Mexico's first electric taxis

Mexico's capital has taken delivery of the country's first all-electric taxi cabs under an agreement to promote eco-friendly vehicle use between Japan-headquartered Nissan Motor and the local government.
May 1, 2012 Read time: 1 min
UniCredit Mexico's capital has taken delivery of the country's first all-electric taxi cabs under an agreement to promote eco-friendly vehicle use between Japan-headquartered 2454 Nissan Motor and the local government.The government of Mexico City intends to provide incentives such as excluding electric vehicles from the emissions verification programme, waiving yearly car registration, permitting them to travel in special lanes and offering preferential parking spots in a bid to encourage usage of electric vehicles. By the end of this year, the programme plans to deploy 100 new electric vehicles and a second quick-charge station.Marcelo Ebrard, Mayor of Mexico City, together with Nissan and US-based 3500 General Electric, the supplier of the quick-charge equipment, launched the first three taxis into operational service last week. Increased use of electric vehicles in the city will certainly help reduce the eye-wateringly high smog levels. However whether battery powered vehicles will appeal to more than a handful of Mexico City's notoriously pedal-to-the-metal cab drivers remains to be seen.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • UK investing in clean engine technologies
    July 15, 2013
    The UK Government is pledging to invest heavily in new engine technologies. This strategy is intended to keep the UK as a technology leader in the field of engine developments, with a particular focus on the automotive sector. The plans are to develop new, low emission vehicles using innovative powertrain systems, such as plug-in hybrids, electric vehicles and fuel cell vehicles. In all some €1.156 billion (£1 billion) has been pledged by the UK Government over the next 10 years for investment in research a
    Read More
  • New junction designs for Nairobi to cut congestion
    June 30, 2014
    New junctions could cut chronic congestion in Kenyan capital Nairobi – Shem Oirere reports Kenya plans to replace all T-junctions in the country’s capital Nairobi with acceleration and deceleration lanes to address a crippling vehicle traffic regime estimated to consume $580,000 daily. “We will replace the junctions with acceleration and deceleration lanes,” said John Mosonik, the principal secretary in Kenya’s ministry of transport. He said the acceleration lanes, which allow cars joining the main road t
    Read More
  • Saudi Arabian capital Riyadh benefiting from major transport investment
    September 9, 2013
    Saudi Arabia is undergoing a series of upgrades to its transport network in a bid to improve Traffic flow rates and boost safety - Mike Woof reports. The massive growth in the use of motor transport worldwide since the start of the 20th century has transformed every country on the planet. But perhaps no country has changed more dramatically than Saudi Arabia, the world’s leading oil producer. At the start of the 20th century Saudi Arabia’s population was small and the country had few industries while it is
    Read More
  • UK’s M6 tolled motorway for sale
    June 21, 2016
    For sale: one UK toll motorway along with operating business. Well maintained. Price negotiable. David Arminas looks at what is on offer As if right on cue, a French articulated truck starts to back up along the hard shoulder at an exit area of M6toll. The manoeuvring is watched from an office inside the nearby M6toll headquarters. Inside, Andy Pearson, chief executive of M6toll, glances over his shoulder and interrupts his presentation to World Highways. “He’s probably missed the dedicated wide-load
    Read More

Highlighted Content