LEVC, which makes the TX London black cab, has announced it is entering the MPV market with a large and luxurious seven-seater called the L380.

Electric luxury people-movers are a scarce commodity, as chauffeurs who have been waiting patiently for the new Mercedes-Benz EQV will attest. There’s a new Ford Tourneo Custom on the way, and that’ll have an electric version, as will the next-generation Volkswagen Caravelle, which will share a platform with the Ford.

It still doesn’t give chauffeurs a lot of options, so it’s good to see a new entrant to the sector – albeit a brand that is familiar with the hire-and-reward market.

LEVC, which makes the TX London black cab, has announced it is entering the MPV market with a large and luxurious seven-seater called the L380. The name references Airbus’s giant A380 “superjumbo” double-deck airliner, and LEVC even claims the nose profile of the L380 was inspired by the shape of the A380’s nose.

The L380 is the first fully electric LEVC model, based on a new platform that the company calls ‘Space Oriented Architecture’ (SOA). This will also form the basis for the next-generation black cab and van models, moving LEVC away from the series hybrid approach and into the full electric world.

LEVC has revealed the L380 in China, where its owner Geely is based, and the latest images reveal a spacious, flexible and comfortable interior. The L380 will be launched in China this year, though UK supplies could be some way off.

LEVC says global markets will be served “within two years”, though some of the company’s promo photographs clearly show right-hand drive models, suggesting the UK might be a priority market, especially given LEVC’s established position here as a taxi supplier. So we might get the L380 in 2025 rather than 2026.

The L380 is a big vehicle. It weighs 2.8 tonnes and is 5,316mm long with a 6- or 8-seat layout. It’s 1,998mm wide and 1,940mm tall, and the 3,185mm wheelbase has a long rear overhang, meaning a 6-seater version would offer good luggage space. The 6 seats are individual captain’s chairs, and the second row can be reversed to offer conference seating. The 8-seater is unlikely to be sold in Europe as it features four rows of two seats.

The L380 will be manufactured alongside the TX taxis in Zhejiang at the LEVC New Energy Automobile Co plant, but it has been designed largely in the UK by LEVC’s global chief design officer Brett Boydell and his team, based at LEVC’s Design & Innovation Centre in Ansty, near Coventry.

Design details include a ‘floating’ dashboard and a 2.18sq m panoramic glass roof, which can dim automatically to limit direct sunlight on hot days. Initially four body colours are offered: white, black, sapphire blue and emerald green.

Boydell said: “The L380 MPV, the first of a new wave of pure electric LEVC products based on our SOA platform, truly breaks new ground, inspired by sectors such as luxury air travel and our international cultures.”

Alex Nan, CEO of LEVC, added: “The innovative SOA technology on which L380 sits spearheads our exciting new strategy. We aim to have a presence in over 40 countries in the coming years, with multiple new models based on the SOA platform leading the way.”