate the ongoing importance of the grant to the trade and we have been proactively lobbying for its continuation beyond the end of March 2024, to ensure that the momentum behind the transition to electric is not lost.

“The grant remains an important incentive for our customers, in enabling them to purchase an electric vehicle, while also improving the air quality in our cities and supporting fairer access to sustainable transport solutions for wheelchair users.

“Since 2017, LEVC has invested more than £1.1 billion in the development, engineering, and manufacturing of the iconic black cab, which is built by our highly skilled workforce at the company’s headquarters in Coventry, for both UK and international markets. Since launching in 2018, the TX has gone on to become a global success story, saving an incredible 200,000 tonnes of CO2 from entering the world’s atmosphere. Furthermore, with more than half of all London cabs now zero-emission capable, the nation’s capital is leading the way in clean, safe, and accessible public transportation.

“Continuously improving accessibility in the public mobility network is paramount and the TX is the only purpose-built, fully inclusive vehicle that is designed to suit everyone, regardless of a passenger’s age or disability.

“But there is still work to do. Despite the successes of the TX and its undeniably positive impact on cities worldwide, there is still a real need to support cab drivers wanting to transition to electric. LEVC understands the importance of the Plug in Taxi Grant to the taxi trade and to drivers wanting to make the change, and the business remains committed to demonstrating the real value of the grant to the UK Government.”