EV TAXI WARRANTIES: Running a LEVC TX taxi BEYOND its five-year warranty

The LEVC TX taxi has widely been seen as a success since it came on to market in January 2018. Despite its high initial price-tag, cabbies working full-time and clocking up the miles have seen the cab become more economical than its diesel counterpart due to savings in maintenance and fuel costs.

Many drivers who opted for the TX took out five- year warranties, which depending on when you purchased your cab may now be approaching its final years. With new electric technology entering the industry and unknown parts costs at the time it was seen as a must.

But what will cabbies do when the warranty runs out and they become freehold owners?

It’s a big talking point within the industry. Whilst freehold ownership greatly reduces your monthly costs, there are increased risks around vehicle maintenance the older the vehicle becomes.

Previously taxi drivers were confident about what the costs would be should the worst happen in an older diesel freehold cab. They also roughly knew how long parts within the cab would last. The LEVC TX is a whole new kettle of fish though.

Invoices for replacement LEVC batteries have been seen for close to £20,000. Granted this is the worst -case scenario, but will a cabbie with only 5-years of licensing age limit left invest in a battery costing that much for example? With the global demand for EV vehicles growing by the day, there is little suggestion that the price will drop in the next ten years either.

It is worth noting how long the batteries SHOULD last for though. It should stand the test of time and last 500,000 miles.

The storage capacity of all EV batteries will gradually decrease over time, a process known as ‘ageing’, but this effect can be minimised. On- board LEVC TX systems constantly monitor and manage energy usage to protect the battery, such as a cooling system dedicated to keeping the battery at exactly the right temperature whether operating in extreme ambient temperatures, under heavy usage or during rapid charging.

LEVC say that after extensive testing under the most demanding operating conditions, the TX drive batteries retain at least 75% of their original charge capacity after 9,000 use cycles – that’s the equivalent of more than half a million miles.

Can I get EXTENDED WARRANTIES after the five-year period?

Thankfully yes you can, and the prices are competitive.

According to The Autogroup, 12-months of extended warranty on an LEVC TX that has done between 120,000 and 175,000 miles will set drivers back £1,769. Drivers looking for a three-year warranty can expect to pay a £2,369 premium.

Both these warranties come under the ‘Ultimate LEVC’ protection and have unlimited mileage for warranty term. The warranty plan will also include up to one hour’s diagnosis cost in the event of a valid claim.

The claim limit will be set at £5,000 each and every time the vehicle owner needs to make a claim and also includes a £108 per hour labour rate. This means they will be covered up to that claims limit for parts, labour and VAT per individual claim with no excess payable. It’s also worth noting that if you were to make a claim, Autogroup does allow owners to take the vehicle to ANY VAT registered garage for repair.

The LEVC TX battery does however have a separate claims liability limit of £2,500.

Will cabbies go for the warranty?

Many LEVC TX owners will be looking closely at the three-year extended package. After that, it will depend greatly on the number of miles the cab has accumulated over the eight years and whether a further extended warranty can be found.

Some will shop the cab straight back in after five- years and replace with a brand spanking new one with the knowledge EVERYTHING, including the battery, will be covered over that time period.

What is certain is that there won’t be many cabbies running these vehicles without any warranties in place at all.