LOAN TXE VISTA PLUS FROM LEVC FOR EVALUATION

I had the TXE Vista Plus for 6 and ½ days. I work predominantly Heathrow Airport so it was a combination of short local journeys also journeys into town and journeys on the motorway.
After getting over the cost of the vehicle (TXE Vista Plus top of the range) £67000.00 before finance of 6.9% and government grant £7500.00
Overall the vehicle was very impressive to drive, in the drivers compartment it is very spacious especially for someone my size as I am 6ft 3in plenty of leg room.
The seat has a lumber support for your back which meant for me I did not feel like I had done a very long shift.
The vehicle is very quiet when driving to the point you can have a conversation with the passenger without turning the intercom on. Downside you can over hear a passenger’s private conversation. The vehicle is very spacious in the passenger compartment as the mean average of journeys from Heathrow Airport is two passengers there is ample space for luggage as the front luggage area is tight for space.
But it can accommodate the average business traveller’s luggage as I found over the time I tested the vehicle.
The climate control was superb especially now with the freaky hot weather we are having.
Around the charging LEVC are advising that you can run solely on the extender this is wrong as you will encounter issues/errors that will render the vehicle in operable. If the vehicle is used to work every day the vehicle must be charged every other day has this will keep the battery healthy.
At this present time the charging facilities at Heathrow are free so no cost to the driver for electric used, with that in mind using the vehicle in electric only mode I was able to get 65 miles from a charge which is more than ample to do a ride to city airport and back . Heathrow has 7 X 50 KW rapid chargers which charge a full charge in 1hr 5mins or part thereof.
Over the course of the time I trialled the Taxi I got 64.8 mpg from the range extender so actual fuel costs per day during the trial was for me £5.77 as opposed to £33 diesel. Although in the near future there will be a charge for the electric used the day to day running is significantly less than a TX4.
The feedback I got from the passengers was excellent: – they were impressed with how quite it was and spacious. They also liked the clear roof enabling a unique view of London never experienced before.

So for me excluding the cost the Taxi was in my opinion the best Taxi I had ever driven.

If there are any questions that you would like an answer to please feel free to call the office 0207 100 5206 and I will endeavour to answer them for you.

Stephen Jones

Committee Member