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LTI ELECTRIC TAXI MYSTERY SOLVED! |
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In the February
2009 Call Sign, we published an exclusive story
based on the words of Bas Vos, then-director of Dutch
organisation Taxi Centrale Amsterdam (1200 cabs / 2000
drivers) in which he claimed he was purchasing 50 electric TX4s.
Mr Vos told us that he had "visited the LTI factory in Coventry
where he claimed he had been told of plans for the TX4E."
Mr Vos wouldn’t go any further and the project was shrouded in secrecy, but we found out enough to know that the plan for the driving mechanism of the rear wheels of the proposed Dutch left-handed electric TX4s, could be carried out by two battery-operated electric motors that were being developed in Germany and which were expected to give around 150 kilometres before needing to be recharged. In addition, a one-cylinder diesel engine could be added as a generator and that would recharge the batteries while driving along. This would increase mileage to around 200Km (125 miles) before an overnight recharge was needed. The only question was whether the mechanics would be fitted by LTI or would they just provide the body? We asked LTI at the time but they denied all knowledge of Mr Vos. Now, little over 12 months on, we have been told by Remi Kemperman, who is based in the Netherlands city of Almere and who drives his own TX1, that Bas Vos – no longer with TCA - was recently interviewed on Dutch radio station BNR Newsradio, where still sounding secretive he claimed he was buying the first 5 taxis "...built by the biggest cab builder in England who also have a factory in China." In the view of Call Sign, that represents a fairly large-sized clue! |
 Bas Vos at TCA with a diesel taxi |
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Mr Vos now claims
that he may take out the LTI engines and replace them with the
ones described above but that the process would mean the cabs
costing around 100,000 euros (£87,000) each - although half
would come in a Dutch government subsidy. He also now claims
that the electric TX4 will go for 300 km (185 miles) without a
recharge. LTI denied knowledge of Mr Vos when we asked them last year, but according to him they have said they can deliver the cabs without the engine or they can build an electric engine in China with the delivery date of July 2010. In the radio interview – with thanks to Remi Kemperman’s translation – Bas Vos spoke of the first instalment of 5 electric taxis by the end of July and also added that Amsterdam was busily creating additional charging points for electric vehicles. He said he had been looking for a cleaner and cheaper alternative to their current fuel, had thought about natural gas but discovered that current batteries can provide enough hours of operation to provide a viable alternative. He believed seeing electric taxis in operation would convince others to go electric too, adding that cab drivers fuel costs could decrease from 40 euros per day down to below 2. Mr Vos said he would have got the taxis last year, but LTI had problems putting in a left hand drive but that he was determined to go for the LTI cab because of its recognisable shape, in addition to the wheelchair accessibility. He said he had spoken to the taxi producers who had told him that if he wanted a left hand drive, then their Chinese factory could do that and then ship the taxi to Holland where the engine could be changed – albeit a hugely expensive process – but not before adding that the Chinese factory could build the engine as well. Speaking of the finished product, Bas Vos said that drivers could have a charging point in their own home and that there would also be some at busy ranks. He went on to say to say to BNR listeners that although most drivers would like to drive a Mercedes taxi, that vehicle was not built as a taxi whereas the TX4 was. So Call Sign asked a man who would know. Matthew Cheyne is LTI’s International Marketing Development Director and indeed he had heard of Bas Vos. He believed Mr Vos had bought and converted and old Metrocab last year. "But he has bought nothing from us!" Ah well, another story bites the dust! Perhaps BNR Newsradio should have come to Call Sign! |
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