The model is based on the Up! city car, which was first show at the Frankfurt Motor Show last year. The Up! is a concept design that can deal with very tight space and emissions restrictions.

The VTC runs on a lithium-ion batteries that allow the vehicle to be driven for around 186 miles between charges. Incidentally, an 80 per cent charge will take around one hour to complete, so there’s nothing to stop the VTC being used on relatively long journeys should it become a commercial model.

Taxi drivers will have noticed that public hire vehicles in London are no longer just the standard LTIs, but also include the relatively new Mercedes Vito. Is there space for the the VW?

There’s no reason as to why the VW couldn’t prosper as a London black cab. However, it’s not currently designed to stick to the strict legal requirements that taxis must meet on London roads. There’s no saying that this time won’t come though.

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According to news on the Leicester Mercury’s website, public hire prices will increase by £0.40 per mile. Unsurprisingly it is late night travellers that will see the biggest increase in fares, with the first mile set to cost £4.80 and each additional mile costing £1.80.

Whilst the public are less than pleased about the rises, taxi drivers believe them to be a necessity. Anyone who owns a car will have noticed the increased cost of petrol and diesel (and let’s keep in mind that taxis are not as fuel efficient as most modern cars). Taxi operators are also facing an increase in the cost of black cab insurance premiums, which is a significant monthly or annual payment for drivers.

This is in fact the first increase in public hire fares within Leicester since 2007 and many taxi drivers would argue the rise is overdue. However, whilst a price rise can be detrimental to some services, the nature of the public hire industry should prevent a loss in demand — most people use black cabs due to necessity and a marginal price increase should not deter them.

However, as an article on the BBC website shows, the Lotus taxi is unique. It is the first hydrogen-powered black cab, which releases absolutely no emissions into the air.

Bizarrely, the vehicle is much quicker than the standard Hackney carriage. Whilst most petrol-heads worry that new fuel sources may mean a good-bye to the speedy cars we’ve come to know and love, this Lotus proves the opposite. Whilst, the car takes 15.5 seconds to reach 60mph (we know that’s not quick, but it does weigh two and a half tonnes!), it is seven seconds quicker than most London black cabs!

The taxi’s exterior is identical to most black cabs, but it is in fact powered by two electric motors attached to the rear wheels. However, the main source of the vehicle’s power comes from hydrogen fuel cells stored in the car’s bonnet. Lord knows how much the black cab insurance for this vehicle is! It is the energy from these cells that is converted to electricity. It is possible to power the motor using these fuel cells or by using a standard lithium polymer battery. The battery is charged via reused breaking energy– both kinetic and surplus electrical energy.

Whilst the manufacturer is better know for its sports cars, it hopes that a vehicle with zero emissions will capture the imagination of transport authorities, cab drivers and the public

An article in the Telegraph, written by Harry de Quetteville, laments the slow but probable decline of a British symbol, the TX4 (and previous models of course!) — everybody’s favourite taxi.

Eco City, the company that converts the Vitos into cabs — based in Coventry – claims that the vehicle has claimed a quarter of the market for new cabs since it launched two years ago.

Whilst some cabbies have no qualms with the Vito, others are wary of straying from classic TXs and believe the vehicle’s handling does not match the classic taxis. There’s even a button that lets you mute the cab driver, should you not be in the mood to chat on your ride — it just doesn’t seem right!

One advantage the Vito does offer over the TX4 is the ability to sit six people instead of five, as well as being particularly fuel efficient.  Plus, with Manganeze Bronze shifting production to China, who’s to say that the Vito is any less British.

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The taxi blockade is believed to be taking place today near Aldywch, the BBC reports.

Not only do illegal minicabs result in a loss of business for cab drivers, but they also pose a risk to passengers.

A spokesman for black cab drivers has stated that road blocks and other nuisance methods are unfortunately the only way to grab the attention of, not only the public, but the Metropolitan police.

However, despite many taxi drivers’ disdain for the lack of action taken by figures such as the PCO, the Cabs Enforcement Unit of the Metropolitan police have in fact arrested over 6,000 illegal cab drivers since 2003.

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A specific taxi rank will be set up in Leicester Square where passengers will have to pay black cab drivers upfront for their journey.

The London Evening Standard reports that the tariff is expected to start with a minimum of £15. This will become £30 on journeys over seven miles, £40 on 10 mile journeys and £50 on 12 mile journeys. Fares like this should mean black cab drivers can easily afford their black cab insurance.

The scheme will come into action in the third quarter of the year on Friday and Saturday nights between 10pm and 4am.

The rise in prices has been duly noted by David Brown, part of TfL’s road team, who pointed out that ‘London taxis are among the most expensive in the world’ — a hint that we don’t need another price rise.

The price increase may come as a surprise to a lot of Londoners – minicabs have increased in popularity during the recession as black cabs were perceived to be poor value for money.

The mayor of London, believes the price increase is fare. Cabs away from the Leicester Square rank will remain metred and the average fare will cost 23p more per passenger. Anyway, after passing the knowledge, anybody deserves to charge a bit more.

However, this black cab isn’t the iconic model made by Manganese Bronze, but a rival  manufactured by Mercedes. The German car giant currently sells their Vito as an alternative to the more traditional hackney cab and it conforms to all requirements of the PCO’s Conditions of Fitness.

The new electric Vito models will be sold by Eco City Vehicles, who will begin trials with the vehicle later this year.

The Telegraph has reported that the vehicle is unlikely to appear on London’s streets until  next year due to extensive trialling. It has been proposed that the eVito will be able to travel  around 120 miles before needing a recharge.

Whether insurers will offer an Eco discount on drivers’ black cab insurance policies will remain to be seen.

MB’s announcement caused worry in the stock markets and led to shares in the company to lose value by nearly 25 per cent.

The models that have experienced radiator problems are thought to have been manufactured in early 2009 and the issue has since been resolved in later versions. However, despite the correction, the firm failed to reach its target of selling 2000 UK-built vehicles in ‘09 and have possibly failed to break even, an article in the Telegraph reports.

The firm have also warned that this increased warranty spend will be apparent in their quarterly figures.

However, not all is bad for the company. Visitor’s to China will notice that the TX4 can be seen on the roads of Beijing in increasing numbers. This is the result of a deal made between MB and Zhejiang Geely back in 2007 which appears to be finally paying off.