Montreal Is Getting 50 100% Electric Taxis
Photo cred - Marior Do
Taxi cabs in Montreal are going green, not with a new paint job, but with 100% electric vehicles, which will be hitting the streets in 2016, according to La Presse. 50 electric cabs will be part of the first wave of green vehicles, with the goal to make the city's entire fleet 100% electric, an initiative estimated to cost $250 million.
The project to electrify Montreal's fleet of 4400 taxis is being organized by the recently created taxi company Taxelco (TaxiElectricCompany) headed by Alexandre Taillefer, who is already in talks with potential partners for investments and support.
Specifics regarding funding for the project and its partners are unknown, as things need to stay confidential at the moment according to Taillefer, but support from the City of Montreal, the Montreal taxi bureau, Hydro-Québec and the Québec government are all but confirmed.
Mother Nature won't be the only one to benefit from Montreal's electrically powered cabs, as Taillefer claims cabbies will also see positive changes from the fuel-switch. Productivity will be increased, the cars will be more comfortable and fun to drive, and drivers will see a 20% boost in their income due to improved workplace technologies, Taillefer explained to La Presse.
The public can expect to see their first glimpse of Montreal's electric taxi cabs in November, during the Je vois Montréal public consultation event, where Taillefer hopes to present the project.
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*Not actual taxis pictured above.
