Hyperdrive
London Black Cab Maker Needs More Than Just Taxis for Turnaround
Geely revived Volvo and is breathing life into Lotus and Smart. Steering London Electric Vehicle Company has been more of a handful.
A TX black cab on the production line at London Electric Vehicle Company's plant in Coventry, England, on May 4.
Photographer: Chris Ratcliffe/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
China’s Geely has built quite the track record of buffing up European auto assets in need of repair.
It bought Volvo Car on the cheap from Ford in 2010 and had it running better than ever within a few years. It took control of Lotus in 2017 and is merging the manufacturer’s electric-vehicle subsidiary with a blank-check company. It acquired 50% of Smart from Daimler in 2020 and is now completely reengineering the small-car brand’s lineup.