LEVC Ventures Into Mainstream EV Production with New SOA Platform

The London Electric Vehicle Company (LEVC) is the direct successor to The London Taxi Company, which is known for producing the iconic black London taxis. Wholly-owned by giant Chinese conglomerate Geely, the firm is planning to become a full-fledged mobility firm by launching the new Space Oriented Architecture (SOA) EV platform.

Co-developed by Geely, this modular EV platform will be the base of several new models under the LEVC name, with the firm claiming this new architecture will set “new standards for onboard space, bringing interior-optimised zero-emission mobility to more consumers than ever before, while enabling LEVC to enter new sectors.”

Thanks to its modularity, LEVC can conjure up a “wide range of new products”, including both commercial and passenger vehicles. Though not many details were shared on this new platform, vehicles underpinning this platform will have a wheelbase ranging from 3,000 MM to 3,800 MM – promising a spacious cabin or cargo space.

This rather long wheelbase will be complemented by a flat floor design with low step-in heights and multiple seating configurations. This is quite impressive, considering that most EVs are known for having high floor design to make space for the battery system. Aside from that, LEVC added that said seating configurations will also come with “sliding track that runs from the front to the rear” of the vehicle to allow for easily moving seats.

Moreover, the SOA platform has ample room to house battery packs with  “ultra-fast charging” function, as well as capacities ranging from 73 to 120-kWh. Models that underpin the SOA platform are said to have a maximum EV range of up to 695 KM. On top of that, the architecture can also support both single and dual-motor setups – granting more flexibility for LEVC to work on.

The firm, however, does not shed any light on the exact specs of the powertrain. According to reports from Autocar UK, the SOA-based models will share the same powertrain setup with several SEA-based models from Geely, with the highest performance one capable of delivering up to 536 HP.

On board, the new LEVC models will come with L-OS electronic architecture that allows for “intelligent cockpits,” over-the-air (OTA) updates, and up to Level 4 of autonomous driving capabilities.

Interestingly, both Geely and LEVC are not keeping the SOA platform for themselves, putting the EV architecture as an ‘open-source’ for other companies to use. It remains to be seen whether any EV start-ups or even other brands under the Geely umbrella are planning to use this platform in the near future.