OREANDA-NEWS. November 25, 2015. This past Wednesday, Montreal witnessed an important event: the launch of Canada's first all-electric taxi service. Taxelco and its partners including Nissan - unveiled the company's visual identity, the fleet's first vehicles and the service's communication platform. For the first all-electric vehicles in its Montreal fleet, Taxelco team members chose Nissan as one of three automobile manufacturers to partner with, leading them to purchase 24 2016 Nissan LEAF vehicles.

"Nissan is delighted to have been chosen as a partner and supplier of electric vehicles for Montr?al's electric taxi pilot project," said Christian Meunier, president of Nissan Canada Inc. "The Qu?bec EV market is a priority for Nissan because over 50 per cent of Nissan LEAF vehicles sold in Canada are sold in Quebec."

"This announcement is a huge milestone for Montreal's taxi industry. Our new electric taxi project is called Tio, which stands for Transport cologique Optimis?, or optimized environmental transportation," said Alexandre Taillefer, Managing Partner at XPND Capital. "The service officially launches on November 26 of this year when a fleet of 50 taxis begin driving the city streets. We plan to have about 2,000 in circulation by May 2019. We are fortunate to have partnered with all-electric car manufacturers such as Nissan, and we are confident that these zero-emission vehicles will meet the needs of both taxi drivers and their customers."

"It's inspiring to see that companies such as Taxelco want to make the taxi industry more profitable as well as improving its environmental footprint by using fully electric vehicles. Together, we are proud to show that emission-free driving makes sense from a cost of ownership perspective, and also helps to achieve healthier and more habitable cities. This is clear proof not only that many Quebecers recognize the huge cost-savings in owning a Nissan LEAF, but also that the electric vehicle market is developing strongly, especially in this province," concluded Meunier.

Launched last October with a new 30 kWh battery, the Nissan LEAF 2016 offers a best-in-class range of 172 km, a 27 per cent increase over the previous 24 kWh battery. The Nissan LEAF 2016 is equipped with a standard Quick Charge Port on all models and the new battery is standard for LEAF SV and LEAF SL models. The 2016 model also offers an enhanced IT system that is more user-friendly and gives drivers greater vehicle connectivity.

Since Nissan LEAF launched in December 2010, Nissan has been the global leader in electric vehicle (EV) sales, with an all-electric car specifically designed for the mass market. The Nissan LEAF has proven itself in Canada and especially in Qu?bec, where sales have tripled in the past two years.