LEVC sets new direction with Electric Vehicle Chassis Technology
LEVC (London Electric Vehicle Company) begins a momentous new chapter in its history today, setting its direction for the next decade and beyond. The launch of its innovative new pure electric vehicle technology will provide the foundation of its transformation from a high-end taxi manufacturer, to a leading provider of e-mobility solutions.
With more than a century of ‘mobility’ in its DNA, LEVC has been focused on meeting the needs of society by transporting people around urban areas, in purpose-built vehicles, tracing its roots back to 1908. From the beginning, LEVC’s vehicles have been designed with one core principle in mind: purpose-built solutions.
Building on this unrivalled heritage, LEVC’s new strategy will deliver smart, green, safe and accessible mobility for all, through a new range of state-of-the art electric vehicles, under its vision – “a sustainable mobility future, for a better world”.
Underlining this commitment, LEVC today unveils the foundation for a range of next-generation new products, its state-of-the-art new EV platform – Space Oriented Architecture (SOA). Co-developed with Geely Holding Group, SOA is modular and scalable, the world’s first EV platform focused on setting new standards for onboard space, bringing interior-optimised zero-emission mobility to more consumers than ever before, while enabling LEVC to enter new sectors.
Developed over the past 2.5 years at R&D centres in China, Sweden, the UK and Germany, SOA’s unprecedented flexibility maximises interior space, offering multiple seating and load-carrying configurations. It can support a wide range of new products – from passenger carrying models, to commercial vehicles, offering significant advances in range, efficiency, safety, charging time, durability and connectivity.
Building on LEVC’s rapid growth, SOA marks a step-change in the expansion of its product line-up – and will cement LEVC as a provider of advanced mobility solutions across the world. Sustainability lies at the heart of all of LEVC’s products, while offering drivers, passengers and fleet operators purpose-built, sector-leading electric vehicles.
SOA – unprecedented optimisation of space whatever the application
As the world transitions to fully electric vehicles, there is rapid demand for new, mission-specific, zero emission transport solutions that are at home in the city and beyond, across multiple sectors.
With the interior experience more important than ever, the SOA platform will enable LEVC to meet – and exceed – the needs of global mobility customers, who have ever higher expectations for onboard comfort, cargo-carrying capability and accessibility.
With a centrally-located battery, SOA delivers a fully flat floor, maximising space for occupants, cargo, or both. To this truly flat floor, SOA optimises the packaging of electric powertrain components at the front, freeing up additional space for the driver and passenger.
At the rear, SOA utilises an innovative rear suspension design that incorporates extra carrying capacity underneath the main luggage area, behind the rear axle.
Setting new standards for access, with low step-in heights, SOA also raises the bar for interior flexibility, with multiple seating configurations and almost endless possibilities. Through innovative design, the platform maximises interior space to such an extent that an extra row of seats can fit into the vehicle, compared to other vehicles in the same class. Multiple configurations are then enabled by a fully flexible seat arrangement, with a sliding track that runs from the front to the rear of the architecture.
Supporting vehicle sizes from 4,860mm-5995mm in length and 1945mm-1998mm in width, with wheelbases from 3000mm-3800mm, SOA is configurable for a wide range of EVs, from spacious passenger-carrying models to cargo-optimised commercial applications. SOA can also offer front-wheel-drive, rear-wheel-drive and all-wheel-drive layouts too.
State-of-the art fast-charging
Equipped with a wide choice of state-of-the-art batteries from 73kWh to 120kWh, SOA has been designed to suit the individual needs of a customer.
By combining space with long ranges – of up to 695km – and ultra-fast charging, SOA maximises convenience, with minimal downtime.
Setting new standards for safety and comfort
SOA not only maximises passenger space, but its optimisation of front end packaging also delivers high performance crash structure and energy absorption, achieving five-star safety standards in Europe, and China.
The platform also features a high-performance suspension design and high torsional stiffness for handling, comfort and refinement too.
The latest in electronic architecture for an enhanced occupant experience
As well as featuring a ground-breaking physical architecture, SOA also incorporates the very latest in standard-setting digital platform technology: L-OS. A new electronic architecture from chip to cloud, L-OS has been exclusively built for the future mobility space. With huge computing power, L-OS provides users with the ultimate experience, from autonomous capability to intelligent cockpits, forming a complete digital operating system.
L-OS technology means SOA-based vehicles are autonomous-capable, from Level 2 up to Level 4, bringing new levels of driver assistance to the market. L-OS also incorporates the latest in enhanced occupant experience through experts ECARX, using its advanced Antora intelligent computing platform to deliver the ultimate in intelligent, digital cockpits with high feature content and functionality.
Over-the-air (OTA) software updates allow SOA-based vehicles to always stay up to date, enhancing the user experience and constantly improving usability and efficiency.
SOA is also an open-source electric vehicle platform, available for partners outside of LEVC and Geely Holding Group to use as the basis for their future products. Synergies generated by the architecture are expected to reduce development costs at participating brands and to generate substantial savings on R&D costs.
Alex Nan, CEO of LEVC, commented: “Today, LEVC enters the most exciting chapter in its history with the unveiling of our new innovative and highly flexible, space-focused, pure electric vehicle platform technology: Space Oriented Architecture.
“SOA optimises onboard space offering multiple configurations and endless possibilities, a new advanced EV platform which supports LEVC’s new strategy to become a leading zero-carbon mobility provider. Combined with our ground-breaking L-OS digital architecture, it will bring our new mission to life, delivering smart, green, safe and accessible mobility to all, enabling us to transform from a high-end taxi manufacturer, launching LEVC into new sectors, with an extended range of state-of-the-art pure electric vehicles.
“For LEVC, the concept of ‘mobility’ is not new. We have more than a century of ‘mobility’ in our DNA. The iconic vehicles this company has produced since 1908 may have changed over time, but the core principles have not: they have always been purpose-built for the city, focused on the best occupant experience. A spacious experience.
“Building on LEVC’s unrivalled heritage in producing the iconic London black cab, we are adapting our business to meet the rapidly accelerating demand for spacious, flexible electric vehicles. Our rich history is combined with the resources of the Geely organisation to set our brand on an exciting new path, as LEVC today launches an adaptable architecture for an adapting world. With the combined strength of our new strategy and SOA, we will bring advanced zero-emission transportation to more customers than ever before.”
