The Chinese-owned London Electric Vehicle Company (LEVC) has revealed a new people mover it says is inspired by a jumbo jet.
LEVC, which sits under the Geely umbrella alongside brands like Volvo, Lotus, Polestar and Proton, is best known for its TX that’s used by London cabbies.
Now it has turned its sights to vehicles that can haul even more people.
While not confirmed to be a China-only product, Car News China reports Geely has applied for a sales licence there.
Car News China reports LEVC chose the L380 name as a nod to the Airbus A380 jumbo jet, the world’s largest passenger aircraft.
Based on the specs of the vehicle, it seems the L380 nameplate could be entirely appropriate.
The L380 reportedly sits on a 3185mm wheelbase and measures 5316mm long, 1998mm wide and 1940mm tall. For reference, the L380 is 200mm longer than a Kia Carnival while height and width are similar.
It will be offered as either a six- or eight-seater, with the eight-seater featuring a 2+2+2+2 layout.
VREMT – also a Geely-owned company – will reportedly supply a single 200kW electric motor for the L380 which can propel the big bus to speeds of up to 170km/h.
The ternary nickel cobalt manganese battery is reportedly supplied by CATL – another Geely joint venture. The exact capacity has not been disclosed, however.
The L380 will reportedly be built on LEVC’s recently revealed Space Oriented Architecture (SOA).
The platform can support batteries of between 73 and 120kWh, which can provide a driving range of up to 695km and feature ultra-fast charging capabilities.
LEVC says the new architecture can support front-, rear-, or all-wheel drive powertrains.
An additional feature of the platform will be the company’s L-OS software, which allows for up to Level 4 autonomous driving capabilities.
LEVC says the SOA has an “innovative” rear suspension design that incorporates extra luggage capacity underneath the main luggage area and behind the rear axle.
It also features a low step-in height, and supports four-row seating layouts.
Car News China reports the L380 will be manufactured alongside the LEVC TX in Zhejiang, China.
LEVC, formerly the London Taxi Company, was founded in 2013 by Geely.
LEVC TX
It used assets acquired from the defunct London Taxi Company, established in 1919, which had gone into administration.
Fast forward to 2017, the company was rebranded London Electric Vehicle Company with a focus, naturally, on electric vehicles.
Should it be introduced in China, the LEVC L380 will enter a growing electric people mover segment there.
This includes the Li Mega, Volvo EM90, Zeekr 009, and Maxus (aka LDV) MIFA 9.
