| New green initiative | Lotus Engineering |
The famous London black cab is about to witness its greatest revolution since it switched from being horse-drawn to the internal combustion engine. Lotus has been charged with developing a zero-emissions hydrogen fuel cell black cab to be on London's streets in time for the Olympics in 2012.
A fuel cell taxi pushes the limits of current technology, says Lotus. It will incorporate an electric motor powered by a fuel cell, which is supplied with energy from a hydrogen storage tank. The first hurdle is fitting all of this into the existing shape of the London taxi, but Lotus is confident it will have two prototypes up and running within the next 18 months before carrying out full vehicle testing.
A second project Lotus is working on is a green limousine based on the
Jaguar XJ saloon. It will use petrol-electric hybrid power and the aim is to make a limo that produces less than 120g/km of carbon dioxide emissions. The hybrid XJ will also have an auxiliary power unit for cruising at higher speeds without the need for the petrol engine. This project is being undertaken along with Jaguar and Caparo, the maker of the
T1 supercar.
Mike Kimberley, boss of Lotus, said: "There is a worldwide drive to reduce CO
2 emission levels and this is something to which we are dedicated, for both Lotus cars and our clients. We are committed to driving forward with high technology advances into areas such as hybrid and electric vehicles."
The two programmes are part of a government-backed £23 million project to develop 16 low carbon vehicles.
Alisdair Suttie - 18 Jun 2008