Levc To Launch New Black Cab In 2027 – But May Not Build In Uk

LEVC will launch a new generation of London’s famous black cab next year – but it may be produced outside the UK.

The almost decade-old range-extender TX is being phased out due to “regulatory limitations”, LEVC said in its 2025 accounts published to Companies House.

The firm is unable to modify the taxi to meet new requirements on the strength of seats, seat anchors and head restraints.

It said it “achieved its sales targets” by selling 725 examples of the TX last year and that this year’s output would be limited to “final-stage assembly”.

LEVC, formerly the London Taxi Company, is owned by Chinese car giant Geely, and produced both the TX and its precedessor, the TX4.

The TX is built in Ansty, near Coventry, and is one of the few Hackney carriages that meets Transport for London's conditions of fitness that allow it to be certified for use as a London black cab. 

LEVC has also offered a commercial van version in an attempt to broaden its market.

No technical details of the new taxi have been offered but. given the need to meet London's emissions regulations while also remaining practical for cab drivers to operate in the suburbs of the capital, it may well retain the current 1.5-litre range-extender powertrain.

Although LEVC's statement said that it's transitioning the Ansty plant to production of the new model, its accounts paint a different picture. It said it's working with Geely "in attempts to secure the development activity needed for the next generation of TX and future assembly activities at Ansty".

That uncertainty suggests it's also considering alternative sites to build the next generation of taxi, which could include parent company Geely’s plant in Yiwu, China.

LEVC has previously referred to Yiwu as its Chinese manufacturing base, despite no LEVC-branded models being built there.

It added: “The timing for the development, investment and introduction of this product remains uncertain, as does future use of the Ansty manufacturing facility.”

Moreover, LEVC is working with Geely’s Chinese arm to support development of the next TX, and Ansty could be used to build other models from the Geely group in the future.

Asked for comment, an LEVC spokesperson told Autocar: “LEVC and the wider Geely Auto Group remain fully committed to the UK and view it as a key market. We will share further information on the next-generation product and our plans for the future in due course.”

Moving production of the black cab away from the UK would be a bold move, given its cultural significance, but there is a business case for doing so. Production costs in the UK remain high, owing to high labour and energy costs, particularly compared with China.

Given that LEVC made a post-tax loss of £54.9 million in 2025, cutting costs will be of paramount importance to securing its future.

It cited challenges including high inflation and interest rates, a reduction in the number of licenced black cab drivers in London and the removal of the government's Plug-in Taxi Grant, which ended in April 2026.

LEVC added in its accounts that it will attempt to grow demand for the TX outside London, saying: “The rest of the UK regions and increasing uptake overseas remains a critical area for growth.”

The next-generation taxi is currently scheduled for launch in the second half of 2027. Design sketches released by LEVC showcase rounded front lighting signatures to today’s model but a squarer, more squat body.