"We will deliver these vehicles first to London, to show the world that one of its most complex, congested and challenging cities is at the head of this great change," Li says.

The new factory marks a significant chapter in the story of the London Taxi Co. With a goal of producing 5,000 vehicles a year by 2019, and a total annual capacity of more than 20,000 vehicles, the factory offers a sizable increase in current sales of about 2,000 vehicles a year. In time, the new factory is set to create an additional 1,000 jobs, including 200 engineers and 30 apprenticeships.

What motivated Geely to invest so heavily in the production of electric taxis, perhaps, is its determination to create "the best ultra-low emission commercial vehicles in the world". To achieve this end, Geely has incorporated electric power train system technology into the taxis acquired from its subsidiary Volvo, the Swedish carmaker it bought in 2010.

Such an environmentally friendly drive is understandably a priority, given that China's pollution situation has prompted many car brands to increasingly adopt to stricter emissions standards, often not only because of government requirements, but also because carmakers are aware of the consequences of pollution.

"Cities remain the bedrock of global economic growth and development and the combined congestion and pollution crisis threatens their very viability," Li says. "We all have a responsibility to think in an innovative way to tackle these issues. It is no longer good enough to just leave the task to our governments; the carmakers have a critical role to play."

The green electric taxis will be sold in London toward the end of this year and become available on the international market in 2018. With an exterior similar to the iconic black cab design, the electric taxis have many of the famed black cab's signature functions, such as wheelchair access.

The cost of an electric cab has not yet been disclosed. The current diesel version sells for ￡42,000.