UK Companies Build Eco Friendly Taxi

According to reports, a group of British companies have just recently built a prototype electric vehicle. However, this is not just a normal vehicle. Apparently this new car could soon be rolled out as a new London taxi. It would be able to help the UK government continue to work toward their carbon emissions goals.

This car, which is being called the E-Vito Taxi, is an adapted form of the standard Mecedes Vito Taxi. The car was partly funded by the UK government group called Advantage Niche Vehicle Research and Development Program. The group says that the car is able to carry up to six people for at least 120 kilometers on just one charge.

Right now the car takes about six hours to fully charge. However, this version is just the prototype, and new research is making significant dents into the length of time it takes to charge this and other electric vehicles. For this car to be a choice as a London taxi, it has to be able to charge quicker than six hours or be able to travel further than just 120 kilometers.

One of the groups that took part in the project, Zytek, said that they could easily have this electric taxi in service in time for the 2012 London Olympics. This would be great news since there will be an increase in the amount of traffic around London at that time.

Of course, last month the UK government announced plans to implement a hydrogen powered taxi service in time for the London Olympic games. Now only time will tell if these two eco friendly cars will be ready to go for this big sporting event.