new metrocab the purpose built range extended electric ree metrocab taxi represents the cutting edge of green transportation design.the new advanced metrocab incorporates the latest technology for comfort performance and safety whilst providing unrivalled cost savings . nav britain s most secure vehicle provides unprecedented protection from hackers tuesday 28th june 2016 metrocab unveiled at top technology car show a car equipped with the most advanced software protection system yet seen on british roads is unveiled today tuesday 28th june at a leading technology show helping to guard motorists and passengers against the growing threat of malicious hacking.the pioneering technology developed by frazer nash research ltd the british technology and electric powertrain developer is built into ecotive s metrocab taxi the only zero emissions capable taxi on the road in britain . britain s most secure vehicle provides unprecedented protection from hackers download the secure vehicle press release pdf . black cabs adopt home entertainment and office communications download the vehicle connectivity press release pdf . new black cab for london as high court throws out legal challenge wednesday january 20th 2016 a new black cab for london will take to the streets this year after the high court today wednesday dismissed an attempt to block production of the ultra low emissions taxi.the metrocab plug in range extended electric vehicle will help improve air quality by tackling emissions of diesel fumes allowing cities like london to meet international air quality standards . download the press release pdf . tweets by metrocabuk latest video showing customer reactions to the metrocab the all new metrocab from makers frazer nash research ltd and ecotive ltd which has been operating on a pilot fleet basis in london since november 2014 is proving very popular with its first customers as depicted in our video . your browser needs updating to view video . technologically efficient the new metrocab is driven by two independent brushless electric motors . a small petrol engine coupled with a generator the range extender is used to recharge the battery pack or provide power directly to the motors . plug in charging is also achieved via any mains outlet when the taxi is off duty . your browser needs updating to view video . zero emissions in electric mode and regenerative braking all ensure a low fuel consumption through the course of the working day . achieving 99.4 mpg on the ece101 cycle this technologically efficient taxi offers greater economic benefits for the driver and operator . safety & comfort designed from the ground up metrocab has the latest technologies in comfort and safety.the new metrocab has been designed to make the ride as pleasant as possible for both driver and passenger . the environment as pollution levels rise over major cities governments are looking to more energy efficient low emission modes of transport.the new metrocab boasts an incredible environmental record exceeding current standards . metrocab can operate with zero emissions giving it a range of well over 50 miles on its battery pack only.in range extender low emission mode the new metrocab produces less than 50g km of co2 significantly better than any other vehicle in the market.performance figures that entitles metrocab owners to a wide range of tax breaks and government grants . your browser needs updating to view video . faq for cabbies as pollution levels rise over major cities governments are looking to more energy efficient low emission modes of transport.the new metrocab boasts an incredible environmental record exceeding current standards . metrocab can operate with zero emissions giving it a range of well over 50 miles on its battery pack only.in range extender low emission mode the new metrocab produces less than 50g km of co2 significantly better than any other vehicle in the market.performance figures that entitles metrocab owners to a wide range of tax breaks and government grants . metrocab faq for cabbies 1 . is it real the new metrocab is very real and is in operation as we speak . many of you will have seen one of the metrocabs driving around london and some of you have already driven them . the technology all works and has been tested for almost a decade on various test mules and prototype vehicles and covered hundreds of thousands of miles . 2 . are you real yes we are very much real . we are part of a group of companies with a history going back nearly 100 years and consisting of a number of successful organisations . you all know bristol cars with the famous showroom in kensington we bought bristol in 2011 and are bringing back to market new cars and a new lease of life for this historic brand . frazer nash is our core research and development company and customers of the advanced hybrid systems include major car companies from the far east and europe . one of our companies is a carbon fibre supplier to almost all of the formula 1 teams based in the uk and to the mod . we are also involved in energy storage and management technologies for a variety of applications . 