Transport for LondonBlack cabs go green
Low carbon technology will eventually be road-tested to combat climate change by reducing fuel consumption and cutting emissions.
Boris Johnson said: 'As well as significantly cutting carbon dioxide emissions, we're looking for taxis that are quieter and produce fewer air pollutants, which will be good news for anyone who spends time in London.
'Taxi drivers should be particularly pleased - they're more exposed than most to traffic pollution, and they should also see the benefit of cheaper fuel costs as low carbon taxis would use less than a standard taxi.'
The scheme will receive £1m from Transport for London's (TfL's) Climate Change Fund and Cenex, the UK's National Centre of Excellence for Low Carbon and Fuel Cell Technologies.
'With 21,000 taxis on London roads, making our fleet more fuel efficient will lead to substantial carbon dioxide savings and help tackle climate change,' said David Brown, Managing Director of Surface Ttransport at TfL.
'We are committed to reducing the impact of public transport on the environment, and have already taken steps to clean up emissions of particles and nitrogen oxides from the taxi fleet. 'Now it's time to tackle carbon dioxide emissions.'
