We need more cities in the world like Madrid. Not because it is a beautiful city and is home to one of the best football clubs in the world, but it takes sustainability very seriously. At the recently held Madrid motor show, it was announced that La Ciudad del Taxi have entered into an agreement with Nissan that sees 110 Nissan LEAF models to serve as taxis in the city of Madrid. This will be the world's largest all electric taxi fleet. Cities such as Amsterdam and Budapest have also taken deliveries of Nissan electric vehicles such as LEAF and e-NV200. The Madrid City Council has confirmed that it will be installing charging infrastructure across the city as well. The regional government has also pledged an amount of €2 million, supporting the cause of zero emission mobility.
(Nissan to deliver 110 LEAF taxis to the city of Madrid)Gareth Dunsmore, Head of Electric Vehicles, Nissan Europe said, "Cities across the globe are facing huge challenges in terms of poor air quality and increasing greenhouse emissions. Adding zero emission vehicles such as the Nissan LEAF to taxi services operating in major cities is vital step to tackling these challenges head on.
Nissan LEAF is perhaps the best-selling electric vehicle in the world with more than 2, 20,000 units sold globally. The LEAF 30kWh, which will be delivered to La Ciudad del Taxi, will have a range of 250 kilometres on a fully charged battery and thanks to its compact dimensions; it is the ideal size for a taxi as well. Adding to that is the fact that the running cost of a Nissan LEAF is four times cheaper than that of a conventional combustion engine, saving up to 40 per cent in maintenance costs as well. Europe is welcoming the rise of electric taxi fleets in some of its major cities and therefore, reaping benefits of zero emission mobility. Till date, Nissan has sold over 800 electric vehicles (both LEAF and the e-NV200) to taxi operators across Europe. Also, Netherlands, UK and Spain are the top three markets for Nissan electric taxis.