3 . how does it work then the vehicle has electric motors the drive system a lithium battery and a 1 litre internal combustion engine fuelled by petrol which is connected to an electrical generator . the vehicle drive is 100 % electric 100 % of the time . the drive system drives the rear wheels independently . the energy for this comes from the traction battery . when the battery is discharged the vehicle will automatically start the internal combustion engine . the internal combustion engine revs at the most efficient speed and is permanently connected to the generator . the generator generates electricity and this recharges the battery . this happens automatically while you are driving there is no downtime necessary to allow the vehicle to recharge . this is important . we do not believe a pure battery electric vehicle which requires plug in charging will meet your requirements . there are several modes of operation . for best fuel efficiency plug the car into a charging station we provide one in the boot that connects to your domestic mains and charge the battery . depending on your electricity tariff this should cost you about 50p at night to 1 during the day . this allows you to drive the car for a bit more than 30 miles after which the engine will turn on automatically and recharge the battery using the petrol in the petrol tank . you will not have any interruption in service . 4 . i don t have access to a garage mains socket i live on the fifth floor the metrocab does not need to be plugged in . plugging in to charge will improve your mpg some energy to drive will come from the grid . but if you can t the vehicle will always operate in the range extender mode with the petrol engine charging the battery . you will still see significant fuel savings in this mode of operation when compared to a conventional vehicle . as noted above we believe that a pure battery electric vehicle is not suitable for the rigours of a taxi service . you just need to fill up the 22 litre tank at the petrol station like normal . even with only 22 litres you will see an improvement in range over conventional cars . 5 . i ve seen it and i don t like the interior the floor etc. . this is the purpose of the london trial and any subsequent trials that may follow so we can get your feedback and roll it in to the production vehicle . we have already taken some comments from drivers and made changes in the trial metrocabs . 6 . what is the london trial the metrocab is a bespoke taxi . it is being designed for the cab trade . it is not a conversion of another vehicle . before we commit to final production tooling we want feedback from the trade our customers ; the passengers ; and our regulator s including transport for london to make sure the metrocab is fit for purpose and is future proofed . this is a very unusual strategy . a big carmaker would not run a vehicle publically in this way nor would it engage with its customers so directly . however we are not a big carmaker we depend on you on your customers and on our regulator and need to make sure we are manufacturing the right vehicle . so we will run the trial in london for a few months and collect feedback . we have implemented several mechanisms to collect data and if you are one of our selected drivers you will be aware of these . we may at a later date expand the trial to other cities in the uk . 7 . what about the conditions of fitness some would have seen the trial metrocabs going to the test centre in heston for cof assessments . the metrocab has been designed to meet the cof including the turning circle . it is not a converted car or van . we are very pleased to say that the vehicles have been assessed and tfl have issued the metrocab license plates as of a couple of months ago . 8 . what about the ulez of course we support the initiatives to reduce emissions in london some of us live there we are working very closely with tfl as i m sure the other taxi manufacturers are in the ulez consultation and have no doubt that the metrocab will be ulez compatible from the moment it is released . on a practical note we understand there are a lot of concerns about the ulez in the trade . it is worth pointing out that with a newer more fuel efficient zero emissions capable taxi like the metrocab you can save potentially thousands of pounds per year . one study undertaken by one of our investors suggested a driver switching from a well known competitor to a metrocab could see a first year savings in the region of 9000 in fuel servicing and taxes depending on how they drive . 9 . so tell us about servicing . we anticipate a longer service interval when compared to a conventional vehicle . the electric motors the batteries and the power electronics do not need servicing . the internal combustion engine will require the usual oil and filter changes but as it is only on to drive the generator the servicing is based on engine hours instead of on miles . otherwise there are the usual consumables wipers and brake pads etc . brakes will wear less because the metrocab has regenerative braking where energy from braking is stored as electrical energy in the battery . we are working on setting up the infrastructure for when the vehicle goes on sale by that we mean there will be a service centre in london itself to start with all the appropriate tools and training . 10 . and what is the life of the battery there are numerous concerns over the lifespan of the traction battery as it s known . in a range extender vehicle like ours the battery sees less abuse than in a battery only vehicle . this means that the battery is better taken care of . we are aware that in some experiments overseas battery only vehicles suffer from range reduction after relatively short periods of time . this is again why we do not believe in a battery electric solution . our battery will be good for years . we can not comment exactly on what the warranty will be . we know we have to have the confidence of our customers to succeed finally it s worth