[4] The Metrocab’s main competitor is the LEVC TX, another completely new electric taxi built to London’s 2018 regulations, and successor to the well-known TX4.

[5] Prototypes were shown to the press in January 2014 and a “small fleet” of vehicles were running with the taxi operator ComCab in early 2015.

[6] In May 2015 it was announced that, following a £50,000,000 investment, 3,500 Metrocab vehicles per year will be manufactured by Multimatic at an expanded plant in Tile Hill, Coventry.

It has regenerative braking and can be recharged from a mains electric outlet, as well as by its own petrol engine.

A Metrocab spokesman said: “It is a great pity that unnecessary time has been wasted on a false accusation … We have continued to trial, improve and develop our technology over the last three years with taxi drivers in active service and are extremely proud of our decision to design and develop the entirety of the Metrocab here in the UK.