Geely to produce London taxicabs as of 2008

Geely Automobile, the No 1 privately-owned car maker in the Chinese mainland, said yesterday it plans to sell the firm's iconic London taxicabs in China in 2008 and begin exporting the vehicles to Asia and elsewhere soon after. This is the first time Geely announced the sales plan for the taxicabs since it bought London Taxi International (LTI) in 2006.

Geely said the company hopes to introduce taxicab4 into the Hong Kong market, where customer demands are estimated at 1,000 to 4,000 units. Currently only diesel engine versions of the taxicabs are available, but Geely assured that the company would accelerate development of fuel engine models together with Hong Kong Productivity Council (HKPC).

WangLiang, spokesman and vice-president of Geely, told reporters that the taxicabs are scheduled to start production in the mid-term of 2008, with an annual production of 20,000 units.