I've often thought it would be great to do The Knowledge. For those not in the know (or without the knowledge), it's the exam that London taxi drivers must undertake to qualify to drive a black cab. It's basically a comprehensive test of someone's knowledge of streets within a certain (rather large) radius of Trafalgar Square.

Most of the prospective cabbies learn the Knowledge while riding around London on a scooter, generally on a Sunday with an A-Z map strapped to the handlebars.

I often think it would be a much more impressive task to do it purely from the A-Z map, without any reference to the physical streets. I wonder if anyone's ever done that. I wonder if I should try. It would be quite a feat.

http://www.londontaxiknowledge.co.uk/General.html

Geely, the Chinese automaker that co-owns the company that produces black London taxis, has met UK government officials about bringing electric-powered cabs to the UK capital.

"One of our ideas is to convert London taxis into electric," Li Shufu, the company's chairman, told the Financial Times. "We are doing research on this project."

Geely owns about 23 per cent of Manganese Bronze, the Coventry-based producer of black London cabs, and 51 per cent of a Shanghai-based joint venture with the UK company that will produce the cars in China starting this December.

Mr Li said that he had discussed the idea of electric taxis in London with Boris Johnson, the city's mayor, at the Beijing Olympic games in August. Mr Johnson supports the idea.

Manganese Bronze this year signed a research and development agreement with Tanfield Electric Vehicles to develop all-electric plug-in taxis. Manganese Bronze's share price has slumped in recent weeks after hundreds of its TX4 cabs were taken off the streets following a series of engine fires.

Geely, like China's other rising automakers, is developing its own plug-in hybrid and electric cars, including an electric version of its Panda city car that it may seek to sell in Europe. Mr Li said developing electric vehicle technology would be a major strategic focus for the company in future.

Geely's plan to build London taxis in Shanghai is one of a string of investments by Chinese companies seeking to apply low-cost production to iconic overseas assets.

Rival carmaker SAIC recently relaunched production of MG TF sports cars in Longbridge and makes the Roewe brand of cars in China largely based on tools and designs formerly owned by bankrupt MG Rover.

LTI Shanghai Automobile, the JV, plans to sell the Shanghai-built cabs to taxi operators, hotels, and other buyers in China and overseas, with a view eventually to building 10,000 vehicles a year.

The Chinese operation will also supply parts produced at a lower cost to LTI's flagship operation in the UK.

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/79089ff4-9e3f-11dd-bdde-000077b07658.html

As a licensed taxi driver in the Capital you must have a detailed knowledge of roads and places of interest in London - known as the Knowledge.

How long it takes to become a licensed taxi driver depends on whether you want to be an All London driver or a Suburban driver.

London or the suburbs?

All London drivers, also known as Green Badge drivers, need a detailed knowledge of London within a six mile radius of Charing Cross.

Initially there are 320 routes or runs to learn, along with all the places of interest and important landmarks on and around these runs.

It takes between two to four years to learn and pass the All London Knowledge. Once you are licensed you can work anywhere in the Greater London area.

Suburban

Suburban drivers, or Yellow Badge drivers, need to choose from one of the nine suburban sectors and know between 30 and 51 runs in detail, depending on their chosen sector, and all places of interest and important landmarks on those runs.

It takes around two years to become a licensed Suburban taxi driver. Once qualified you can only work in the sector you are licensed for.

You can find out more about the two types of licence available on the Licence types page. 

Knowledge makes your brain grow

The brain will grow as you learn and put into practice the Knowledge, says research by the Wellcome Department of Imaging Neuroscience.

On scanning the brains of 16 London taxi drivers, who had spent an average of two years learning the Knowledge, they found they had a larger right hippocampus than control subjects.

Find out more on the study on the Wellcome Trust website.

See also: http://www.londontaxiknowledge.co.uk