Kowalski

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London Black Cabs 'May Disappear'
AAP 13 April 2007



One of London's icons - the black cab - may be on the way out because of strict new car emissions laws issued by the European Union.

First it was the slow disappearance of red telephone booths, now one of London's icons - the black cab - may also be on the way out. For Australian visitors, no trip to London is complete without the novelty of a clean, roomy cab piloted by a driver who knows where he is going.

But, perhaps not for much longer.

London Taxis International, the manufacturer of the black cabs, say strict new car emissions laws issued by the European Union could be the death knell for the vehicles.

The company has begun developing a hybrid, low-emission engine to meet the green laws, but says that without government funding, the project will not succeed. Plus the EU is also set to scrap the classing of the cabs as heavy vehicles, which had allowed a higher level of emissions.

"We do not want to be alarmist in talking about the death of the London taxi, but it is becoming more and more difficult," LTI sales and marketing director Matthew Cheney said in the Evening Standard newspaper. "Measures such as the derogation (on heavy vehicles) help us stay alive but if they are taken away you could see us go. Without LTI vehicles ... Britain will lose its purpose-built taxi market."
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Good riddance!

Now bring on the Mercedes E220 CDI.

bmer

Yeh, that propably means E200 CDIs will flood the streets of London.

BMW_Dude

Seeing as the new Taxi has recently been released, I'd have thought that they would have changed the engine to meets these laws.

I wonder what will be the replacements, can't they buy in engines?

MikeJ

I thought they were buying engines from Nissan(?) or something. Maybe they should consult the German manufacturers to see if they have something suitable...

cawimmer430

Correct. I recall reading that these are 2.7-l 4-cylinder Nissan turbodiesel engines.

Kowalski

Aye. These things...



...will be a common sight on the streets of London after the extinction of those black (sometimes pink) sluggish, ugly horrid drones of a car.

I just hope to see more of the E-Class W211, though.

I couldn't care less about the London cab. I say Good Riddance and I will not shed a tear for it. This is the 5th richest country in the world, and it needs to evolve and not get stuck in old "traditions".

Kowalski

The current LTI TX4 launched in October 2006 is powered by a new 2.5-I4-cylinder 16V Turbodiesel common-rail engine from the Italian manufacturer - VM Motori. The engine is compliant to the Euro IV regulation.

The engine develops 100 Bhp and 176 Ib-ft of torque, it produces 211 grams of CO2 depending of the gearbox and it is able to work run with Biodiesel.

cawimmer430

Thanks for the info!

By the way, Taxis from Mühldorf.

BMW_Dude

I kinda agree with you there, but remember that London is a tourist center, so it's important we cater for them. I was kinda sad to see the old buses go and now they have those MB bendy buses.

cawimmer430

CITARO




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Mercedes-Benz Citaro (or: O530) is the current Mercedes-Benz/EvoBus mainstream bus intended for public transport. It features a low floor, making it more accessible for people with disabilities and people with young children or carrying heavy items.

There are several versions available:

* Standard 12m twin-axle
* 10.5m twin-axle (Citaro K)
* 18m articulated (Citaro G)
* 15m tri-axle (Citaro L)
* 12m "low entry" (Citaro LE)
* A series of suburban/interurban versions (Citaro Ü series).

Aside from the usual diesel engines, the Citaro is also available with a powerful Euro 4 natural gas engine (model M 447 hLAG) rated at 185 kW (252 PS) or 240 kW (326 PS) - the latter rating used mainly for interurban and articulated buses or standard-length city buses operating in areas with a hilly topography. These engines are also optionally available with EEV (Enhanced Environmentally-friendly Vehicles) certification, meaning that their emission levels are lower than even the most stringent European Union emissions standards.

The Citaro is highly customizable; transporters can determine their own seating plan, making the bus ideal for both city and interlocal transport.

In 2005, Mercedes-Benz/EvoBus launched the New Citaro - basically an original Citaro with a facelift and featuring a Euro 4 engine. For new purchases, the original Citaro has now been completely replaced by the New Citaro.

However, when Transport for London ordered them in 2003-2004, four Citaros caught fire, luckily with no casualties besides the buses. In fact, one was burned on delivery, for reasons unexplained. Mercedes-Benz did, however, address the problem, though the buses were withdrawn for some time. Unfortunately, these buses were said to have marred the reputation of articulated buses in the United Kingdom, and some Londoners nicknamed them "Chariots of Fire".