THE large LEVC L380 luxury all-electric MPV will be coming to Britain within the next two years, the company has announced.

As the first prototype rolled off the line at a factory in Yiwu, China - owned by parent group Geely - LEVC chief executive Alex Nan said that the vehicle would be on sale in the UK by 2026.

The Yiwu facility will be LEVC's Chinese base for manufacturing and will sit alongside the company's state-of-the-art factory in Ansty, Coventry.

He said that enhancing the company's manufacturing footprint was a crucial part of LEVC's transition from a specialist taxi maker to a global e-mobility brand and the L380 will initially launch in China.

The L380 is the first vehicle to sit on LEVC's new Space Oriented Architecture (SOA), which was co-developed with the Geely Holding Group.

The platform will broaden LEVC's vehicle line-up, with new products that offer advances in range, efficiency, safety, charging time, durability, and connectivity.

The new vehicle has multiple seating configurations, available in a three, six or eight-seat layout and LEVC says it will announce more details in the coming months.

Mr Nan said:"Building on our place within the Geely Holding Group, LEVC will maximise the Group's research and development capabilities, global supply chain and manufacturing resources to enable us to meet our ambitious targets.

"The innovative SOA technology - developed alongside Geely - is spearheading our exciting new strategy that will see the business take a global approach, growing our footprint across the world. We aim to have a presence in over 40 countries in the coming years, with multiple new models based on the SOA platform leading the way.

"L380 is the first demonstration of the future vision for LEVC, launching the business into an entirely new sector. As with all our products, L380 takes inspiration from the company's rich history, combined with the vast resources and technical innovation of the Geely Holding Group.

"The start of production for this new model sets us on an exciting new path, bringing advanced zero-emission transportation to more customers than ever before and we look forward to taking customers on this journey."

LEVC's history began in 1908 when the first dedicated black cab was specially designed and commissioned for use in London.

With its unmistakable silhouette and classic design cues, the iconic British vehicle has defined the company for over a century.

In 2018, LEVC introduced its latest taxi model, the electric TX. TX is the world's cleanest, most advanced taxi ever, powered by LEVC's revolutionary eCity technology.

LEVC makes ts purpose-built, range-extended electric taxi at Ansty and since 2014 Geely has invested more than £500m into the company, allowing it to build an entirely new eco-friendly manufacturing facility, the UK's first dedicated to the production of electric vehicles.