Written by: Javier Cantagalli @Cantagalli 8 november 2020 2 minutes
The Tesla Model 3 meets all the requirements for use as a taxi in New York, with some additional advantages over combustion vehicles.
–
In 2013, a pilot program was launched in New York, with the aim of assessing the suitability of electric vehicles for use as taxis. With a fleet of six first-generation Nissan Leafs This initiative started, which some considered as a first step towards an idyllic future for the city.
Nothing is further from reality. In 2015, a report published by the New York Taxi and Limousine Commission noted that the Nissan Leaf had significant limitations for its use as a taxi In this city.
Drivers who used these vehicles during the pilot program were forced to significantly change their work habits. The limited autonomy of the first generation Nissan Leaf, with only 135 km under the EPA homologation cycleIt was not enough to complete a workday with guarantees in one of the largest cities in the world. A situation that was further complicated during the summer months by the intensive use of air conditioning.
The Nissan Leaf eventually fell into oblivion, and combustion engine vehicles remained the only viable option for anyone who made a living driving a taxi in New York.
A new hope
Those who were betting on electric mobility in the city did not regain their optimism until 2019, when the Tesla Model 3 received the necessary certification to be used as a taxi in New York. The electric of the American manufacturer It no longer had the limitations of the Nissan Leaf years ago, since it offered a wide interior space, air conditioning in the rear seats, and it was possible to install the partition that separates the driver from the passengers.
But not only that, with more than 400 km of EPA autonomy on a single charge, the Tesla Model 3 could complete any workday, no matter how intense, and regardless of the weather conditions. Even with the air conditioning or heating running continuously.
Now, a year later, images of the first Tesla Model 3 used as a taxi in New York and painted in that distinctive yellow color so striking, have just been made public. The vehicle was seen in Manhattan near a Tesla store, which suggests that its premiere was recent.
Will the Tesla Model 3 manage to conquer the Big Apple this time and change the image of the city? It is still too early to know, but he has all the ballots to get it.
Model 3 Tesla Sedan Electric #NY
–
