The Style Management Taxi Company in Hell’s Kitchen is the lucky recipient of two of the six shiny new all-electric Nissan Leafs that are being interjected into the city’s taxi fleet. The pilot program is the latest attempt by the Taxi and Limousine Commission to put more fuel efficient cabs on the streets. “It’s exciting they’re not even registered yet,” said Steven Rosenberg, fleet manager of the garage.
The cars stand out dramatically amid a sea of busted Crown-Vics. The electric vehicles can get roughly 100 miles per charge and can can fully replenish itself after only a half hour with a level 3 charger (the level 2 charger takes a staggering seven hours). The two taxis will be driven by the garage’s most highly-vetted drivers.
The prospect of electric cabs is exciting, but it will be a long time before NYC’s streets are truly choke-free–the TLC hopes one-third of the city’s taxis will be electric by 2020.
(Photos: Joseph Schulhoff/ANIMALNewYork)
