NYC Adds 6 Nissan Leaf Electric Cars to Taxi Fleet

New York City on Monday added six Nissan Leaf electric cars to its official taxi fleet for a year-long pilot program that will determine whether an all-electric cab makes sense in the Big Apple.

Nissan donated a half dozen of the zero emission cars to the NYC Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC), which will study whether electric vehicles can survive on the streets of Manhattan.

"The purpose of the pilot isn't, in truth, to test out how the car works; we know the car does just great," TLC Commissioner David Yassky said during a Monday launch event. "What we have to do now is figure out how you integrate the charging of an electric vehicle into the duty cycle of a taxi cab."

In other words, can cab drivers effectively shuttle passengers around the city without losing power in stop-and-go traffic or during a rush hour jam?

Nissan has supplied the city with three fast chargers, two of which are already installed in Manhattan, Yassky said. One of those stations is near Seward Park on the Lower East Side (pictured), but the TLC did not say where the other one is located. The stations, however, should allow for 15-20 minute, mid-shift charges, in addition to the longer, overnight charges that will be required.

According to Ken Srebnik, senior manager of corporate planning at Nissan, the Leaf can be charged to 80 percent in a half hour. Drivers will also have 240 volt AC charging, known as level 2, at their homes or fleet garages. Srebnik acknowledged that New York needs "a lot more infrastructure in place to support a wider rollout," but today is just a first step.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg took a ride in one of the Nissan Leaf cabs today, and said they provided a ride that is "much quieter and smoother than what I'm used to." Bloomberg wants one out of every three taxicabs in New York City to be fully electric by the end of the decade. At this point, the city has a fleet of 13,000+ cars.

"If you can turn just some of those ... into electric vehicles, that is a huge win for the environment," Yassky said.

One of the six drivers, Uppkar Thind, said the second biggest expense for any driver is gas, which can cost about $40 per day. As a result, switching to electric is "definitely worth it," he said. With the Leaf, charging usually coincides with lunch breaks.

The Leaf pilot is not related to New York's Taxi of Tomorrow, which will launch later this year. A year ago, the city selected the Nissan NV200 to become the city's next exclusive taxi. It will hit the streets in late 2013, will have a mobile charging station for passengers, including a 12-volt electrical outlet and two USB ports, perfect for giving cellphones and other gadgets some juice. For drivers, they'll also include a standard navigation system with an integrated rearview backup monitor.