LEVC (London Electric Vehicle Company) announces the opening of a brand-new sales and aftersales facility in Dartford as the company continues with its rapid network expansion plans.
Ascotts Electric Vehicle Centre will supply full sales and aftersales support for the TX electric taxi and VN5 electric van.
Ascotts started business in 1980 and has been an existing main dealer for LEVC since the launch of TX in 2018 – originally appointed as the first independent authorised dealership – providing sales and service support for the TX electric taxi at their site in London.
The new flagship site in Dartford builds on Ascotts extensive experience selling the TX electric taxi and allows them to extend their customer base to the wider commercial vehicle market.
Joerg Hofmann, LEVC CEO, commented: “Ascotts has played a key role in the success of our TX electric taxi since its launch in 2018 and I personally appreciate Andy Ascott’s continuing support, for sharing our company vision and investing in our future.
“With the recent launch of our first electric van, VN5, I’m confident his new site will provide an excellent LEVC sales and service experience. Adding Dartford to our dealer network is also another step in our UK growth plan to ensure no customer is further than a 45 minute drive from an authorised LEVC location.”
Andy Ascott, Managing Director Ascotts, commented: “As early adopters of the electric age, we have developed many years’ experience working with LEVC since becoming the first independent LEVC TX approved dealer. The new electric vehicle centre in Dartford will provide a welcoming environment and a first-class customer experience for all LEVC customers.”
The electric TX offers space, comfort and practicality, combined with environmental friendliness and a small turning circle, a trademark of the iconic London ‘black cab’ – ideal credentials for city transportation. With seating for six passengers and wheelchair accessibility, all travellers enjoy standard features such as air conditioning, charging facilities for smartphones and laptops and the TX’s generous panoramic roof.
A purpose-built partition screen separates the driver and passenger compartments and, with contactless payment in the rear, easy to clean surfaces and an intercom system that allows driver and passenger to always communicate clearly, travellers are kept as safe and protected as possible.
Utilising LEVC’s eCity technology, TX offers 62 miles (101km) of zero emissions driving and a total electrically driven range of 316 miles (510 km)*. Drivers can save more than £110 a week on fuel costs and more than 36,000 tonnes of CO2 have been saved from entering the atmosphere, based on 4,500 TX’s operating over one year.
LEVC’s new commercial vehicle, VN5, is an electric van targeting the one-tonne sector. VN5 shares the same bold, distinctive design and lightweight aluminium construction as TX, as well as its innovative eCity drivetrain technology. This gives a zero emissions capable range of over 60 miles (98km) and a total flexible range of over 300 miles (489 km), and with up to 5.5m3 capacity, VN5 cargo capacity easily accommodates two Euro sized pallets with a gross payload of 830kg.
VN5 started production this month and UK customer deliveries will take place before the end of the year. Both TX and VN5 are sold through LEVC’s growing dealer network, with more than 50 locations set to be in place in the UK by the end of this year.
About LEVC
Since 2014, Geely has invested more than £500m into the London Electric Vehicle Company (LEVC), allowing it to build an entirely new manufacturing facility in Ansty, Coventry. LEVC manufactures the world’s only purpose-built, range extended electric TX taxi and shuttle at its state-of-the-art factory. An historic milestone took place on 2 November 2020 when the new electric van, VN5, started production, as the company expanded its model range with the launch of a second product line.
Having already established a new central European sales office in Frankfurt to increase LEVC’s presence across Europe, new markets such as Middle East, New Zealand and Australia will continue to increase the company’s export footprint. This strategy will see LEVC move from 90 percent domestic sales and 10 percent export to 60 percent export by 2022.
