LEVC’s L380 is a truly magnificent minivan
The London Electric Vehicle Company’s L380, is a magnificent minivan designed for upscale long-distance travel, as the maker of the London Taxi branches out into all-purpose EVs
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
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox
Jonathan Bell has written for Wallpaper* magazine since 1999, covering everything from architecture and transport design to books, tech and graphic design. He is now the magazine’s Transport and Technology Editor. Jonathan has written and edited 15 books, including Concept Car Design, 21st Century House, and The New Modern House. He is also the host of Wallpaper’s first podcast.
-
Mizuno for Margaret Howell is this summer’s most considered sportswear
The latest chapter of Margaret Howell’s collaboration with Japanese sportswear brand Mizuno has been revealed, featuring ultra-lightweight fabrications and sleek, utilitarian design
By Jack Moss Published
-
One Domino Square: Brooklyn’s iridescent skyscraper is an Annabelle Selldorf first
We quiz New York architect Annabelle Selldorf on One Domino Square in Williamsburg, her first residential skyscraper, with apartments going on the market today
By Léa Teuscher Published
-
Ginspiration: delicious premium gin that’s just the tonic
Premium gin brands to know, as drinks expert Neil Ridley explores the botanical bonanza currently going on behind the back bar
By Neil Ridley Published
-
Coming soon: a curated collection of all the new EVs and hybrids that matter
We've rounded up new and updated offerings from Audi, Porsche, Ineos, Mini and more to keep tabs on the shifting sands of the mainstream car market
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
Pininfarina Battista Reversario is a new one-off electric hypercar
The all-electric Pininfarina Battista Reversario is joining its aesthetic inverse in an ultra-select car collector’s garage. We take a look at a car built to a very precise order
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
Vauxhall Corsa Electric brings the modest model upmarket
Car-share convenience or the burden of automotive ownership? The Vauxhall Corsa Electric goes high-tech to help sway the undecided
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
Mighty Kia EV9 is the brand’s biggest electric vehicle. How does it scale up to its rivals?
We take the Kia EV9 – now in showrooms, in a wide range of versions – for a spin to see how the revitalised company handles the design of a big SUV
By Guy Bird Published
-
Toyota bz4X SUV is the marque’s first pure electric vehicle
The Toyota bz4X is our first chance to explore how the long-standing masters of mass automobile production make an EV
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
New Rivian R2 and R3 downsize a format to increase the EV company’s standings
The Californian manufacturer has revealed the new Rivian R2 and R3, all-electric SUVs that combine practicality with functional elegance
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
Microcar madness: three new ultra-compact electric city cars
These two-seater electric microcars are the ultimate errand machines, designed for short hops and small spaces, all with a minimal footprint
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
Year in review: the top 10 cars of 2023, as selected by Wallpaper’s Jonathan Bell
What were the best four-wheeled offerings of 2023? Transport editor Jonathan Bell takes us through the year’s most intriguing automobiles
By Jonathan Bell Published