London to miss out on zero carbon taxis

Cities such as London and Liverpool are to miss out on zero carbon taxis from Allied Vehicles, it has emerged.

The E7 models created by the firm that emit no CO2 will not be deployed in the capital and other larger cities since they fail to meet several requirements, according to New Energy Focus.

London's Public Carriage Office has stated that the cars' turning circles are not tight enough to navigate the city's roads, although they will be available for use elsewhere.

Gerry Facenna, chair of Allied Vehicles, commented: "We've had a positive response to electric vehicles from many local authorities, both in the UK and in Europe.

"However, it's a shame that London looks set to miss out, especially since its famous taxi fleet is currently responsible for four per cent of all emissions in the capital."

Lotus was recently awarded a contract as part of the Zero Emission London Taxi Commercialisation project to design and build a series of taxis for use in the capital.