A preview of an earlier version of the vehicle – which is based on New York’s NV200 cab – but it is believed the new version will look more immediately like a taxi.

“You’ll look at it and say “That’s a London Cab” but what we didn’t want is a car that looks like it was done in the 1950’s” said Nissan executive vice president and global product planning boss Andy Palmer.

“London needs something iconic. Boris Johnson said it needs to conjure up an image of a bowler hat, and I think it does that.”

The taxi has been developed with input from London cabbies, which will be offered initially with a diesel engine, with electric power following later.

Palmer admits getting cabbies into an electric taxi may be a battle but insisted: “Running costs are a faction of the diesel and it will work as long as you can get fast chargers in the right places.”

And he is confident the taxi will help change perceptions about EVs: “If you want to get a few million people into an EV and see what it is capa