London would do well to dispense with the Concept label right now and just turn these into its next fleet of people carriers. Volkswagen has unveiled the latest in a series of World Taxis it’s doing, prettying up London’s admittedly iconic black cabs with a sheen of new paint, an all-electric drive, and an infusion of tablet-based infotainment. Based on the Up! city car , the London Taxi Concept has an estimated range of 186 miles and takes an hour to go from zero to an 80 percent charge. It also has a grayscale version of the Union Jack emblazoned on its roof, guess that’s just how VW rolls. Sadly, we doubt anyone will be in a hurry to heed our sage advice and start using this concept any time soon, particularly since it doesn’t pass London’s taxi regulations at present, but it’s a harbinger of a future we’d like to see become real. Continue reading Volkswagen’s London Taxi Concept: smaller, prettier, more electric than the real thing Volkswagen’s London Taxi Concept: smaller, prettier, more electric than the real thing originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 17 Dec 2010 03:56:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink