The black taxi cab maker Manganese Bronze is to build a battery-powered vehicle with zero carbon emissions.

The company, which employs 300 people at its UK factory in Coventry, says the car will have a top speed of 50mph and a range of 100km on each battery charge, costing about 4p per mile to run.

It will work with electric vehicles specialist Tanfield Group to build the car in the UK for launch next year. The joint venture follows interest from several cities keen to cut emissions, Manganese said.

The new TX4E electric cab will be powered by Tanfield’s electric drive train and iron phosphate lithium-ion battery pack.
 
Manganese warned recently that the current financial turmoil has left cab drivers cautious about buying new taxis. But it said it would make potential savings from its joint venture in China, which will make vehicles for sale outside the UK.

The venture will begin making cabs in Shanghai by the the end of this year, with output expected to rise to 20,000 by 2011, it said.

Image: The styling of the electric version will be based on the latest TX4 model