Fuel-Cell Hybrid Taxi Unveiled in London

Fuel-Cell Hybrid Taxi Unveiled in London


A new zero - emission eco green version of the iconic London Black Cab taxi the LTI TX4 was unveiled in London.  It is eco powered by a hydrogen fuel cell


The vehicle, which is the result of the collaboration between Intelligent Energy, Lotus Engineering, LTI Vehicles and TRW Conekt, is the first step in a plan to turn London’s taxis into a zero emissions vehicles by 2020. A fleet of hydrogen fuel-cell powered black cabs will be on London's roads by 2012.

For the Fuel-Cell Black Cab, Lotus Engineering has packaged the full propulsion system including the fuel cell engine and has designed control systems to optimise performance of both the fuel cells and electric drive systems. TRW Conekt led the safety analysis program, including braking and steering systems, and LTI has provided donor vehicles to assist with the structural modifications to the chassis of the taxis.

London’s Deputy Mayor for Policing and Chair of the London Hydrogen Partnership, Kit Malthouse, who unveiled the zero emissions fuel cell hybrid taxi at London’s City Hall, said, "The black cab is a much loved London icon, but it is also a significant source of pollution especially in the centre of the city. This prototype Fuel Cell Black Cab, which emits only water from its tailpipe, is an exciting glimpse of how hydrogen technology could soon play a vital role in cleaning up air quality for urban dwellers.”

The London Metro reveals there are approximately 21,000 black cabs in the UK each emitting around 243g/km of CO2. They calculated that if all the 380,000 visitors to the olympics took a zero emissions cab from Heathrow to the Olympic park they'd save 3 million kg od CO2 from entering the atmosphere.

Yes but here's the thing.............

1) They could take a train

2) They could stop eating meat!

If everyone in the UK abstained from eating meat for one day a week, this would save 13 Mtons CO2 of greenhouse gas emissions *

• This would result in greater carbon savings than taking 5 million cars off the road in the UK (10.4 Mt CO2).
• This would be almost equivalent to replacing one billion light bulbs with low-energy ones.
• This would save the equivalent of almost 36 million return flights from London to Ibiza (36.357.200)
• This would lead to greater carbon savings than taking 5 million cars off the UK roads (all year around). That would be over 17% of all cars in the UK (5.1 million cars or over 10 MtCO2).

Think what could be achieved if everyone was vegan for 2 DAYS a week ! or all week?

Please pledge and get your friends friends to pledge at One World Day

www.1worldday.org www.tinyurl.com/oneworldday www.one-world-day.org  * Carbon Savings