70 Nissan LEAF taxis show capability in Mexico

LEAF taxis lined up in Mexico

20 in Mexico City – 50 in Aguascalientes

We’re not quite sure how we missed this when these LEAFs were first deployed in Mexico as taxis, but they have now been in service for over a year. Not only have they been successfully placed into service as purveyors of people, but they have helped to propogate an electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure in both locations.

“The reaction is 100 percent positive” according to Cristóbal Reynoso, one of the Mexico City cab drivers. Having 70 EV cabs in service over the past year has saved roughly three tons of CO2 emissions from being emitted into the air compared to 70 gas powered cabs.

“I think the Mexican people have very good acceptance with the LEAF. They are very proud to be part of this kind of initiative here in Mexico,” said Alejandro Viveros, leader of the Zero-Emission Business Unit for Nissan Mexico, Latin America and the Caribbean. While the LEAF is not yet available for the public, Nissan is looking to offer it next year. Getting people familiar with the car and its operation is one goal of the taxi initiaitive.

In the press info, Nissan confirmed that the company’s plans include the Infiniti EV, the NV-200 EV light commercial vehicle, but also the introduction of an entry level Nissan EV. While we knew of the Infiniti and NV-200 EV plans, this is the first that we’ve heard of an entry level Nissan EV. As we find out more, we’ll keep you posted.

 

 

This entry was posted in Charging Infrastructure, Industry News, International, Is the Nissan LEAF right for me?, LEAF 101, LEAF Information, Other EVs. Bookmark the permalink.

2 Responses to 70 Nissan LEAF taxis show capability in Mexico

  1. Sasparilla says:

    If there is one place that could benefit from EV’s its the air quality of Mexico City (well, next to Beijing).

    Not sure how practical the Leaf range would be for an all day taxi without constant quick charging (which is still a good chunk of time and deleterious side effects on battery capacity over time), but it’ll certainly be a good experience for Nissan to learn from.

    Hmmnnn, entry level EV? I think that’s already the Leaf….maybe Nissan is thinking of a toy vehicle like the iMiev.

    Ernie you have a guess for when the Leaf gets redesigned? 2015 model, 2016 model?

    • Ernie Hernandez (LEAFguy) says:

      Nice to hear from you again. Regarding LEAFs as taxis – the press release didn’t mention how they were used. Since they’ve been in operation for over a year now, they must have figured out a workable deployment plan.

      Regarding the LEAF redesign, Nissan is typically on a five year redesign schedule, although that can vary based on the vehicle. For instance, the Titan hasn’t been redesigned since it’s 2004 launch. Nissan had plans to work with Dodge a few years ago, but when Chrysler went belly-up those plans went out the window. Nissan is now working on developing their own next generation Titan. Back to the LEAF – my guess is that it will be driven more by battery technology than a fixed timeline. No reason to update the body with current battery technology if newer technology is right around the corner. I’ve been referring to the next gen LEAF as LEAF 2.0, and my guess is around 2016 or so.

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