London Electric Vehicle Co., a U.K.-based taxicab manufacturer owned by Chinese carmaker Zhejiang Geely Holding Group, appointed dealers in two major German cities to expand its distribution network in Europe.
Koch Gruppe Automobile in Berlin and AMC Kruell in Hamburg will provide sales and aftersales services for its taxicabs, London Electric Vehicle Co. said this week.
The first electric vehicle to be marketed and serviced by the two German dealers will be the TX Shuttle, which is based on London Electric Vehicle Co.’s iconic London black taxi. It will be followed by the VN5, a light van, in spring 2021.
London Electric Vehicle Co. has signed up three dealers in Germany.
The first, Autohaus Markötter Bielefeld, in northwestern Germany, was appointed in July to support customers in the Ostwestfalen-Lippe region, the manufacturer said.
London Electric Vehicle Co., previously known as Manganese Bronze, was acquired and bailed out by Geely in 2016.
With Geely’s investment, the manufacturer, which produces vehicles in Coventry, England, has launched sales in Germany, France, Switzerland, Denmark, Malaysia and Japan.
The U.K. company, with a focus on developing electric vehicles, is expected to target additional exports.
By 2022, London Electric Vehicle Co. aims to export 60 percent of vehicles built at the Coventry factory, with the remaining 40 percent to be sold in the U.K.
By 2024, the company aims to have a fleet of taxicabs and electric vans operating in major cities around the world, according to Geely.