Automotive News Europe - December 2017 - Talk from the Top Supplement - 8

AUTOMOTIVE NEWS EUROPE

TALK FROM THE TOP

Branching out
Top exec details plan to take green version of iconic London taxi global

ew current automotive executives can
match Carl-Peter Forster's knowledge
of the European industry. Forster started
at BMW in 1986 but he is best known for
his eight-year stint at General Motors,
where he served as president and CEO of
the U.S. automaker's European arm from
2006 to 2009. After that he joined Tata
Motors to work with Jaguar Land Rover.
Since 2013, he has been on the board
of Geely Automotive Holdings and Volvo
Cars. In 2015, he was given chairmanship of Geely's London Electric Vehicle
Company, which makes the new hybrid
London taxi. Forster discussed the challenges for the taxi manufacturer, which is
looking to expand globally, in an interview
with Automotive News Europe Correspondent Nick Gibbs.
You plan to export the hybrid London
taxi from the UK to other countries in
Europe. Do you envisage big numbers?
We want to export sizeable numbers, for
us anyway. Among the first orders placed
was one for 250 vehicles from a company
that provides services to disabled people
in Amsterdam.
Have you started production of the
taxi in China?
No. The factory is under construction. It's
a greenfield site about three hours south
of Shanghai. We will start pre-production
next year and in 2019 we will have vehicles on the market. It's three times the
capacity [in China, compared with the UK
plant]. The UK plant is 20,000 to 30,000,
if you really push.
Are the European and Chinese taxi
markets similar?
No. Taxis are very localized in China and
there are always differences due to the
local regulations. We will start the rollout
of the hybrid taxi with large urban areas
of Europe, then Hong Kong, Shanghai,
Singapore and Beijing. Then a massive
rollout in China.
Aren't local taxis in China very cheap?
Yes, but the pressure is also to make them
zero emissions. Ours will be a luxury taxi
with more capacity, not just for two people. We believe there is a substantial mar-

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The engineers who developed your
platform are mostly former employees of Lotus. Lotus is now owned by
Geely. Are there any synergies to be
had here?
Yes, but we have no idea as to the extent.
The team will be happy to help if Lotus
requires support.
Is it helpful that Lotus uses bonded
aluminum technology in the
same way?
It is useful because they startMeet the boss
ed this technology. Alumi❚ N
AME:
num is used in many shapes
Carl-Peter Forster
and forms, but in Europe
typically it's welded rather
❚ T
ITLE: London
than bonded. I was head
Electric Vehicle Comof manufacturing at BMW
pany Chairman; Volvo
when Z8 production was
Cars Board Member
ramped up and that used an
❚ AGE: 63
aluminum spaceframe, but it
was welded. Welding is well
❚ M
AIN CHALLENGE:
understood. A mechanical
Scaling up production
engineer can define welding
of an expensive
and you can calculate it. With
niche vehicle by
ket, otherwise we
bonding, using adhesives,
taking it global.
wouldn't have investyou need the confidence
that the simulation reflects
ed in a factory. It's not
our only product. We also produce an LCV actual life. Lotus knows bonded structures,
understands how they crash, for example.
and other derivatives in China.
A famous sports car manufacturer [Aston
Would one of those derivatives be a Martin] does same. All Formula One cars
private car?
have bonded structures. It's a UK capabilNo. All of our vehicles are for commercial ity. Hardly anyone else does it.
use. The next variant will be a commercial
What's the advantage of bonding?
van for city deliveries. The big advantage
of our aluminum technology is that you It's cheaper and lighter. Welding normally
can change the shape and size of the introduces heat, which means distortions.
body with relatively little investment com- You need to understand the process.
pared with a steel body.
Have you visited Lotus's Norfolk, EngThe pricing of vans and taxis is very land, headquarters since the Geely ancompetitive. Your vehicle is expen- nouncement?
sive. Are you relying on cities to cre- Yes. I've been to Norfolk.
ate zero-emissions zones?
Did you like what you saw?
You say it's expensive, but it depends on Lotus is absolutely brilliant at creating
what vehicle we are comparing it with. cars that drive superbly. They have done
This is not a cheap powertrain. Electric this with very moderate means, because
with a range-extender isn't cheap, but it's after [former CEO] Dany Bahar spent a
good on total cost of ownership. A Lon- fortune and didn't achieve much, there
don cabbie who structures his day so that wasn't much money left and ever since
he drives mostly electric can save about then they have had to live with what they
100 pounds (112 euros) a week.
had. They did an excellent job. ANE

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