Long-wheelbase luxury is no longer confined to the limousine. The past year has seen several challengers in the field of monarch-grade minivans, from the Lexus LM to the forthcoming China-only Volvo EM90 and closely related Zeekr 009. Now Zeekr and Volvo’s parent company, Geely, has unveiled a competing machine from another brand in its portfolio, LEVC.
Also known as the London Electric Vehicle Company, LEVC’s best-known model is the current London Taxi, the TX. Overseen by LEVC’s global chief design officer Brett Boydell (formerly Bentley’s head of interior design), the LEVC L380 is the start of the company’s transition to a manufacturer of a wide range of electric vehicles.
LEVC L380 goes to great lengths for luxury
The L380 is undoubtedly a flagship, one that makes great use of LEVC’s Space Oriented Architecture (SOA), a platform that maximises the amount of space available for occupants. Hence the car has six substantial first class-style chairs, with the potential for up to eight passengers if everyone forgoes the ability to recline individually.
All that seating space is lavishly upholstered in semi-aniline leather, with the middle row getting its own in-arm tablet controls and big screen displays, whilst the dashboard also goes big on screens. All this is set beneath a huge panoramic glass roof with the capability to dim automatically depending on how it’s set.
Those big chairs can recline all the way back for exhausted executives to take a nap, while the cabin is awash with premium touches, including Alcantara, chrome and crystal finishes and air vents inspired by the form of the traditional Chinese Ruyi ceremonial sceptre. Finally, there’s the rather dubious sounding ‘meteor shower cabin lighting effect’, which is said to ‘integrate London icons such as Tower Bridge and Big Ben’. One for the tourists, perhaps, when they choose an L380 as a premium taxicab.
That said, China will get first dibs at this new level of executive luxury, as the L380 won’t appear on UK roads until at least 2026.
LEVC, LEVC.com, @LondonEVcompany
-
A bespoke 40m mixed-media dragon is the centrepiece of Glastonbury’s new chill-out areaNew for 2025 is Dragon's Tail – a space to offer some calm within Glastonbury’s late-night area with artwork by Edgar Phillips at its heart
-
‘100 Years, 60 Designers, 1 Future’: 1882 Ltd plate auction supports ceramic craftThe ceramics brand’s founder Emily Johnson asked 60 artists, designers, musicians and architects – from John Pawson to Robbie Williams – to design plates, which will be auctioned to fund the next generation of craftspeople
-
Jonathan Anderson’s Dior debut: ‘bringing joy to the art of dressing’The Irish designer made his much-anticipated debut at Dior this afternoon, presenting a youthful S/S 2026 menswear collection that reworked formal dress codes
-
A mighty concept coupé from Mercedes-AMG rewrites the electric performance car rulebookThe Mercedes-AMG Concept AMG GT XX is a four-door coupé that explores new approaches to battery tech, brake cooling and aerodynamics. As a sign of things to come, it can’t be ignored
-
Waymo brings more self-driving cars to California – with sights set on New YorkIf you live on the eastside of LA, you can now catch a Waymo to work
-
Slate is an ultra-simple EV truck intended as an affordable and customisable workhorseSlate designer Tisha Johnson discusses her role at the US electric truck start-up, a company that wants its customers to have complete freedom of expression
-
Gulfstream’s newly refurbished London Design Centre offers myriad ways to spec your jetPurchasing a private jet requires a cavalcade of design decisions. Gulfstream now offers its London customers a new Sales and Design Centre for them to make their decisions at leisure
-
We drive the World and UK Car of the Year, the all-electric Kia EV3The new Kia EV3 is an EV for the masses that doesn’t skimp on design detail, features and overall functional elegance
-
The Peugeot E-5008 is an adept but ostentatious take on the all-electric SUVPeugeot has swapped its seductive design language for something shoutier and less discrete as it attempts to conquer the electric SUV segment with the new E-5008
-
The Micra (finally) goes electric as Nissan ramps up its range of EVsThe compact Nissan Micra was once a global bestseller. After getting an early head start on electric mobility, the Japanese giant is looking to a new version of its small car to recharge its status
-
‘Wundercar’ celebrates the ineffable aura of the Porsche 959, the first true hypercarCurated by London creatives INK, ‘Wundercar’ is a London exhibition dedicated to the image and influence of Porsche’s seminal 959, a true icon of 1980s engineering
