Tesla Model 3 Becomes Popular NYC Taxi Cab

By McKenzie Carpenter | Friday, 02 April 2021 | Business, Tech

Founded in 2008 by Elon Musk, Tesla was created on the idea of providing sustainable energy to decrease reliability on fossil fuels to work toward a zero-emissions future. Although the company primarily focuses on electric cars, the business has ventured further into sustainable energy with solar roofs and panels for homes.

While the business explores sustainable energies, the Model 3 EV created by the company has been slightly repurposed from a mass consumer vehicle to a popular yellow taxi cab in New York City (NYC) and other cities in the United States (US) and Europe.

Tesla Model 3 Taxi Cab Adoption

The Model 3 was created by the EV company and launched in 2016, following the launch of the Roadster in 2008, Model S in 2012, and Model X in 2015. The EV business has gone on to create electric trucks and another EV, Model Y.

The Model 3 EV is an all-wheel-drive midsize sedan designed to be low-cost and allow drivers to travel up to 353 miles on a single charge, and the car can travel up to 175 miles in a 15-minute charge. In addition, this EV model from the business can reach speeds up to 162 miles per hour and go from 0 to 60 miles per hour in a matter of seconds.

Due to the more affordable price of the Model 3 compared to the other EV models created by the company, taxi cab companies around the world have taken notice of how cost-effective the EV could be for their businesses. This realization has resulted in the adoption of the Model 3 as a yellow taxi cab in NYC.

In 2019, Tesla Model 3 was approved by the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC) as the first EV eligible to become a yellow cab in the city. The cabs did not officially launch until late 2020.

Although the initial purchase of a fleet of electric vehicles may be a lot for a taxi cab company, the use of electric cars like the ones created by the EV business could make a big impact on the taxicab industry as an EV can travel farther on a single charge and would require less time and money spent on traditional gasoline vehicles’ fuel and maintenance.

Other Tesla Taxi Adoptions

The NYC adoption of the EV Model 3 as taxis is not the first time the EV company has experienced this. Amsterdam Airport Schiphol has been using Tesla electric cars as a taxi service since 2014, and the airport has even made further attempts to electric sustainability with electric transport trucks and buses, maintenance vehicles, golf carts, and many more.

Furthermore, The Columbus Dispatch reported in July 2019 that Columbus Yellow Cab purchased 10 Model 3s from the EV business as part of its larger plan to eventually be a completely electric taxi cab company. A few months later, in November 2019, Madison, Wisconsin-based Green Cab announced it would be partnering with Zerology to completely replace its taxi fleet with all Tesla Model 3 electric vehicles.

About the Author

McKenzie Carpenter

McKenzie Carpenter is a graduate of Central Michigan University with a B.A.A. in Integrative Public Relations and French. McKenzie has previously worked for small businesses and nonprofit organizations.