Dynamo Motor Company, a UK-based electric taxi firm manufacturing Black Cab cabs, has revealed plans for its next stage of growth, which includes a £2 million investment round and significant expansion.
The firm makes its all-electric Black Cab taxis by turning a Nissan e-NV200 Evalia MPV into a taxi-ready vehicle. Over 1,000 changes have been made, including an increase in height, the inclusion of a wheelchair ramp, and a narrower turning circle to aid inner-city maneuverability.
Dynamo Motor Company, which was founded in 2018 and will deliver its first vehicle, the Dynamo Taxi, in 2020, aims to expand with the aid of public investment platform Seedrs, which has already generated £1.5 million of its £2 million objectives since debuting on July 12. With the funds, the firm aims to expand considerably, increasing its UK staff headcount from 25 to 300 by 2026 and converting 10,000 cars each year.
The Dynamo Taxi was designed to be cost-effective, and at £47,995 it is £10,000 less than the popular LEVC Vista Comfort Plus hybrid taxi. It is presently in use by cab drivers in London, Cardiff, Liverpool, Nottingham, Manchester, and Coventry, with 170 cars supplied too far.
The modified vehicle is equipped with a 40kWh battery that has a range of up to 170 miles and can be charged in 40 to 60 minutes. A 7kW home charger can fully charge the battery in seven hours, implying that putting it in overnight would result in a fully charged battery the next morning.
Dynamo will add two more models to its all-electric cab lineup as part of its development ambitions, with expansion planned for its existing production facility in Coventry, UK.
Brendan O’Toole, the founder of Dynamo Motor Company, said: “We’re on a mission to change the way people move around the UK, especially in built-up areas like cities where pollution is a problem…we have big plans to scale up our commitment to all-electric mobility conversions including an updated Black Cab, and professionally and privately owned wheelchair accessible vehicle conversions.”